Australia Day, 26.1

[Roderick Smith]

Australia Day marks the arrival of the 'First Fleet' in what would grow to become Sydney.
It has grown in stature through the years, and now ranks with Anzac Day (25.4) as the most important days on the national calender.

In Sydney, the fleet of nine middle-harbour two-deck catamaran ferries took on the names of nine of the 11 vessels in the fleet (a mixture of convicto tranports, supply ships, and naval escorts), see www.sydneyferries.info/about-sydney-ferries/fleet-facts/first-fleet-class.htm
Name, year, passenger capacity
Supply 1984 396
Sirius 1984 396
Alexander 1985 396
Borrowdale 1985 396
Charlotte 1985 396
Fishburn 1985 403
Friendship 1986 403
Golden Grove 1986 403
Scarborough 1986 403

Today, amongst other public celebrations, several of these are decorated by corportate sponsors for a race and parade on the harbour.
In Melbourne, there is a parade of available sailing ships, escorted by yachts and pleasure craft, with at least one public-cruise ferry out to provide a viewing and photography vantage point.

Australia Day is also the day for announcing Australian public honours, replacing UK imperial ones.
Even at the top level, I have never heard of most.
The highest is AC (Companion of the Order of Australia): very rarified.
The next is AO (Officer of the Order of Australia)
This year about 80-100 were awarded.
One name jumped out: John Angove, of SA, for service to the wine industry.
His company is based at Renmark, and has been a supporter of paddlesteamer events, particularly those involving locally-based PS Industry.

In 2004, SA celebrated the 150th anniversary of Australia's first public railway: the horse-worked Goolwa - Port Elliot line, linking the river to the sea.  I reported at the time about the brilliant events, drawing together multiple community events.  Industry voyaged from Renmark, collecting river produce along the way: a crate of Angove wine, citrus fruit, wheat or chaff, bales of wool.  At Goolwa, these were transferred to what is now a tourist railway; at Port Elliot they were transferred by horse dray to the local surf-lifesaving boats to be lightered to SA's sail-training vessel One & All, lying offshore.

For the forthcoming PS Industry centenary, he has bottled special centenary wines: a red and a white (IIRC a Shiraz and a Chardonnay).

The enclosed photo of produce was on the hard drive already, probably because I have posted it before.  I would have to search for one taken from the other angle, and make another scan.  It was taken at Clayton on the morning of the final day, when Industry was joined by PS Oscar W, which had loaded bales of wool at Milang.
The enclosed photo of First Fleet MV Borrowdale came from one of three regular RNV contributors, and I don't know which one.  They are happy to share their photos with RNV readers, and since this one missed out, sharing it here is the next best.  I can't find the ones of an Australia Day parade, also from one of the three.
The enclosed fleet voyage photo was taken on Australia Day 2009.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor