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 = [email protected] 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