PS Industry centenary Apr.11

[Roderick Smith]

I have just got home from my additional week: voyaging Darling River from Pooncarie to Wentworth, and filling a Murray gap (Robinvale - Wemen).

Here is the start of my selection, beginning with boarding PS Ruby in Wentworth.  I went aboard at 17.00 on Mon.28.3 and met the crew (most of whom I knew already) and fellow passengers (most were private boat owners from interstate).  The group had dinner at Wentworth Club, then spent the night wharfside ready for departure at 10.00 on Tuesday.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Today's six show the start of the voyage: the first time in 85 years for Ruby to steam into Renmark.
Since obtaining survey in 2010, it had been used as a charter for year 11 students on a leadership-training course: a floating base while the teenagers spent time on challenges on the riverbank.  That was the cruise on which it went down and back through the lock 10 navpass, but the destination was only part way to lock 9.

At a national maritime-museum conference a week before the Renmark voyage, Ruby had been placed fourth on a newly-created register of historical vessels.  The ARHV (Australian Registered Historic Vessel) pennant was being flown on the steering pole for the first time, below the River Murray flag).  Captain Wagner explained to the passengers that the pole, while doubling as a flag pole, has as its principal purpose the guiding of the steering for the person at the helm: line it up with a suitable reference point in the distance, then judge the rate of swing.  This allows corrections to be made as wind and current affect the lining, and prevents waiting too late, or overcorrecting.

We were asked to board at 9.30.  Ruby has captain's first officer's cabins on the third deck, behind the wheelhouse (traditional Murray-Darling design, and common on most ships), also a crew cabin for two on the rear of the engineering deck.  The rest of the crew would be occupying several of the 14 two-berth cabins on the second deck.  At last minute, two pairs of passengers cancelled, leaving 11 passengers.
For the first day, the full passenger complement was carried.  Day-cruise passengers cruised to lock 9.  This included a selected group from a local primary school, chosen on the basis of an essay which they had written.
We cast off at 10.00 (backing against a spring line, and letting the current carry the bow well clear of the work barge, in town for maintenance on the bridge).  Parents, friends, people associated with the project and a tv cameraman watched as the kids threw traditional streamers to the dock.

We were soon down through the navpass, then settled into a steady pace while morning tea was served.  We passed one moored paddleboat: PV William Henry (formerly Ronald Henry).

Voyaging passengers had a full hot lunch in the dining room; day passengers had a sausage sizzle on the main deck.

The day ended at a tricky spot above lock 9 Kulnine, with overhanging trees.  We had come 65 km from 10.05 to 15.15, but docking took to 16.05.   Kulnine steam pump is preserved by a group, and it was in steam specially for this visit.  The schoolkids were whisked away, but the day passengers were able to watch the operation before their bus left.  I was able to linger with the operators, with whom I had been in email contact beforehand.

This was a very pleasant start to the voyage, with the river looking at its best (lots of water, trees in good shape, fine weather, congenial passengers, friendly crew).  Entertainment that night was a singalong on the top deck, to the accompaniment of a guitar played by one of the deckhands.  He performs in hotels, and had been the entertainer on PS Marion's Berri voyage in 2010.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

I covered most of the notes with yesterday's post.
Ruby was flying a lower Murray flag.
Wentworth, where the Darling joins, is regarded as the change from upper to lower.
See www.murrayriver.com.au/about-the-murray/murray-river-flag

One of the day passengers was Jeanette Hope, author of the book Paddle steamer Ruby one hundred years on.  She is based locally, and spends a lot of time on heritage-conservation studies.

Murray River is not just paddlesteamers, it is a way of life of which paddlesteamers were just a part: history, geography, economics, nature.  The paddlesteamers opened up the interior for large-scale sheep grazing.  The Murray and Darling served large sheep stations.  Traditionally, the main homestead would be built near the edge (but back from flood levels), with irrigated gardens and vegetable plots.  Surrounding would be workers' cottages, and a shearing shed from which wool could be loaded onto barges.  Most of the homesteads date from the 1860s.  Irrigation schemes came from the 1890s, and spawned many of today's riverside towns.  Wentworth - Renmark is a lonely reach, with no nearby roads and no towns; there are several homesteads.

Today's selection:
* The hull of a long-derelict paddlesteamer, also showing how the high water floods into the adjacent red gum forest.  That is an essential part of their ecology.
* Moorna homestead.
* The day trippers express their thanks for a great day on the water.
* A selection of the pump in action.  The panel of construction photos has the date Aug.1931 for them.

