Sean has had to move slowly on his APAM restoration and extension because he has been involved in two plays.

One was a 5 minute solo performance based on the life of Randell.  His Paddleducks post assumed that readers know about the Victorian (state not era) education system.  This was one of his assessment pieces for VCE drama (Victorian Certificate of Edcation, the final 2 years of secondary education, years 11 & 12).  Of course I couldn't get a ticket: it was not a public performance.  However, I did hear some of the ideas as he workshopped them via e-mail.

In compensation, I received a ticket to his school play 'Frank the Plucker.  With the amount of work going into writing, directing and appearing in the play, it's a wonder that Sean could do anything for APAM.  Also in the audience were his family (his father had taken some of the photographs of Echuca heritage festival, posted in a different thread; his grandfather appears in another thread, working on Sean's boat).  The play had quite a good plot, with several magic moments.  The humour was based around chicken jokes.  I was able to offer my congratulations on the spot, and am confident that the many people who have enjoyed APAM would have enjoyed being there too.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

I remember hearing all about the plays, and it did sound fantastic!! Great Work!! And I wish that I was restoring a boat as well, but that might have to wait a lil bit!!

Hey James, you want to have a lot of time and money if you want to restore a boat, I have a 16ft wooden hull boat now for nearly 2years and I've only really given the hull a undercoat. Still need to do final coat, rebuild the cabin, and get a engine for it. And to think I want to restore the PS Australien! Everything's there for her, just need the time and labour!

If you got the chance to restore Australien I'd help you out, it would be good to be associated with the restoration of an original Murray paddler.

Mind you I have nowhere near 2 million so she wouldn't look anything like Hero...but that could also be a good thing...make it more authentic!

Hey Michael,

I think I said before that I am always around to give ya a hand with the PS Australien, I also think it would be a fantastic opportunity to be involved with the restoration of a boat... but also I dont have 2 mil to spend either, but you dont need that amount, just some enthusiasts and a little bit of imagination!!!

Cheers James

Hey James thanks for ya email. I don't think you need $2m for Australien. I wouldn't want to have a cry if I scratch the paint work or got stuck on a sandbar cos I have so much weight in her!
A fair bit of her topsides have been sandblasted and Gary Byford dumped a load of scrap steel beside her to replace the rusted parts. I think most of her timber bottom will need replacing, she has a strange arrangement. Steel frames on the side but wooden on the bottom!
I'll get Rod to attach a photo of her I took this week.
Michael

The Australien, courtesy of Michael

By the looks of that photo you could get her floating in the next day or two!! Needs a bit of work but I suppose if ya get a few people interested you can get free labour!!!!! And really ya cant afford to be pedantic about little things, coz ya budget blows outta proportion!! But it would be great to get her going again!! We are talking about starting to build a paddle boat, dont know when or where!! Just an idea!!

Couple of Days!! More like a couple of months of falt out work and even then your pushing your luck! My mate Adam (Ranger) is qualified shipwright so he can run the show! The front is probebly the only bad part the rest of the hull is in good nick, some places may only need a good caulk and hardening.
Australien had a unique engine system, the boiler faces aft- like McLeods boat or PS Melbourne, It has a single paddlwheel shaft with a large gear, which is connect to the engine by ROPE. It also had another gear on it which was used to tenchen the rope. She had a large canopy that covered the front deck, photo's show her with a car onboarf, and other times she had the derrick crane on the front, something the Echuca boats don't have. Would have been usefully when loading that wool last weekend!

Yeh... It was sarcasm hehe!!! Yeah, i have been on the Melbourne and it is a little different, interesting. And if Adam can take care of the hull, well Bob's (nearly) your uncle! I would be all for puttin a derrick crane on, i mean the only one i have seen with any sort of crane these days is the Industry (nd it woulda been a miracle to have a crane with the wool eh?)  But yeah, the offer still holds if you want some help, coz i am always eager to be involved mate!

Quote from: michael
Australien had a unique engine system, the boiler faces aft- like McLeods boat or PS Melbourne, It has a single paddlwheel shaft with a large gear, which is connect to the engine by ROPE. It also had another gear on it which was used to tenchen the rope.

When I was flicking through some of my books I noticed quite a few paddlers had rear facing boilers. You can tell by the location of the funnels. Do you think it's a top ender bottom ender thing?

If I'm also correct at some stage Marion was driven by rope drive wasn't she?

I'm going to write an article up on Australien in the APAM forum so that we can move all this good info and pics into there!

Sean

I remember hearing somewhere too Sean that the Marion was at some stage driven by a rope drive.
And possibly it is a top ender bottome ender thing, i dont know, but hopefully the Australien is successfull!!!

Hi PD's - quote by Michael ...

" she has a strange arrangement. Steel frames on the side but wooden on the bottom! "

Michael, when we read & study our OZ paddler history, the method of construction  or reconstruction is endless

1)  steel frames + wooden sides + wooden bottom
2)  steel frames + steel sides +  wooden bottom
3)  wooden frames + wooden sides + wooden bottom

All I can think is that this replanking must have been thirsty work & needed a   to quench the thirst  - Derek

HEY PD's

Derek - or anyone else - if you were building a new paddle boat, out of those 3 methods which would you recommend?? The boat would be based at Morgan SA, I dont think it makes any difference, but maybe!!
Or are they all much of a muchness?!?

your metal hulls are common these days...metal and moulded but for traditional I'd go wood....personal choice. Or go for the iron topsides...thats authentic too!