APAM- List of Paddlers Part 1 Modern and Restored Vessels

[paddlesteamerman1]

Here are some more photos of the PS Pevensey from my collection....

[paddlesteamerman1]

I had to shrink this picture... the computer kept saying fatal error when I tried to load the normal sized one..

[paddlesteamerman1]

PS Hero.. but is much more advanced than this photo.. this was taken last year...

[Roderick Smith]

These two paddlesteamers have appeared in many parts of Paddleducks; here are two of mine while my series is still at Echuca.

PS Adelaide is loaded with photographers, coming down to welcome the ceremonial arrival of the Randell Cadell 150th annviersary fleet from Goolwa, ~1600 km of river steaming.  Sat.27.9.03.  Traditionally, there has been bottom-end top-end rivalry on the Murray.  In this fleet, PS Lady Augusta arrived with a banner 'The world doesn't end at Torrumbarry'.  Despite the rise in water levels, the only boat to come downriver to join the fleet was newcomer PS Billy Tea, not yet an Echuca resident.  Addressing the crews at a barbecue which the port was hosting, the general manager stated that the port would release a vessel for future events whenever it has three vessels available (it needs a minimum of two to maintain its program: backup, or private charter while a publis cruise is running).  As at Sept.03, PS Alexander Arbuthnot was undergoing maintenance.  In two events since then, the port was going to supply a boat, but river levels prevented this.  Nothing came to the Koondrook bridge centenary, as it clashed with the port's own heritage festival.  In 2006, the port planned to send PS Alexander Arbuthnot to the Koondrook Barham Redgum Festival.  It was built there, and named after a member of the family operating the timber mill.  The voyage was stopped by low river levels.

My other photo shows PS Emmylou during the 2003 Heritage Festival.  It could be in the middle of one of its favourite tricks: coming around in the river by exploiting the current to bring the bow around (like a teenager in a hot car fishtailing in front of a milkbar).  More likely it is holding sideways against the current to give passengers a better view of one of the pieces of festival theatre: Henry Hopwood arriving in Echuca on his punt.  This was executed well, with a modified maintance pontoon attached to a rope.

Michael has lent me several of PV Gemma to scan: I will try to do these on Saturday, and edit them into an existing post (if I have one), or create a new post.
I have only about four Murray photos left to post from my own collection.  I have then having a break (travelling to Myanmar for railway travel and Irrawaddy River voyaging).
I will resume with various promised projects:
My few remaining photos of other Australian paddle vessels.
Expanded lists of NZ and Tasmanian paddlesteamers.
Some of the long-scrapped paddlesteamers, not from my collection.

In an 'Introducing' thread, Peter C has put up a beautiful photo of PS Oscar W at Goolwa, in bright sun.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[paddlesteamerman1]

Here is a photo of the Emmylou and Adelaide from my collection..
(my computer seems to have hidden just over half of my photo "archives" and now I cant find many of them   )

[PeterC]

Low res pics recently taken of PS Canberra (b.1912), Pride of the Murray (b. 1924) and Coonawarra (b. 1884) follow. I'm not quite sure of web site rules re size of images so am posting low res versions, although I always take very high res for my own collection. Peter

[PeterC]

Coonawarra

[PeterC]

Pride of the Murray

[michael]

SWPS Adventurous was the 4th paddleboat built by Echuca's Peter McLeod. Commenced in 1994 it was launched in May 1995 as a hull and paddlewheel. It was fitted with a small diesel engine connedted by belts to the wheel, untill the restored 2.5hp Ruston Proctor portable was fitted obtained from a local sawmill. Measuring 13m long, 3m wide and a 2m dia paddlewheel.
It is fitted with a large fore deck aka: party deck, and large cabin a rear with two single beds. It has travelled from Murrumbidgee Reef to Tocumwal and as far up the Goulburn River to McCoys bridge aswell up the Campaspe River. It was designed for travelling up small rivers with a draft of 20cm. It was sold in 2001 to Gary Morris of Seymour, it was used for daily trips by the family, then fell into deispar when the couple seperated, the Adventurous front deck eventually rotted but was rebuilt shortly after. In March 2005 she sank in shallow water but was quickly refloated and was moved up to wetdock and tied beside B:22 in shallow water. By now the owner had no use for her but didn't want to sell it. I approached him and I fixed her up and used her for day trips and overnight trips aswell as a sailpast. Untill it was sold to a group in Melbourne July 2006, she has had its paddlewheel rebuilt. Its boiler failed its test earlier in the year and will be need to be removed and fixed, the boat will be taken out of the water and the hull fixed and have the cabin rebuilt and fitted out for living onboard.

[paddlesteamerman1]

PS Canberra on the slip..

[Roderick Smith]

Michael has posted some of this cute small boat after the fire and related sinking.
Before that event, Michael had prepared some designs for modifying the cabin, as the boat was for sale.
A photo only a post or two ago showed it on the slip.
Today I have scanned two photos from Michael: one a major enlargement of a newspaper snippet, replete with Moire effects; the other a small part of a photo which Michael took, enlarged beyond its technical limits.
I will have to rely on Michael to post the history.  The boat was built smaller and enlarged, but I am not sure by how much or in which section.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

My voyage up the river is nearing its end.  After a long time at Echuca (because of the sheer number of preserved & modern private & comercial PS & PV there) it is time to head to the last few, plus a few topups of photos found recently to fill gaps.

I present today my own photos of PS Canberra (covered in APAM DC and its own thread elsewhere) and PV Pride of the Murray (covered in APAM DC).  Both have had several photos supplied from other people too.

PS Canberra is important for me: it was the first paddlesteamer on which I ever rode.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

PV Lil Sipp is in the General discussion (large) forum, in a thread small boats at 2007 Goolwa festival.

By coincidence, the three photos today are all sternwheelers.

* One from Michael showing a recently-launched SWPS, about which I know nothing.
* One from Michael, showing SWPV Adventurous steaming along, to complement the earlier static photos.
* One from a mystery source, showing SWPV Spirit of the Murray, probably in the hire market rather than private.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[michael]

Construction began in 2003 in a paddock at Echuca East. She measures roughly 80ft long. She was fitted with a 10hp marshall steam engine and has a stell hull with a 'wine glass' stern. She was launched at Echuca East boat ramp 29 August 2005 and pushed to wetdock by tinnies where she was named F05. Being the 6th vessel built by Peter McLeod of the year 2005. She has been built as two decks with large open areas for entertainment, sleeping areas are in the forward hold, behind the paddleboxes and upstairs beside the paddleboxes. She is also fitted with a diesel engine which is connected to the paddle shaft.
She was officially named PS Britannia 25th April 2007 exactly 100yrs after the original PS Britannia which was owned by a distant relative of Peter.

[Roderick Smith]

The enclosed photo of PV Betsy was taken at Picnic Point (upriver from Barmah, near the point of divergence for the Edwards River anabranch) by my father, in the 1970s.

I also enclose another view of PV Julie Fay, discussed (with photographs) in a different thread/topic already.  It was formerly commercial, and is now private.  It is moored near the owner's property, on the NSW bank, a few kilometres upriver of Cobram/Barooga.

A third (mystery) vessel is under restoration a few kilometres downstream of Cobram/Barooga.  The clues are that the boat was retrieved from the river only a few years ago and has a funny name; the restorer is old.

2.2.08 update.  PV Betsy is now between Ulupna and Tocumwal, near 1877 km.  Photo enclosed.
5.2.08 update.  As at 1.2.08, PV Julie Fay had been swung around, and was sitting partly on the bank.  Photo enclosed, taken by my deckhand.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor