APAM- List of Paddlers Part 1 Modern and Restored Vessels

[thewharfonline]

That Picture features in the National Geographic book about the Murray River so even by Frank Tucker the photo wouldn't make sense as their is a lengthy discussion between the Geographic Author and the 'gypsy' boaters.

We might need to watch that photo.

[michael]

She was built out of railway carridges. Was out of the water at Barmah in 2000 ands was later moored up the Campaspe River for a while, before that photo. It was purchased by Russel Anderson and the photo of the two vessels is taken near Swan Hill on their way home from a trip up the Darling River. It was sold in 2004 after the owner bought PV Babbler and the boat moved to it present mooring and has undergone major refurbishment.

[Roderick Smith]

I should have included this one while showing the boats at Mannum, but PV Flender Himmel hasn't spent much time at its home port.
It was built in time for Source to Sea in 2001, and was with the fleet at Mannum.  I don't know how much cruising it did with the fleet, as it was not yet complete.  The name is not a traditional paddlesteamer one: it was named after its transmission manufacturer.

The boat is owned by one or more younger adventurers, keen to explore the river with it.  It was booked for the full Goolwa - Swan Hill voyage as part of the Randell Cadell 150th anniversary fleet in 2003.  However, when the fleet was able to continue to Echuca / Moama, FH was stranded at Swan Hill with a failed transmission.  It spent a year there.  A new transmission was fitted (but the boat wasn't renamed), and it continued to Koondrook / Barham for the bridge centenary celebration in 2004.  The owners were keen to take it to Albury, by having a crane waiting at Yarrawonga Weir (which has no lock).  This didn't eventuate, but the boat did reach the weir after delays at Torrumbarry Weir and a very slow section through snags while entering Tocumwal.  It returned to Echuca, and spent time in a marina there (I saw it there during a 2006 cruise with Jessie II).  It has now gone downriver.  The owner has since purchased former PS Tarella (near Mannum).
 
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[lner]

Former Terella?

HAve they changed her name too?


BTW if he is thinking of refloating Tarella, he is looking at major hassel IMO.
My grandfather knew some previous owners of Tarella and I remember being on board as a 10 year old looking down into the murky hull at the mud, sludge and rotting timbers and asking my father why it wasn't floating.

I was deliberately holed a long time ago.  One of my enduring memories of a trip in the ski boat down to Mannum and we pulled in and tied up alongside. <sigh> seems so long ago.

[thewharfonline]

It is possible to still raise and repair these boats, the interesting part is Tarella has cabins on top which isn't something the 'modern restorer' faces. Hero, Edwards etc etc all only had hulls under water and very little else. Akuna Amphibious when it was raised had a few tonne of mud in her hold...and lots of fish!

Who knows what will come up with Tarella.

[Roderick Smith]

This is one of a trio of large crusing boats, dating from the 1970s.

Murray River Queen: built 1972-74, in an Australian vernacular.  IIRC this one cruised between Renmark and Wentworth.  I photographed it at Mildura in the 1980s.  As mentioned in another post, the section above lock 6 became too unreliable for boats of this size.  It was withdrawn from cruising, and was placed at Goolwa as backpackers accommodation.  In 2003 or 2004 it was bought by new owners, and was taken to Waikerie to become a floating bed & breakfast, making occasional lunch and dinner cruises, plus overnight cruising for charter groups.  See www.murrayriverqueen.com.au.  IIRC I was going to travel on its 2005 positioning cruise to Renmark for drydocking, but low water levels prevented that journey from happening.  The 2006 substitute did not run as a public cruise.

Murray Explorer: built in 1979 in a European (Rhine) vernacular (screw not paddle).  IIRC it was used on the Waikerie - Loxton - Berri - Renmark section, which was less popular.  In 1987 it was sold for overnight cruising on Hawkesbury River (NSW) as Hawkesbury Explorer.  That is a very scenic waterway, but it still wasn't a success.  With the bow rebuilt, it went to Sydney Harbour as Sydney Explorer.  AFAIK it runs dinner and overnight cruises there.

Murray Princess: built 1985-86 in a USA (Mississippi) vernacular.  This has always been on the Mannum - Morgan section, but I did mention the temporary route Murray Bridge - Blanchetown during a low-water season.  This boat has had its own writeup already in this thread.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Amphibious has had a very varied life, including appearing in the film 'Gallipoli'.
It was converted to paddle propulsion, and rebuilt completely with a very expensive fitout, then was renamed Akuna Amphibious.  The living area is upstairs: polished wood with brass fittings.
In one guest bedroom, the double bed swings up to reveal the diesel engine.
It was renamed when bought by the owner of Akuna Homestead, at Wigley Flat (between Waikerie and Overland Corner).
It is normally moored there, in use as a b&b when not cruising.
The boat has joined several of the major fleet cruises.  I have seen it at Mannum & Murray Bridge during Source to Sea, and at Wentworth on Randell Cadell 150.  The owner has also hosted private functions for boat operators during a rest day at Akuna on these voyages.
I had a brief visit when obtaining a resupply of Akuna wine during one voyage.

Overland Corner has an interesting historic hotel on the north bank.  It fell into disuse, then was restored (by National Trust), and now trades for tourists.  It is a bit of a walk up from the river, but most boaties do call by and head up for a drink or a meal.  In particular, it is the lunch stop for the 'Spirit of the Murray' river cruises, described in one of my other posts.


Today's photo shows Akuna Amphibious leaving Wentworth for Mildura during the Randell Cadell 150th anniversary voyage.

Sunday update: The next vessel in river order is PS Roy, at Cobdogla.  It already has had a write up and photo in APAM, Director's cut, about page 2 or 3.  I have added a further photo and some more text to the existing post.


Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

The previous entry in this thread was PV Akuna Amphibious.  The next boat, moving upriver, was/is PS Roy at Cobdogla, covered in the APAM Director's Cut thread.  Moving upriver, I have no references to private paddleboats at Loxton or Berri.  Berri had been the site of twin punts, replaced with a bridge in the late 1990s.  It is also the site of a large slipway, and is the base for a government workboat (not paddle) and barge.
Continuing upriver, the city of Renmark is the base for PS Industry.
This was built as a government work boat.  When it was superseded (1969?), it was placed on static display.  In 1990, it was restored to operational order by Friends of Industry.  It provides short cruises about once per month (no website).  It has a generous railway-style boiler, and is probably the fastest paddlesteamer on the river (it was certainly the fastest in the Source to Sea fleet).

Like Oscar W, this boat has been involved in SA river ceremonies on many occasions.  When on these voyages, it offers day-sector travel to the public.
In 2001 it voyaged from Renmark to Goolwa with the Source to Sea fleet.  I rode from Mannum to Murray bridge.
In 2003, it joined the Randell Cadell 150th for some of the distance.  It is deeper draught than many other paddlesteamers; usually it cannot continue above lock 6.
In 2004 it made a special solo voyage to Goolwa to mark the 150th anniversary of the Goolwa - Port Elliot railway (the first public railway in Australia, although only horse worked).  The railway was built to connect the river to the sea, avoiding the treacherous Murray mouth.  The celebration drew on many community groups to recreate the spirit of the times.  Industry voyaged from Renmark, collecting Riverland produce from the major towns: wine, citrus fruit, chaff (threshed on vintage machinery).  Oscar W voyaged from Milang, carrying bales of wool.  I rode Industry on the Clayton - Goolwa day.  At Goolwa, the produce was transferred to a railway wagon on the tourist railway there, which was also conveying a replica of the first wagon used on the line.  Next day the train conveyed the produce to Port Elliot, where it was transferred to a horse-drawn dray, and was escorted to the waterfront by people in period military outfits.  There it was transferred to the local surf-rescue boat to be lightered out to SA's sail training ship 'One and All', which then raised anchor, set sail and headed to Victor Harbor and Adelaide.
In 2006, Industry spent a few days with the ceremonies associated with commemorating the 1956 floods, paralleling barge Dart (towed by a work boat) from Renmark to Berri.

Today's photo: PS Industry at Mannum and at Clayton (the ceremonial crates, sacks and barrels are in the upper-deck breezeway adjacent to the funnel).

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

It is a long way from Renmark to Wentworth, the loneliest stretch of the river. The only civilisation en route is the old customs house, near the SA - Victoria border. That is now a store for boat supplies, fuel point and houseboat-hire centre. Two of the locks and weirs in this section have no public access by road. This was a popular section for tourist-cruise operation from the 1930s, but is now too unreliable above lock 6 for large vessels.

