APAM- The Directors Cut!

[michael]

HaHa I got to Swan Hill first....
PV Pyap. Built 1896 as a brage for Captain Oliver, constructed of iron topplate and frames and redgum bottom. It was then built into a steamer in 1898 ands operated as a hawking steamer in the lower Murray and darling river regions. She measured 94'x16.8' and was powered by twin cylinder 10hp portable steam engine by Marshall and Sons. Sold in 1913 and its engine was replaced by a twin cylinder 16hp portable steam engine by Richard Garret and sons, she still ran as a hawking steamer untill sold in 1932 to Les Newitt of Mildura and was converted to a fishing steamer. During the 1950's the Collins brothers bought the steamer removing the steam plant and converted it to a houseboat for their parents to live aboard.
In 1970 it was sold again to Toby Henson who brought it to Swan Hill and replaced the wooden bottom with steel and installed a 225hp diesel engine. She then ran excursions cruises from the pioneer settlement.
In 1972 it cruised downstream to Merbein to tow back the Vega barge which was refloated with the help of the Reliance.
On the 27 September 1978 it caught fire and the superstrucre was destroyed although the engine and hull were in good it wa rebuilt. Purchased by the Victorian Government in 1984 but continued to run at the pioneer settlement.
It made a trip to Echuca in the 1980's on a high river.
In October 2005 it went to Mildura where it spent a few months on the Buroonga slip where it had its bottom replaced, and interior rebuilt.
She returned to Swan Hill early 2006 but has issues with trips due to politics and local council

[thewharfonline]

...ahem...actually you didn't get there first Michael, I had a Pyap article, unfortunately it went down with APAM and as I never got a chance to finish Echuca I did not get a chance to replace it again as that article still exists.

So first my article on Enterprise: (First Published 4th Sunday, September 17, 2006)

The Paddle Steamer Enterprise now resides in our nations capital Canberra on lake Burley Griffin but unlike most Murray River paddlers of today she doesn't carry passengers!

Enterprise was built in 1877 in Echuca with a 12hp steam engine. She was built as a tow boat for use on the Edwards, Goulburn and Murrumbidgee rivers. She had an incredibly small draught of ten inches upon completion. She was 56.8 feet long and 15.6 feet wide. Her hull was made of red gum and most early river boats before the 1900's were. The Enterprise is believed to have been one of the boats that sailed down Echuca's main street when the river was in flood to help rescue stranded people and also sail into Queensland on flooded rivers.

Originally Enterprise worked carrying gerneal goods and wool, towing the Stella Barge. In 1919 the boat changed hands and began to work in the Fishing industry. At this time Enterprise still had no upper deck. This was to change after 1945 when the Enterprise was turned into a houseboat and changed hands various amounts of times. The upper deck was constructed and then made bigger and bigger until the boat was too top heavy to sail and as such she remained in Mannum. Two stainless steel pontoons were then added to keep the boat afloat after 3 tons of lead sheeting were added to the boat to keep her watertight. The Enterprise wouldn't be going anywhere for a while!

In 1973 the Enterprise was bought again and this time was to be turned into a boat able to paddle again. The deck structure changed and for awhile the boat could be found at Murray Bridge. During the 70's Enterprise made her way up to Echuca where she raced the Etona, but lost!

In 1984 the National Museum of Australia purchased the Enterprise and in 1987 the Enterprise arrived in Echuca. Work commenced on restoring the boat (next to the saw mill at the Port, now known as the 'Shipwrights Yard') and in 1988 the hull was completed. In April of 1988 the Enterprise returned to the Murray and on teh 28th of August 1988 the Enterprise was officially handed over to the National Museum. On a trial run before the ceremony the Enterprise blew a gasket but the problem was fixed just in time for the ceremony. Then the Enterprise was taken apart, loaded onto a low loader and driven to Canberra where she was placed on Lake Burley Griffin.

Enterprise now has the common 'square' paddle boxes and box like deck structures. She appears like the Adelaide when she had square paddles and the raised stern deck housing. However I don't believe the Enterprise ever looked like this when she operated on the Murray. Now the boat is brought into styeam for special events and for public viewing but is not licensed to carry passengers.

The following photo comes from Martin (lner). This is from about the time when the Enterprise raced the Etona.

I'm sure Roderick will also supply some photos of the Enterprise as I personally have never seen the boat!

[thewharfonline]

(Articles First Published 2nd Monday, September 18, 2006)

Welcome to Swan Hill famous for the Pioneer Settlement which was the first open aired museum in Australia and a giant Murray Cod! Swan Hill was named by explorer Thomas Mitchell who was kept awake by honking swans all night!

Swan Hill is also famous for the finish line of the race between the first two paddle steamers the Mary Ann and the Lady Augusta. Lady Augusta won the race and arrived in Swan Hill first. This race was re-enacted in the Randell Cadell run.

Murray Downs station, a white mansion including a tower to defend the people of the station from indigenous Australians, was for some period a big tourist attraction for the area but is now privately owned. Tyntynder Homestead, a restored homestead still remains open to the public and is a short drive from Swan Hill.

Swan Hill is home to two old paddlers and various private owned paddlers including a few being newly constructed. The Gem, the Queen of the Murray, is one of the big draw cards of the Pioneer settlement and for some time was the entrance to the Museum. The PV Pyap operates cruises from the Pioneer Settlement wharf.
After dinner my report on the PV Pyap!

_______Pretend it's after dinner!________

The Paddle Vessel Pyap was once driven by steam and before she was a tourist boat operated as a floating shop.

The Paddle Steamer Pyap was built in 1896 but like the Pevensey as a barge. She was built in Mannum in it's famous dry dock builtby William Randell. In 1898 Pyap became a paddle steamer and began operation as a hawking boat or floating store powered by a 10hp Marhsall & Sons engine. Pyap was 94 feet long and 16.8 feet wide.

Around 1913 the Pyap's engine was changed into a 16hp semi-portable Richard Garret & Sons engine. This engine was belonged to the paddle steamer Victor. Victor was built in 1877 and in 1907 was owned by Eudunda Farmers Co-op Society which also bought the Pyap in 1913. The Victor sunk in 1912 but was one of the few boats to reach Wagga. After sinking the engine was exchanged to the Pyap.

In 1932 Pyap changed hands and became a fishing vessel which operated this way until 1945 when the Collins brothers bought the boat and converted her into a houseboat. In the 70's by the Pyap sailed down from Mildura to Swan Hill to begin her new life. The trip took 13 days and was filled with troubles. Pyap's new engine weighed less than her old engine and as such she floated higher in the water. As such the paddlewheels did not hit the water and the boat had to be weighed down by concrete. Then the Mildura bridge was too small for the Pyap to pass under so part of the towing pole had to be cut off. The drive rope was also a problem as it continued to stretch, it was replaced with a drive chain and then finally made it to Swan Hill.

However upon arrival at the Pioneer Settlement the Pyap sunk after cracks in her hull which had built up over time allowed water to enter the hull. The 'Little Murray' or Marraboor River also rose at the same time leaving the boat even further under water.

After being raised again Pyap underwent the change into a tourist steamer. The hull was replaced with a steel hull, the engine replaced with a diesel engine, cabins were removed, hand rails installed and was licensed to carry 200 passengers. It took 8 months to make these changes to the boat, and those 8 months were about to go down the drain.

On the 28th of September 1978 the Pyap caught fire and burnt to the waterline, no one knows why the Pyap caught fire. Six weeks later the Pyap had been reconstructed completely. In 1988 the Pyap was given to the Swan Hill City Council and today she operates two cruises daily from the Pioneer Settlement Wharf.

[Roderick Smith]

Here is PS Pyap at Mildura in Sept.63.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[paddlesteamerman1]

That is the only photo I have seen of the Pyap that wasn't taken after restoration, so I thought that the superstructure had completely changed, but it hasn't.. I have been on the Pyap only once and that was when I was 9 so I cant remember much, only that it was a lot like POTM!!

[thewharfonline]

I like that photo Roderick! It's definately good to see the boats before their restorations as little are kept the way they were originally made. Especially if boats are designed to carry tourists.

Consider Pevensey, originally walking on decks and sitting on wool bales like today would not have happened as these decks cover the two giant holds of the Pevensey where cargo would have been stored.

I can only supply photos of boats that are in a current form...(I am but young)... so even I get a giant thrill when I see photos such as Roderick's of the boats and the olden days, even if they are of the end of the era.

[paddlesteamerman1]

Yes, I really do love seeing photos of the boats before their current form..
That is why I am searching and buying many books from the 50's-90's on the paddle steamers (that have many a good photo in them)..
I found a few interesting ones of the Pevensey in one of them at Mildura, the Gem sunk, the Murrumbidgee burning etc...

[michael]

That Enterprise photo was taken in 1978 when it raced PS Roy and PV Florence Annie at Renmark.... you can see PS Roy at her stern!!

[michael]

Pyap as she is today, well last weekend

[paddlesteamerman1]

I am more worried about that river level  though.. is that the actual width of the river!!!
The Pyap is a nice looking boat, pity she is diesel though.. It would be a lot better as steam.. I remember cruising on her in Grade 3 - we had school camp in the Pioneer Settlement - and I remember that it was dissapointing to find out it didn't have a steam engine...

[thewharfonline]

I just quickly have to nip back to Echuca for a moment to write an article on the Canberra which got lost in the Great APAM Loss!

Here goes!

PS Canberra was built in 1912 in Goolwa as a single deck fishing vessel for a fishing fleet owner David Connors. She was originally powered by a 12 hp Marshall and Sons portable steam engine which drove the paddle shaft through a chain drive system. Canberra is 74ft long and 15ft wide and has a draught  of 18 inches.

Canberra operated as a fishing vessel for many years and sometimes as a cargo boat. In the 1940's though Canberra gained her upper tourist deck and worked for Norm and Bill Collins as a tourist vessel in Mildura. Canberra operated at Mildura for a few years before she moved to Renmark and offered cruises from there. The tourist trade ended for Canberra in the 1950's when she became a houseboat, this didn't last too long though before Norm and Bill Collins had bought the boat again and transported her again to carry 150 passengers in the Mildura District from 1963. Echuca was beginning to see it's tourist prospects at this stage in time and were looking into purchasing a paddler to operate in the district, Canberra was purchased on 19 November 1966 and on Cristmas Eve 1966 Echuca recieved an early Christmas present of a paddler to operate at the once crowded Echuca.

In 1971 a diesel engine was installed as the steam engine was proving to be getting old and in bad shape. The diesel engine though was cleverly rigged so that it would still power the pistons and make it appear as though Canberra was still being powered by her steam engine. At this time Canberra bore the Red and White colour scheme which she would carry until her major refit.

Canberra was purchased in 2001 by Murray River Paddle Steamers who now operates Emmylou Pride of The Murray and Canberra. In 2002 Canberra was placed on slip and the refit began! The diesel engine was removed and a new Marshall Portable steam engine was installed. Much of the deckhousing was remade along with many of the planks of the hull being replaced. Canberra then gained her new colours of blue and creme/coffee creme and returned to the tourist industry in 2003 where she continues to operate.

[Roderick Smith]

Here are my two Sept.63 photos of PS Canberra, transferred from the Preserved forum.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[michael]

The Queen of the Murray river is the PS Gem, now located in a pond at the Pioneer Settlemet of Swan Hill.
She was built in 1876 at Echuca as a barge with iron frames and wooden planking. She was only a year old when she was converted to a paddlesteamer with a 40hp steam engine installed. At this stage she was two levels and measured 93.4ft long and 20.4ft wide, and she was used for towing and carrying general cargo around Echuca, then the lower stretches of the Murray in South Australia and then the lower reaches of the Darling river.
In February 1882 she was pulled out of the river in Goolwa and the hull was cut in half, and pulled apart by bullock teams. A new 40ft hull was built in between, of wooden bottom and steel topsides. The hull was re-joined and now measured 133.6ft long. A new superstructure was built being 3 levels high, being able to accomodate 100 passengers, including a smoke room, ladies room, and a large dining room.
The Gem now operated in the passenger trade travelling inbetween Morgan SA and Mildura Vic. The boat was laid up during the wars, with all the other rivercraft (that would have been a sight to see). In 1948 she hit a snag on a shortly after leaving Mildura, one passenger died due to a heart attack.
The Gem was laid up in Mildura in 1952 and was used as a hostel for one of the local schools. In1962 the Shire of Swan Hill bought the Gem anmd left 1 October 1962 under tow of PS Oscar W, the trip taking 9 months due to low river. She arrived in Swan Hill in July 1963and was placed in a pond where she became the entrance to the Pioneer settlement.
In 2003 she under went restoration, with the hope she would be returned to the river, altho she got a new hull and the two lower decks got rebuilt.
A loco boiler from Echuca was to be installed into her, but nothing else has happened to her since.

[michael]

Vega barge: was built by F.O.Wallin in 1911 at Moama,NSW. She was 104ft long and 20.7ft wide built of composite with steel topsides and framing and redgum below the water. She was used for transporting wool along the Murrumbidgee, Wakool and Murray rivers, in the 1930's PS Australien and PS Invincible towed her long distances to and from Yarrawonga for the construction of the weir to form lake mulwala. In the 1950's she was located at Mildura and was revived for the 1956 floods when used behind PS Success for collecting sheep station's wool from the Darling River to Mildura for railway transport to Melbourne. During on of the trips the PS Success had engine trouble not long after entering the Murray from the Darling River and were tagled in trees untill the engine was in action again. She was later abandond on the bank downstream of Mildura. In the early 1980's she was refloated and towed to Swan Hill by PV Pyap where it was placed in a pond at the Pioneer Settlement and used as a static display, once with fake wool bales onboard but now just a bare hull in a dry pond, with no future plans of restoration.

[lner]

That Enterprise photo was taken in 1978 when it raced PS Roy and PV Florence Annie at Renmark.... you can see PS Roy at her stern!!

You would be about right as to when the photo was taken - however, the race was in this instance at Mannum.

My mother took the photo from our ski boat.  (Incidentally yes she was racing against the Roy, but I am stuffed if I can see it hidden in that photo)  If my memory serves, the race was from the Reserve at Mannum up to the punt and back.  The Roy won as The Enterprise completely stuffed up the turn.

I seem to recall there was also a race between the Enterprise and the River Murray Queen that day.