As well as demonstrating the steam pump, the preservation group provided complimentary champagne, plus red & white wine.
It is known both as Kulnine Pump (the location) and Millewa A (the irrigation area which it served).
It was built by Thompson (Castlemaine, Vic.).  That engineering firm had its background in building gold-mining machinery; it built steam locomotives for Victorian Railways and for Queensland Railways, and also built the steam powered punt which crossed Yarra River at Williamstown (Melbourne).  It survives, renamed through takeovers, and builds special railway points and crossing fittings.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

On Wed.30.3, we took off forwards (release the bow line; the current brought the bow off the bank) and rounded up upstream.
We passed SWPV Risbey before heading through the lock 9 (Kulnine) navpass, then made steady progress to Ned's Corner.
This was a planned wooding stop, with the chance for passengers to inspect the homestead, outbuildings and shearing shed, guided by a caretaker.
Up to a few years ago, the shearing shed had been used by several properties collaboratively.
The property has been bought by a private conservation trust, and vegetation is being restored.  It is adjacent to some declared national parks.
The property is available for inspection, and is used as a base for conservation conferences.  Cottages can be hired by families or friends for a retreat in peaceful surroundings.
With the water up, the property manager had had to build a dirt causeway over a small billabong (lagoon) so that the wood could be brought to the river bank.
The docking was very much in upriver style: Captain Wagner made a fast approach bow to the bank, then the mud held the bow while the current brought the stern around, and while lines could be set.  As a precaution, the steering pole was lowered, so that it could not be damaged by overhanging limbs.

The navpass photo shows clearly how the water drops over the sill of the dam, and also ramps down through the pass.  Low-powered boats lack the strength to come up the ramp through the current.  There were all sorts of stories shared at Renmark.  One small boat was in trouble at lock 5; the lockmaster opened the lock for that one.  A medium boat barely succeeded in a test run at lock 10.  He had to gun the motor beyond 2500 rpm to 3000 rpm, and sat on the ridge like a seesaw, then crept over the top.  Another burnt out a clutch.  The navpass at lock 2 had not been opened (preventing the downriver fleet from reaching Renmark).  Tinnies could avoid the weir by motoring through the trees.  One medium-size flat-hull wooden boat heading to Goolwa a month earlier went over the weir wall, like a kayak shooting rapids.

When I was photographing every bridge, weir, lock and punt, I missed lock 8: as with lock 6, there is no public access.  When I took my own boat through, I couldn't get a photo which showed the name.  I was very pleased to get the nameboard photo this time.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[michael]

Here's my collection of photo's
Industry Birthday Cake
Industry departing on a saturday trip
Industry and Ruby
The view of Renmark
Myself and daughter onboard Industry
Industry steering wheel
Ruby Saturday evening
Industry at fairylight parade
James Maiden departing Saturday night
Industry Sunday, can you spot Roderick!!!
Settler and Shiralie
Sunday Morning parade

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's....Michael.....that .jpg.....Industry departing on a saturday trip is brilliant 

It portays so many elements of Australian river life

Paddlers
Smoke from the boiler
Steam
Bluish water in the Murray?
The reflection from the sun on the water.......
People having a good time  .......Derek

[Roderick Smith]

Those two night shots are stunning: were there spotlights trained from the riverbank?
Michael's: 'Can you find Roderick on Industry?' spawns an out-of-sequence duo.

Aboard Ruby, can you find Michael?

A guest should wear nothing to distinguish him from locals.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Continuing with Wed.30.3.
We started at 771 km, about 1 km above lock 9, at 9.30
Lock 8 Wangumma was at 732 km, at 12.40
Neds Corner was at 720 km for the wooding and inspection stop, 13.40 to around 15.10.
Lock 7 (well underwater) was was at 702 km, at 16.25
Lake Victoria Homestead was at 688 km, and we were tied up by 18.05.  This was a slow docking: Captain Wagner did another bow onto the bank turn, but amongst trees.  It was slow to work clear of them, and the tying up point was against a low cliff, so steps had to be cut.  We had covered 83 km/h in 7 h of cruising, about 12 km/h.  That was our typical average for the whole voyage, although current brought the speed up to 17 km/h briefly in one reach.
The owner of the homestead wasn't home, but advised us by phone to go up and inspect the exterior of the homestead, and various older outbuildings.
Later that evening, he came and visited us aboard.
Entertainment involved bringing out the modern video screen in the lounge.  Normally it is hidden in a wooden cabinet, as it is an anachronism.  It had been out to show the safety demonstration to the primary-school group at the start of the voyage.  On this occasion, we watched two historic paddlesteamer videos.  One was 'Riverboats remembered', which includes scenes of grand voyaging on the big four in the 1920s, exactly the image and mood which we were recreating.

Although I am widely-travelled Australian boy, my rural adventures have covered dairy, orchard, grain, forestry, fisheries and mining.  This was my first time inside a shearing shed.  This one wasn't derelict: it could shear again tomorrow.  The number of shearing points had been reduced from the days of hand shears to steam-powered shears, and reduced again when electric shears were introduced.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Thurs.31.3
688 km, Lake Victoria Homestead dep. ~9.00.
The tight corners before and at Devil's Elbow were taken with ease, despite the current.
The cliffs there are unique on the river: layers of browns; all others are red, and not layered.
At Kulcurna, we were watched by the passengers on tourist day boat Spirit of the Murray, on a Renmark - Mildura program.
As we reached Higgins Cutting, we met PV Impulse.  It had been up Lindsay Creek for several kilometres, then had come a short distance up the original channel, to head into the cutting (a short cut, and normally the only way through).  Because of the fierce current, and the dog leg, the larger Ruby would follow the original channel.  I had tried to go through the original channel a couple of years ago, but the reeds were too thick.  Today, we couldn't even see a reed.
Impulse did more side exploration, and arrived at Border Cliffs after us.  We had a break there.  The former customs house is now a kiosk selling supplies to boaties, and is also the base for a hire fleet.  I have launched Jessie II there twice.
We continued to a riverside camp at 622 km, just downstream of a cliff section.
Because of the high water, the tinnie was used to set a winchline so that Ruby could be sufficiently close to dry land for the evening barbecue.  This was one occasion when all of the crew and passengers could mingle and relax, and swap river and boating stories.  Leon Wagner's business when not boating is a bush catering service.  He had set up a bush oven for the lunch break of the Randell Cadell fleet at Merbein in 2003.  Tonight, he cooked a damper in a camp oven in the coals of the campfire.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Extended journey by ship, by riverboat or by train starts to become a way of life after the fourth night.  It was hard to believe that the goal would be achieved on Fri.1.4 afternoon.

While viewing today's selection, have a player-piano version of 'Cruising down the river' as background music:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcUpo5c2cOo

The overnight mooring had been at 622 km.  We left around 9.00, then went through the navpass for lock 6 Murtho, then soon passed a government workboat, MV Irabinna.  It is based at Berri (with a couple of other workboats).  Being of landing-barge style, I suspect that it is used to bring road-based equipment into otherwise-inaccessible zones.  Not long later, we passed a sternwheel houseboat (the one from earlier was actually a quarterwheel houseboat).  We knew that civilisation was not far ahead.
The morning scenery included some quite dramatic cliffs.  At a point with a lookout tower, there was a lone figure on it.  Captain Roly Bartlett (owner of PS William Randell) was there with a camera, capturing Ruby steaming majestically through the landscape, in glorious sun.
Preparing for the arrival, I was asked to sift through the player-piano rolls and select something which I could play to give a sense of occasion for the docking.  I rejected 'Colonel Bogie', and went for 'Danny Boy' ('Cruising down the river' wasn't in the collection).  I also put on my weekend centenary garb.  Most people attending centenaries forget that 100 years ago was well past the Victorian era.  My boater is genuine straw, and has been at tramway and railway centenaries already.  By 13.15, we were passing PS James Maiden, in steam ready to follow us into Renmark.  This gave another bird watching circles photo: I was photographing Warwick who was photographing me.
In town, Industry had moved forwards to the public wharf, to release its own for us.  We steamed past the wharf, and had to go quite a long way downstream to find a space where rounding up would be easy and safe.  Docking (around 14.05) was easy, and surprisingly unceremonial.
In the competent hands of Captain Leon Wagner and our friendly crew, the clock had been turned back 85 years, steaming 263 km over 4 days.  Leon had brought other big boats through before (MV Coonawarra and MV Wanera).  Passengers had eaten well, and had enjoyed the great river scenery in wonderful weather.  For us, this was not the end of the journey: we would be aboard for 2 more nights enjoying the continuous party of the multiple festival events and ceremonies.  I would be seeking the various Paddleduckers attending, and riding on as many paddleboats as I could.
In 1966, I never even imagined that I would one day be voyaging aboard this paddlesteamer.  I photographed Ruby in the park whenever I was passing through Wentworth.  As soon as the restoration project commenced, I had the ambition of being aboard a voyage one day, and I attended many Wentworth events where different stages of the project were achieved.