Here is the text on locks and weirs from my Jan.02 article in RNV, which was looking at the impact of federation in Australia, as well as the celebrations for the centenary.

SA, Vic. & NSW came to an agreement in 1915, so that the needs for irrigation water and commercial traffic could be met. Murray River Commission was formed. A system of 26 weirs & locks was planned. The weirs would provide relatively-constant pool level (in 3.1 m steps) to facilitate pumping for irrigation and water supply. The locks would provide permanent navigation from the mouth to Echuca. Recommended lock sizes were: large (17 x 83 m) and small (17 x 51.5 m). The overall dimensions as built were slightly larger, with 1-10 being larger than the upstream ones. With the onset of depression from 1929, 13 were not built (only those needed for irrigation were completed). The weirs with locks are:
* 1: Blanchetown (274 km from the mouth), 1922 (the first, also named William Randell lock).
* 2: Waikerie (362 km), 1928.
* 3: Overland Corner (431 km), 1925.
* 4: Bookpurnong (516 km), 1929. A very photogenic approach, with a backdrop of cliffs.
* 5: Renmark (562 km), 1927.
* 6: Murtho (620 km), 1930. No public land access.
* 7: Rufus River (~704 km), 1934.
* 8: Wangumma (~733 km)), 1935. No public land access.
* 9: Kulnine (~771 km), 1926 (raises the water level to allow gravity diversion to Lake Victoria, serving Adelaide and towns through to Whyalla).
* 10: Wentworth (~832 km), 1929 .
* 11: Mildura (~886 km), 1927.
* 15: Euston, (1110 km from the mouth; 1420 km from the source), 1937. It was fitted with a fish ladder in 1938.
* 26: Torrumbarry (1638 km from the mouth; 892 km from the source), 1924. Lock 26 is 81 m long, 17 m wide and 6 m deep. The weir was fitted with a fish ladder after 1938. A significant leak under the footings was discovered in 1992. Over 1993-96, a new $33m weir was constructed; it was opened officially by Prime Minister Howard on 12.3.97.

Back in the days, passage was available 24 h a day. Now passage is still free, but availability is restricted to 8.00-11.30 and 13.00-16.30. Advance warning is not essential: just give a long blast at the 500 m marker, and wait for the signal to change from red to green. Lock 11 is very busy, with greater formality: set times (one direction on the .00; the other on the .30). Most/all of the weirs have flow rated adjusted by remote control from head office, but all are still attended by lockmasters. They have a range of duties, including clearing floating snags. Most/all locks have beautiful landscaped surrounds. Winch operation of gates has been superseded by electric operation. Crane booms have been installed to make easier the job of periodic removal of the gates for maintenance. Modern health & safety has resulted in fences being placed around the locks: close enough so that viewing the boats is easy, but photographing them is tricky.
The river is available for boats upstream to Colignan (east of Nowingi) at all times; sections above that are dependent on river flow. At low water, boats may not be able to get over the downstream sill to enter lock 26.

Today's photos private PV Yarrara at Wentworth, an important river town at the Murray & Darling confluence.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Wentworth is the home to PS Ruby, with restoration now virtually complete, ready for its centenary voyage to Morgan (where it was built in 1907).
This vessel will certainly warrant a full essay in APAM Director's Cut.
It was expanded, and had more accommodation on the third deck when it was running as a cruise vessel.
It was long and lean, with a shallower draft than its fleet companians (Gem, Marion).  I am not sure if Ellen was in the same fleet, or if it was a rival.
Ruby was used for the upper reaches of cruising, and is the vessel remember by my father, growing up in Swan Hill in the 1920s.
I have stacks of photos, but this is the only one on the hard drive at this minute.
My family visited Ruby when it was a houseboat at Mildura, with all superstructure removed from the third deck.
I watched it for many years as a static display at Fotherby Park (Wentworth).
The photo today was taken at the recommissioning ceremony: Junction Rally in 2004.  At that stage it had no boiler or engine.  This photo shows it being propelled across Darling River from its restoration wet dock to the public dock for the recommissioning ceremony.  Later it was in a parade, propelled by PV Impulse lashed to the offside.
It has also been towed to Mildura for display at a tourism convention.

