Crossing the MurrayCrossing the Murray has always been a problem – Hume and Hovell, and later Charles Sturt, and the various overlanding parties all had difficulties. They generally converted their drays to temporary punts to cross. Punts or ferries were used at many points of the river, and still are today. Bridges followed as traffic crossing the river increased. Ferries and puntsFerries or punts provided the first crossings on the River Murray for many years, and still operate in many places today. In 1839 Charles Bonney overlanding cattle to Adelaide from Port Phillip, pioneered a river crossing near what would become Wellington. More herds followed and crossing places were established at Woods Point, Wellington and Thompson’s. George Morphett established a small ferry at Wellington, and later another further upstream at Woods Point. Charles Bonney also discovered another suitable place named Thompson’s crossing (later called Swanport). There was another crossing south of Wellington called Mason’s, but this had tricky currents and weather sweeping off Lake Alexandrina seriously affected its use. After Morphett, the Bell Brothers established a ferry at Wellington in conjunction with their hotel. Then the South Australian government decided to run the service. Legislative ordnance 4/1848 detailed this together with the scale of charges. William Carter was the first to take up the lease and was appointed in May 1849. These early ferries were hand operated and passengers were frequently asked to assist in winding the cable. Traffic on the ferry increased – in February 1852, 1234 people, 1266 horses and bullocks pulling 164 carriages crossed the river; fees collected were over 64 pounds. In 1857 there was a successful petition against the level of the fees. Further upriver ferries and punts continued to provide the main crossings. A private punt was established at Blanchetown in 1869 and was replaced by a government ferry in 1879. This was relocated in 1922 when Lock 1 was opened and upgraded from time to time. In December 1954 a second ferry was installed because of increasing traffic on the Sturt Highway, and in 1964 the bridge was opened to traffic. A hand operated punt was opened at Mannum sometime before 1877, then another was constructed by the Crown Lands Department. From 1888 this was operated by the Mannum Council, and eventually fees were abolished. Ferries are recorded as operating at Waikerie in 1910 and like the others, was hand operated, later becoming motorised. Motors on the punt greatly decreased the time taken for the crossing. The Murray Pioneer of 6 January 1911 p. 8, records that the Blanchetown District Council installed a motor on its punt and that: This will prove a great boon to the public, as formerly it took half an hour to cross the river, whereas with the motor, it will only take about ten minutes. Swan Reach had a ferry by 1898. It was small and hand operated, like most of the others were at first, until a motor was installed in 1911. A bell was available either side of the river to call the ferry when a crossing was required. There had been some opposition to the ferry, with many believing it would be better installed further up the river. However, the ferry contributed significantly to the development of the land east of the river. Ferries were subject to sinking, either from inattention or from overcrowding. The Murray Pioneer 9 February 1912 (p. 10) records the Swan Reach punt was raised by Lancashire Lass, and that its sinking appeared to result from a failure to attend the pumps. The Advertiser 27 May 1955 (p. 6) records the Swan Reach punt again sinking with a truck weighing about 10 tons. Three people scrambled through waist-high water to safety and a bulldozer towed the truck from the river. Traffic had to be diverted to Walker’s Flat and Blanchetown ferries while the punt was salvaged and repaired. Cattle were responsible for sinking the Morgan ferry – the punt tipped …and jettisoned the stock into the river. One black and white cow later clambering out of the water with a punt gate around its neck. Nowadays the ferries on the river are operated by the Department of Road Transport and strict traffic regulations are applied. These ferries are designed to carry large vehicles and are very unlike their early predecessors.
|