In the fleet photo, I am on PS Ruby (with barge Argo out of view behind me); ahead are: PS James Maiden, PV Shiralee, PV Settler; beyond the modern houseboat PV Impulse and PV William Albert; not visible beyond them PV Tamara Rae.  PS Minimus was based at the caravan park.  Large wooden MV Emu had been part of the fleet; large local cruising launch MV Merri-Linda was also active.  Joining them was a varied range (at least 20) of smaller wooden launches, steam launches and dinghies.

In the 1966 photo, the lady beside me was Mrs Robbins, owner of Ruby as a houseboat.  The others are my family and family friends.  We were holidaying together at Mildura, and I was getting maximum benefit from my motor-vehicle learners permit.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's....& three cheers for our Roderick playing the paper pianola &  enjoying a glass of OZ Red Ned @ the same time..... ......Derek
 

[Roderick Smith]

Thanks Derek.
I was hoping see you trek to the event.

'Steamboat Bill' and 'Captain Nipper'
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ7zgbvyNaM

I have Australianised the former, but couldn't both play and sing from memory.
Fast down the Murrumbidgee steamed Invincible
Commanded by that skipper, Mister 'Steamboat' Bill
Billy had his orders on the strict QT
You've just got to beat the record of the Pevensey...

I can cover a lot of today's river skippers by varying the boat name.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

There was no time to feel sad that Ruby's voyage was over: right from the moment the gangplank was set, the weekend was hectic.  Around the basic structure of parades and presentations, there was the constant meeting of old friends from other river events, fellow Paddleduckers and new friends.
Two good portfolios have been posted already:
Barry's photos:
www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5545.msg29968#msg29968, and keep on going
or view the whole thread www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5545

Michael's photos:
www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5353.msg30037#msg30037

Renmark has its main street running parallel with the river for about 1 km, set back, with the gap filled with lawns.  Half way along, a T intersection provides a link to Sturt Hwy (linking Sydney & Mildura to Adelaide).
From east to west:
The visitor centre, where long-distance buses call, and the normal home of Industry when not steaming.
Renmark Hotel: a magnificent art-deco structure, with views across lawns to the river.
Various shops and Ozone Theatre, opposite Renmark Club (on the riverbank) and banks.
The whole stretch of riverbank has a low level wharf, suitable for voyaging houseboats to stay for up to 24 h while visiting and resupplying.
Despite the middle section of the wharf being under reconstruction, the wharf coped with the fleet with ease.  Smaller boats moored at the west end, near the launching ramp.
The main public focus was on the lawn opposite the hotel, alongside the departure point for Industry and Ruby cruises (also a modern local boat, making its normal public cruises).  The hotel had provided its function room as a display room for photos, models and memorabilia, and also the base for talks by a river historian.  In the street were older vehicles.  On the lawns were food stalls, a band shelter, and a dance floor.  Angoves Winery had a tent selling its specially-bottled centenary wines: a 2008 shiraz and a 2010 sauvignon blanc.  Smaller boats tended to be running up and down all the time, conveying guests.  Larger boats tended to go out only for parades (two on Saturday, two on Sunday).  Industry made several 1 h public cruises.  The first on Saturday was for invited guests; the others that day were booked out (many Marion people missed having a ride).  On Sunday, it added an extra cruise to the advertised program.  Ruby made fewer 1 h public cruises.
I structured my program:
Friday: meet, greet, dinner at Renmark Hotel, supper on James Maiden.
Saturday: morning parade in MV Valaeme (a wooden boat from Queensland, on its way home from 2011 Goolwa Wooden Boat Festival); lunch internet session in the local library; afternoon reenactments & presentations; afternoon Ruby cruise with Barry aboard; the centenary dinner at the hotel (which ran so late that I missed my James Maiden cruise in the fairylight parade); supper on James Maiden.
Sunday: morning Industry cruise; lunch parade on Shiralee; afternoon parade on Settler (with Michael and family as fellow passengers); final thanks from the organisers; 16.00 Ruby bus back to Wentworth.
In the gaps, I kept meeting people from other boats and events, many of whom had simply driven to Renmark without a boat.
On Saturday, passengers from Marion arrived during the day, and left at the end of the dinner.  With them were crew from Oscar W, and some of the private-boat owners stranded at lock 2: Amphibious, Flender Himmel, Tania Ann and Kingfisher.

In the photos, the signficance of 'Lady Mabel' is that is was the name which Industry carried when appearing in the film All the rivers run.
I have lots of photos of the boats in various combinations, including Minimus, but they have been covered in the other selections.  I have done a whole selection of the small launches for Wooden Boat Association.
The wooden cruising launch MV Emu is an honorary paddleboat.  It was built by a craftsman at Goolwa, with the aim of voyaging to Yarrawonga.  Lack of access to lock 1 caused changes: it was crane launched at Waikerie, voyaged to 2010 Wentworth Junction Rally, and continued to Yarrawonga in tandem with PV Miralie.  The return was stranded by high water: first at Tooleybuc (until the span was raised by crane), then at Swan Hill (the bridge couldn't be raised).  Emu was craned onto a low loader, then spent more time at Swan Hill.  The next hazard was lock 15 Euston: unavailable until Sun.27.3 morning.  The upstream mechanisms had failed, and one gate was opened by cable attached to a 4wd.  The boat was now zooming to catch up to the fleet, and did about 180 km on one day.  It caught up at lock 8.
One of my photos shows PV Tamara Rae, not covered by the others.

There were only three lowlights for the weekend: the late-running dinner cut the fairylight parade to just three vessels, but Michael's photos show the stunning effect; Marion people couldn't get a spot on Industry (the faiylight parade had space, but their return bus couldn't wait until the end); an officious water policeman did his best to make the parades useless, and to antagonise wooden-boat owners never to trail to the area again.

Apart from those lowlights, the weather had been great, the crowds were cheerful, the program was packed.

Coming events: Centenary of Pevensey at Echuca, 20.7; this will include a fleet voyage to Torrumbarry.  Centenary of Berri, October.  Industry will cruise there for the weekend.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[michael]

Latest news on what happened after Renmark weekend from a boat mate...

 Trip from Swan Hill to home was uneventful and enjoyable.  Had a friend on board for the first day and a half which allowed me to sit back and enjoy the view.  I don’t get to do that very often.   We’d had a call from Andrew Ward to say that both Iron Dry and Shay had to get past a recently fallen gum at the back of Murphy’s Island and that both had been forced into trees etc by the current as they did so.  This convinced me that I had better go down through Murphy’s Cutting which I did.  Was a bit apprehensive and the heart rate was up for sure …. Came through without any trouble though.   Bumbang Island Cutting was also fairly ‘ferocious’ and threw Miralie about quite a bit with swirls and currents. Actually did it twice as we had family and friends visit at Robinvale and we took them on a trip up and around Bumbang Island and back down through the cutting.  PB Shay has gone up onto the land at Baldwyn’s boatyard for inspection and repairs to her paddle box.  Hull looks very good.

 

Yep, Ruby did have some problems …. Going down, at Lock 9, she had to round up and moor to allow passengers to view the Lake Cullulleraine steam pump.. As she was coming in, the current swept her sideways into a box tree which did some minor damage, and it took over an hour to free her and move her up a bit and get her moored.   Coming back, up through L9, proved even more of a problem. … Attempt 1 saw her swept into the lock chamber wall as she attempted to steam up through the nav pass.  She dropped back and came again, this time taking out the marker on the end of the weir wall.  She dropped back again, this time mooring for the night.   Attempt 3 saw her come up through the lock.  From the photo in the local paper I’d say she has split her spring beam and second-hand advice is that she may have sprung a butt plate, causing her to leak.  Again, rumour has it that she will go up on the Buronga slip for inspection and repairs.

 

I spent 2 days on Iron Dry with Ted Ward, taking her from Mildura to Lock 9.  Was a good run and she goes along well.  Some campers on the bank this side of Lock 9 were very obliging and will keep an eye on her until Easter when Ted’s son, Andrew, will go down and take her down through the lock for an Easter holiday around Ned’s Corner Station.  Better still …. The same campers were there when Ruby went down and also when she came back  AND … they have lots of photos which I hope will turn up in the mail in the next few days.

 

Last I heard, Settler, Shiralee and Emu were at Loxton, then down to Mick Knight’s place (PB Hebe) until they can get through L2.   Mick Black stayed with us on Iron Dry on one night and next day was at Renmark to take James Maiden on down the river.   Impulse is back at her mooring at Buronga.   William Albert went up through L6, through the nav pass at L7 but then couldn’t stem the current at L8, even on her third attempt with a 60hp tinnie assist.  On her last attempt she did a clutch plate and had to drop down astern with no forward gear.  She’s tied up below L8, last I heard waiting for the gear box to be removed and repaired.

 

[Mike Smith]

Additional photos of this event can be found at the Murray River Photo web site (us link below)

http://www.murrayriverphotos.com.au/tag/Renmark/