Paddle Boat News February 2016

Paddle Boat News
February 2016
RIP our friend, mentor and all-round good chap.
Captain Kevin Hutchinson passed on 29/1/2016
RIP our river-mate, Gwen Redfern who passed
away peacefully on 1/2/2016, gone to join her lifetime mate, Syd.
Paddle Boat News compiled and collated by Captain Frank Tucker
Contact = ftucker@bigpond.com
Contributions are welcome from readers & others; In fact, I rely on contributions, which will be acknowledged (most times)
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
Answer to January Question: George Johnstone, in my opinion, should have been famous for numerous Murray Mouth crossings with his steamers
PS Wentworth and Napier
February Question: When Captain Francis Charles Cadell arrived back in Australia on News Year’s Day 1852, which ship was he in charge of?
Cover Photo: PS Adelaide , ready to depart for Mildura for the PS Melbourne Centenary Celebrations in 2012.
PS Adelaide Sesquicentenary Celebrations
July & September 2016
July 21st
and the weekend of
September 24th & 25th
will see PS Adelaide celebrating her 150th
birthday anniversary,
the oldest paddle steamer remaining on the
Murray Darling system, and the 3rd oldest
existing, operational paddle steamer in the
World.
Adelaide PS was launched at Echuca
3pm on 21/7/1866, below the pontoon
bridge and opposite the Post Office.
Michael Snell photo
75’9” x 17’ x 5’ Wooden hull
carvel built
PB Tooraloora is for sale.
For details, ring her owner
Harry Monro
on 0400 758 643.
OR
Colvin Burgess
Mannum Anchorage 0417 445 190
A message to my river mates …. I have
been to enough funerals already for 2016
The PS Canally Group has a
new webpage
www.pscanally.com
Michael Snell photo
30hp steam engine by Fulton & Shaw 14’ diameter side paddle wheels
D26 Barge
She must have known that Kev
was not around to keep an eye
on her. “When the Cat’s away
…. “
7/2/2016 — D26 barge sank at her mooring,
was quickly refloated, after the top-sides
were sheeted to reduce leakage. She was
then moved to shallow water at the wharf.
No leaks were located after the refloat.
Thanks Peter Garfield and Michael Snell for
these photos and data.
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Wanna-be Murray River Skipper, Angus McCullagh is building his own paddle boat (with his father’s assistance), loosely based on the size and shape
of the PS Austria, at one time owned by the Conner family of Boundary Bend. The weekend of the 20th Feb. saw the roof completed and ready to be
lifted on board.
Thank you Angus for the photos (from Angus’s facebook page)
Tony & Pam Lyons have launched their new paddle boat “Brewarrina” which is a replica of the old PS Brewarrina, built in 1877 and abandoned near the
Whitton Punt C1930. The existing remains of the original vessel can be seen at the Whitton Museum.
The drive chain is a 3 cylinder Perkins, to a power-glide, to a Leyland gear box, to a Volvo truck differential. Her paddle wheels are 9 ft in diameter
with 7 feathering floats.
I’ve heard on the grapevine she will have friction drive which will be created by two rubber-tyred wheels running against each other.
During the construction
phase at Moorook
Craning her onto the
truck for removal to the
river at Moorook
Lifting the Brewarrina
from the truck
Lowering the boat to the
water
Placing the upper
deckhousing
Placing the wheelhouse
Proud owners of the PB Brewarrina,
Tony & Pam Lyons of Moorook, SA
If there is sufficient water in the river
come July, PB Brewarrina and
PB Amphibious will make the journey
up the river to Wentworth for the 60th
Anniversary of the 1956 flood, where
there will be a local flotilla of paddle
boats to welcome them for the
festivities.
Thank you Jackson Wickham for the
photos of the launching of the
Brewarrina.
Work on the PS Tarella is progressing well. Shawn & Kel Grear have
dropped the planks off the bottom of the boat, repaired the frames
where necessary and as these photos show, are progressing with the
installation of new metal floor frames to which the new bottom will be
attached.
Shawn reports that the old metal is welding really well, much better
than he imagined it would.
The depth of hold will be reduced slightly and because she will be
lighter with the steel bottom and sides up to the old topsides, the
draught will be reduced and the paddle wheel shafts …. Etc, may not
have to be re-aligned all that much.
The plan is to power the paddles with a diesel/electric system.
Much of the old superstructure will be retained.
Photos ex Shaun & Kel Grear
Captain, Engineer, Shipwright, Kevin Hutchinson’s final run to his final
resting place at the Echuca Lawn Cemetery. 5/2/2016
Photo = Clare Jackson.
PS Banyula
PS Banyula was built in 1924 by Capt John Webb and launched from the slip opposite the wharf at Echuca. Length 62’ x C12’
Owners - 1924 - Capt John Webb (leased for a short time to Richard Belsar, fisherman) / Cecil (Wicky) Webb / Vik Tuck / Koondrook Sawmill
Ref: Mrs Shirley Trewin (nee Webb) - The Banyula was left to her father, Wicky Webb, when her grandfather died. The steamer had been built by her
grandfather, John Webb, at Moama. (opposite Echuca wharf)
Became the property of Cecil Webb who lived on it with his family during the depression years. Later owned by Vick Tuck and then the Koondrook
Sawmill.
Not long after they became owners of the vessel, the family came to Barham to live on board. They took the steamer to Mildura and back to Murrabit
and Barham, living on the vessel for some time. She may have done the Darling trip at this time (2nd photo below)
Wicky sold the vessel to the Koondrook Sawmill. The mill built a second deck on the vessel, which, according to Wicky, made her somewhat top
heavy.
Photos so far were
obtained from Mrs
Shirley Trewin,
daughter of Cecil
Webb and granddaughter of
Captain John
Webb of Echuca.
Under construction at Moama—1924 The boiler is
placed almost at the front of the hull.
After much deliberation—photo taken at Wentworth. Steamer is the
Banyula. We know this because of the location of the boiler and engine
and several other features that match. Thanks Peter McLeod for assistance
with the deliberation.
Mid 1970’s.
Thanks Peter
McLeod for these
2 photos
Banyula under weigh. Sorry about clarity, but its as good as I can make it.
PS Banyula’s hull remains were
salvaged from the river in 1997, by
Peter & John Webb, grandsons of
the builder of the vessel.
PS Banyula’s hull remains are
currently (2016) stored on a
trailer at the rear of the Border
Fly-wheelers Museum at
Barham.
Some photos ex Peter Webb
PS Excelsior:
Ref: Joy Dalton (nee Goss) - Mrs Hill and her 6 children came to Mildura in 1942, after her husband went missing in action
after the ship he was on (Japanese prisoner of war ship) was torpedoed by an American submarine, with only about 200 survivors.
She married Jim Goss of Sunnycliffs and two daughters were born from this marriage, the first not surviving past 8 months, the second daughter, Joy was born in 1947. They lived at Cardross.
Jim became ill, and in 1956 Mrs Goss purchased the Excelsior and the family (Mum, Dad & 2 children, Denny & Joy) moved on board to live.
Maybe it was because of the relatively cost effective life ...... no rates, no water costs, just the cost of electricity, plus plenty of room on the boat.
The Excelsior was moored downstream of the wharf about 300 metres, along with various other boats, including at times, PS Oscar W, PS
Pyap and the Showboat Trix
Jim Goss died in 1959
In 1961, Mrs Goss married William Funcke and they moved to Balranald.
Denny Hill, then about 21, stayed on and lived on the Excelsior.
Mrs Goss & Mrs WG Collins
on their respective paddle
steamer homes at Mildura
Joy Goss, off to school
through the paddle box door.
About 6 months later, the PS Excelsior sank at her mooring. Denny managed to salvage some of his “stuff”
PS Renella moored with PS Excelsior
Stone’s cruiser
PS Excelsior
PS Pyap
At Wentworth wharf
Delivering materials to Lock 10 site mid 1920’s
PS Decoy astern of her.
Dropping barges down to & thru’ Wentworth bridge
1961—Excelsior sinks at her mooring. Also moored here are PS Oscar W,
PS Pyap and showboat Trix
Cadell Agreement with SA Government - Ref: SA Register 1/10/1852 MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES. … Premium for first Steamer on the River
Murray 2,500 0 0 …. The COLONIAL SECRETARY said arrangements had been made by the Government with a certain individual for the navigation of the Murray by means of steam. The vessel to be employed for that purpose was an iron steamer of 70 tons burden, and would draw six feet of
water. She was expected to enter the Murray by the sea-mouth in November next and the person to whom he alluded had engaged to make six trips to
and from Swan Hill within the year. As soon as the vessel was placed on the River, the first payment of £500 was to be made; when she reached the
Darling, £1,000 was to be paid; and the remaining £1,000 in quarterly payments, on condition of her performing the intended voyages to the satisfaction of the Government. Mr. BAKER cordially approved of the arrangement, which would, when carried out, go far to show that, in constructing
the Goolwa Railway, Government had begun at the wrong end. The items were carried, and the Committee on the Estimates was then adjourned till
Tuesday next.
1890 Flood — Adelaide Observer, May 31st 1890 (Renmark correspondent, May 23) … Captain Phillips of the
steamer “Excelsior” gave a vivid description of the various stations between Wilcannia and Bourke, and the extent to which owners had gone to protect their properties. At Murtie Station, he said, the “Excelsior” could have
steamed outback for twenty miles. At Nelyambo Hotel, there was four feet of water in the house, and some starving
pigs on the roof were the only signs of life about the place. At Tanberooka, a Mrs. Mungovan’s public house was
flooded out and the people were living on a sandhill. Here Captain Phillips landed provisions, leaving them on the
roof of a house… At Tilpa township, Adams’ store and the post office alone had been kept dry, and the people
were living on a sandhill. The “Excelsior” landed meat for them from Wilcannia…
This advertisement appeared in the Riverina Recorder, Balranald’s
newspaper on 24th September 1913
Cadell’s Agreement with the SA Government (2500 pounds placed on the estimates) Ref: SA Register 1/10/1852 MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES. … Premium
for first Steamer on the River Murray 2,500/0/0 …. The COLONIAL SECRETARY
said arrangements had been made by the Government with a certain individual
for the navigation of the Murray by means of steam. The vessel to be employed for
that purpose was an iron steamer of 70 tons burden, and would draw six feet of
water. She was expected to enter the Murray by the sea-mouth in November next
and the person to whom he alluded had engaged to make six trips to and from
Swan Hill within the year. As soon as the vessel was placed on the River, the first
payment of £500 was to be made; when she reached the Darling, £1,000 was to be
paid; and the remaining £1,000 in quarterly payments, on condition of her performing the intended voyages to the satisfaction of the Government. Mr. BAKER
cordially approved of the arrangement, which would, when carried out, go far to
show that, in constructing the Goolwa Railway, Government had begun at the
wrong end. The items were carried, and the Committee on the Estimates was then
adjourned till Tuesday next.
I have been researching in the 1852 newspapers and they were buzzing with the
prospect of steam navigation starting on the Murray. It is often said that William
Randell new nothing about steam boats and wasn’t aware of the prizes money
offered by the SA Government. He would have to have his head stuck well and
truly in the sand not to know and understand what was going on around him.
21/2/2016 — Angus got the roof
onto his new paddle boat
Photos ex Angus McCullagh