PS Cumberoona (Albury, Murray River, Australia)

[Roderick Smith]

Searching in the search box brings up 19 items on this vessel, but not the one in Sean's APAM series.  It included a photo which is also included in the set for the random image when you log in.

Here is just one, showing recent news (2006 to date): www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=275.msg27819#msg27819
In recent times it could not access the slip in Wodonga Creek for survey.
That has been possible since September, but I don't know if it has been done.

Here is a photo in happier days: Construction work in progress in 1986, ready for the 1988 bicentenary of the first-fleet settlement in Sydney.
This was in Murray River, adjacent to Noreil Park, with Lincoln Causeway (carrying the main Melbourne - Sydney highway) at the rear.
The water is well down.  Levels here vary rapidly, according to releases from Lake Hume for use downstream, also according to the amount of hydro power generation there.
Sun.8.6.86 (Roderick Smith)

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Have as many photos as I can find.  I will have more from my Oct.06 cruise, but they are not scanned.

In the large map, the fitout photo was taken where there is a tree symbol, centre right, just downstream of the highway bridge.
The normal mooring site and boatramp are around the bend, just downstream of the bare patch with another green tree symbol.  Most of my action photos were taken there.
The slip is on the bottom of the frame, about 3/4 left.  The little patch of white is Cumberoona, so it did get to the slip by 13.3.10.
It comes down the narrow section of Wodonga Creek (probably wider than it looks, there is more width below the overhanging trees).

Post edit, 4.11: Not everybody will be familiar with the Queen's baton.  It was part of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and spent a year travelling from London to Melbourne via every Commonwealth country.  Similar in concept to the Olympic torch, it had different goals.  It wasn't a race, and many sectors were aboard transport.  It was posed in front of places of national significance, and was carried on an immense variety of transport.  The photo shows its only paddlesteamer ride.  Elsewhere on the Murray, it was carried over Chaffey Bridge at Mildura, with the whole paddelboat fleet and more forming a guard of honour in the river; it was carried in a vintage wooden speedboat on Lake Mulwala, on a houseboat and Renmark, and over the ordinary river punt at Morgan.  Elsewhere it was carried on a tropical-island cruise boat, on native canoes, a dragon boat, RMS St Helena to the island, and on MV Aurora to Antarctica.  It even was dived underwater at a coral reef.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Some good news from July, relayed to me by a local.
He notes that it is now November: has the work been completed yet?

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

From Sat.16.7.11 Albury 'Border Mail'
www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/cumberoona-comeback/2228519.aspx

Cumberoona comeback.
The embattled PS Cumberoona could be back sailing as early as November.
The paddle steamer has been marooned since 2006, but Albury Council has announced the first step in the boat’s return by calling for tenders to replace the worn-out hull.
A suitable contractor is being sought to carry out the work which includes replacing about 90 square metres of 5 mm thick steel plate, and painting.
The tenderers also have the option of replacing the entire hull.
A certificate of survey needs to be obtained from NSW Maritime before the paddle steamer can sail again and the council will also embark on an expression of interest process to find someone to operate and manage the boat within the next two months.
The council community and recreation director James Jenkins said having the boat back on the water this summer was a genuine possibility.
“Even though the river has been up on the odd occasion this winter it hasn’t been up sufficiently to even consider having the boat operating,” Mr Jenkins said.
“But because of the high level of Lake Hume we are expecting we might be able to get a good season this year.
“The normal sailing time would be November through to March and that is our target.”
Mr Jenkins expects a range of companies with experience in steel works and fabrication to be interested in the project.
The council is also looking at developing a riverside tourist precinct which may require a public-private partnership to become a reality.
The precinct will include improved mooring facilities for Cumberoona, dining facilities, specialty shops and, toilets.
“The idea was to have the boat available 365 days a year whether it was able to sail or not,” Mr Jenkins said.
Previous council reports have estimated the cost of replacing the hull to be about $125,000.
Cumberoona stopped sailing in 2006 due to low river levels.

[Roderick Smith]

Captain Frank Tucker runs is own PV Miralie (based in the Mildura area), and has also skippered many commercial paddleboats on a sessional basis.  He is a riverboat historian, with an extensive collection of research data and photos.  His photos and albums are often the core of a display at events.
He has supplied me with two photos of the launching of PS Cumberoona, at Noreuil Park (Albury, NSW), using a traditional method: wooden skids, sideways.  This may have predated the construction of the slip in Wodonga Creek, which shows in my other recent posts.

I interpret the date as Sun.10.3.85, which is consistent with the progress showing in my 1986 photo.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

In tandem with preparation of photos of Cumberoona, I am working with Light Railway Research Society of Australia on a listing of Murray River slips as part of a wider project looking at long or unusual slipways.

The Cumberoona slip is in a fenced and locked industrial area, so railway enthusiast Trevor Staats went in by tinnie on Sunday.
'It is an earth slipway with two steel rails. Two 'bogies' hold Cumberoona in place, chocked by sleepers and timber wedges. A sturdy bow rope stops her rolling back into the creek.  A number of trees have fallen into Wodonga Creek since Cumberoona was staged up there, and will need some clearing to allow her to reach the Murray again'.

I enclose two of Trevor's photos.  The numbering could indicate that the replating has happened, but my impression is that the number is to indicate what work is to be done, and nothing has happened since July.  There is no equipment on site, and no scrap metal.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

After much agonising within Albury Council, PS Cumberoona has been sold to a Lake Mulwala operator.  This does keep it in the region, and puts it on reliable water.  Although the replating never happened, it has been placed back in survey.
On Sun.1.3, the steam plant was checked.
On Mon.2.3, it went back into the water, was steamed, and made a test run.
On Tues.2.3, it left from Wodonga Creek, was delayed on a sandbar, removing willows, and removing the wheelhouse roof and funnel to get under Howlong bridge.  It overnighted there.
On Wed.3.3, the roof and funnel were repositioned.  The boat left Howlong at 16.45, and steamed into the evening to aim for Wahgunyah/Corowa.  At 19.30 it was at 2096 km, still with 14 km (1.5 h) to go.
There is an excellent article at www.bordermail.com.au/story/2921160/gallery-poll-cumberoona-slips-away-to-new-home/?cs=11
This has an album of 67 photos, showing the voyage to date, and happy times in Albury.

150102F Wodonga Creek (Vic.). PS Cumberoona & MV JessieII. (Roderick Smith)

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

PS Cumberoona was recommissioned in its new home on Fri.30.10.15.  It is now cruising each weekend.
The website is now up: www.cumberoona.com.au.

Roderick