Echuca heritage festival, 7 & 8.10 [Australia]

[Roderick Smith]

This annual event is on this weekend, see www.portofechuca.org.au/index.htm

Every private paddlesteamer is expected to be in steam (this is a condition of holding a Port mooring).
At Echuca and nearby marinas there are:
* five commercial PS: Pevensey, Alexander Arbuthnot, Adelaide, Emmylou and Canberra.
* one commercial PV: Pride of the Murray.
* eight private PS: Adventurous, Barmah, Billy Tea, Etona, Henry Charles, James Maiden, Perricoota, Ranger, plus Hero nearing the completion of restoration, two new ones under construction, and a hull at the slipway.
* seven private PV: Amelia Jane (modern single-deck box, powered by paddles), Colonial Lass, Florence Annie, Gemma (gutted by fire in April, and now out of the water), Lady Rae, Run Riot (modern two-deck box on pontoons, propelled by paddle) and Wanganui.

Last year, the small private PS Minimus (the size of a steam launch) was present.  There are also a couple of steam launches (not paddle) which usually appear.

Private boats perambulate during the day, then form a mass parade in the evening, then raft off each other at the wharf to view the fireworks.
On Sunday, the boats raft of each other to form a bridge across the Murray (emulating Hopwood's pontoon bridge).  The guest celebrity to walk bank to bank this year is a famous marathon swimmer.  There is also a blessing of the fleet.

I enclose a photo of the 2003 festival, which was also celebrating the 150th anniversary of Echuca.  Only a month earlier, the Randell & Cadell fleet had been in port (see my Mary Ann thread).

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

I arrived at 8.40 on Saturday, and spent the morning cruising to Moama on PS Adelaide to collect three bales of wool, the ceremonial conclusion to the Long Paddock launch, which had commenced in Wilcannia and come through Ivanhoe, Booligal and Hay.

On Sunday, I was on the 12.00 cruise of PS Cumberoona at Albury, with the river deep and fast (a water release from Dartmouth).  The day was sunny and warm, but there was a strong wind.  Nevertheless, the skipper docked very neatly at the conclusion of the cruise.  The lower saloon is decorated with some very interesting historical photos.  The operator showed me some very interesting remains of 1860s manifests, retrieved from the attic of a house in Albury.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

On Saturday, the first cruise of the morning was PS Adelaide's 9.45 cruise, with an 11.00 rendezvous at Moama to load three wool bales.
This was running in conjunction with the Long Paddock project.  This is a tourist trail along the lonely outback Cobb Hwy, from Echuca/Moama (Murray River) via Deniliquin (Edwards River), Hay (Murrumbidgee River), Booligal (Lachlan River) and Ivanhoe to Wilcannia (Darling River).  See www.thelongpaddock.com.  Local ceremonies to launch the project had been keyed around the transport of three bales of wool on a horse dray; this was the culmination.  The loading was on a steep section of the bank, with a shore audience of 100-200 people.  The bales were lowered down the slope using a rope sling as a brake, then were manhandled up a triple gangplank and onto the foredeck.  Adelaide continued upriver to round up, then steamed ceremonially past the assembled crowd.  It arrived back at the port at 12.00.

I enclose a photo of the cross-river raft event on the Sunday morning.  left to right: PS Pevensey, PS Adelaide, PS Alexander Arbuthnot, PS Perricoota, PS Ranger, PV Amelia Jane, PS Emmylou, (PS James Maiden not yet in position), PV Pride of the Murray, PS Canberra and PS Billy Tea (hidden).  The person to cross this assemblage was marathon swimmer Tammy van Wisse.  One of her marathons was the length of the Murray, Corryong - Goolwa, 2438 km in 2000-01.  See www.tammyvanwisse.com/murrayriver.htm.
Also visible in the photo are: Barge D26, PS Etona (about to go up on the slip next day), PS Henry Charles and PS Hero (in steam, but with no paddlewheels).  Henry Charles didn't steam for the weekend, as the owners were running the steam engines in Murray Esplanade.

Also enclosed: two of mine: one showing the loading of the wool, the other showing Sean aboard PS Ranger.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[thewharfonline]

Ah yes I see Roderick couldn't wait for me!

Fantastic weekend absolutely fantastic in every way for me! Well Roderick covered the start. Three 200kg bales of wool were loaded on the Adelaide down an incredibly steep bank. This is not the first time the wrong decision was made about a steef bank or cliff in Australian history...think Gallipolli, however this time we won the wool made it on to the boat!

The street of course was full of all sorts of engines, cars, carts, tractors, period costumes etc.

The wharf had an excellent collection of model boats

The majority of private boats ran at the sail past, the house boat that is a paddler though is the Amelia Jane, I have no idea of the other Roderick mentions.

I was lucky, I got to drive the Ranger during the Saturday as well as be part of the D:26 crew during the sail past. On Sunday I was on the A.A rostered as Engineer for the very first time and I looked after the engine all by myself (virtually!) We took part in the blessing of the fleet and the bridge of boats and the other cruises through the day. And all crew on board the A.A said my engineering skills were fantastic! (That's a good sign as my rope skills are really bodgy!)

However nice words are pictures say a thousand words and as I have a play to prepare for it is easier for me to supply photos than write you up a nice long APAM size post!
So here comes some photos for you to browse through!

All are from myself...or Dad but they're from my collection!
Sean (or Shags...you see I'm a true river rat now, I gained my Murray Nickname!)

PS: I have many more photos and indepth stories to tell, if you want to hear them holla! This is only a taste to see if you're interested!

[AlistairD]

]
 

 

   
In the absence of a report from Sean or John last    night (presumably home late and exhausted), I present a mini report and photo    from a friend (my own film is still being processed).

On Saturday, the    first cruise of the morning was PS Adelaide's 9.45 cruise, with an 11.00    rendezvous at Moama to load three wool bales.
Passengers included deckies    Sean & Michael in excellent period outfits; I was in my own improvised    one; four Port of Echuca Ambassadors were in perfect Victorian    garb.
   
Now, do you mean Victorian, as from the    era of Queen Victoria, or Victorian as from the state of Victoria, although I    imagine both would apply?  
Alistair

[Roderick Smith]

Yes, I meant outfits from the Victorian era.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor


Alistair posted: ...do you mean Victorian, as from the era of Queen Victoria, or Victorian as from the state of Victoria...?

[thewharfonline]

Now under normal circumstances a person could simply skim over that believing that it was an actual historic photo!

However on closer analysis!

Adelaide is a towing steamer, built to tow wood barges- as such she would not be loading wool.

Now put your hand up if through APAM you could also tell that the photo was not truly historic!

Here is an historic wool barge picture for you all.I own the original painted post card of this...actually it's my scan so of course I own it. Here's the real deal of wool-ing on the Murray!

[paddlesteamerman1]

Sean you beat me to it!!! The Adelaide was purpose built for barge towing and not loading directly... I think that the heritage weekend benefitted all involved, including me who was rostered on the Adelaide for the long paddock and then was asked or told to go on the AA... It was great, even for the hours...

[steamyacht]

Hi James,
 all your mails arriving twice on the forum.Something wrong??
 best regards from Italy
 Henri

On Sun, 15 Oct 2006 10:04:50 +0100
"paddlesteamerman1" wrote:

Sean you beat me to it!!! The Adelaide was purpose built
for barge towing and not loading directly... I think that
the heritage weekend benefitted all involved, including
me who was rostered on the Adelaide for the long paddock
and then was asked or told to go on the AA... It was
great, even for the hours...
 
 --------
 Cheers,
 James McDougall
 abejmcd@netconnect.com.au
 
 
 
 
 

[paddlesteamerman1]

Henri,

I am not sure what is going on, but i know it is arriving twice... maybe the internet connection, living in the middle of nowhere on a 28kbs dial up connection.

Sorry..

[paddlesteamerman1]

Sean,

That photo of the PS Adelaide when it was all dark, you crewing the barge me on the Adelaide turned out so awesome, it looks like we are travelling at a million miles an hour... It is a great photo, and I would be tempted to blow it up and frame it!!! Nice work!! how did ya do it?!?

[thewharfonline]

All I did was turn the Flash Off....weird eh!

The light from the wharf basically shot into the camera...you know how dark it was and that's how the photo turned out. Mind you its the best of the few I took.

If you want to blow it up and frame it you can...as long as it remains credited to me!

Cheers
Sean

[paddlesteamerman1]

Yeah dont worry mate, it will have you name at the bottom of the photo!!! What megapixel is ya camera so I know what size I can blow it up to!!!

[thewharfonline]

It says 2.0 Megapixels on the camera. Hope that helps.

This monitor I am on on this computer is really dark and the photos look so dodgy compared to my laptop....we need a new screen.

[paddlesteamerman1]

Thanks a heap Sean, 2.0 megapixels is absolutely perfect, I might just do that then!