The forward cabin on the second deck is the lounge and dining saloon; the kitchen is in one sponson on the main deck, with a dumbwaiter to the saloon.  The rear of the second deck holds the passenger cabins, in pairs opening to each side.  Wentworth ladies have hand embroidered individual tapestries for the bedspreads, curtains and bureau tops, so that each cabin is unique.  Another feature of the restoration is the hand-knotted mesh for the safety fences: an old craftsman reviving the skill of his youth.

There is a website (google on PS Ruby) covering the latest progress.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

With my photos currently at Wentworth, I'll digress into the Darling briefly.
It is longer than the Murray, and carried more traffic back in the days, but has been destroyed.
Currently it is navigable for about 60 km above Wentworth, to a point blocked by a fallen tree (I am told than not even a tinnie can get through).  The section is cruised occasionally by Spirit of the Murray, from Goolwa (mentioned in an earlier post).
Not far above Wentworth is a private slipway for PV Coonawarra.
The river is blocked by dams at Pooncarrie, Menindie and Bourke.  The one at Bourke had Australia's first lock (c1890), but that was filled in the 1940s.
Lifting-span bridges have been decommissioned.
Queensland was not a party to the Murray-Darling agreement, and has a policy of 'if it falls in Queensland, it stays in Queensland', then uses it to grow cotton: an extravagent use of water in this nation.  There is also a lot of cotton grown on the north-west NSW tributaries.

I don't have a photo of the one paddle boat on the river, PV Jandra.  This is a modern boat, in traditional style, running tourist cruises in the pool of Bourke Weir.  It doesn't have its own website, but is mentioned on several tourist sites.  One is www.openroad.com.au/backtothebush.asp

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

As I post, it is 9.10 (ie morning) on Fri.26.1 in eastern Australia, and this is Australia Day.
Enclosed today:
Two paddlesteamers waving flags.
PS Ranger was running as PS Mary Ann that day, for the annual heritage festival.  The theme that year was Echuca's 150th anniversary.
It is waving an Australian flag: very patriotic, but the flag didn't exist in 1853 (federation came in 1901).
PS Canberra is waving a River Murray flag.  There are two versions: an upstream and a downstream.  I am not sure where the changeover occurs.  There is no compulsion to fly one, but virtually all paddleboats (commercial and private) do.

Behind them is the preserved portion of the wharf, with vintage wagons two old steam locos.
The green one was the oldest working steam loco in Victoria (built in the 1880s); the one in red undercoat was built c1910, and was one of a prolific and long-lived mainline class.  It was under restoration (the boiler had been fired), but the project has lapsed.  The green one has gone back to the steam base in Melbourne; the red one was relocated to Echuca station to release the platform for steam excursions form Melbourne bringing enthusiasts and tourists to ride paddlesteamers.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[michael]

Both PS Emmylou and Pevensey had there Australian Flags up for the long weekend.

[Roderick Smith]

PS Tarney is found slightly up the Murray from Wentworth.  It is moored near Yelta (which is on the Victorian side, near Abbotsford Bridge, a lifting-span bridge which carries the main road from Mildura via Merbein to Wentworth).
This vessel was launched only a day or so before 2004 Junction Rally.  It also attended the July 2006 paddleboat rally in conjunction with a major rally of Ferguson tractors to mark the 50th anniversary of the major flood at Wentworth.

This photo was taken at the 2006 rally.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Mildura just about matches Echuca for the number of paddleboats in the area: but the Mildura ones are more spread out along the river, and only a couple are steam (just commercial PS Melbourne?, plus PS Ruby and PS Tarney if we count Wentworth as Mildura area).

I am not sure where SWPV Chalka moors, but I think that it is in one of the city moorings, below the lock.
I have seen it on the Wentworth - Mildura day of Randell Cadell 150, and at 2004 Junction Rally.  It was also one of the local boats to form a guard of honour in the river as the Queen's baton to the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games was carried over George Chaffey bridge (at Mildura).  This high-level bridge was designed to clear a three-deck paddleboat, and replaced a lifting-span bridge in the 1980s.
Like many riverboats, Chalka is named after one of the waterways.  I can't recall in which section  Chalka Creek flows into the river.

Enclosed: Chalka at Wentworth in 2004.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor