Steam navigation on the River Murray
When Charles Sturt voyaged down the Murray in 1829-30, the first European
to do so, he wrote that the river was navigable by vessels much larger
than his whaleboat. He also considered the Darling River navigable. The
Murray Mouth, however, he considered useless to navigation. Debate over
this issue would be hotly disputed for many years, until Francis Cadell
successfully brought his paddle-steamer the Lady Augusta through
the Mouth in 1853.
When the colony of South Australia was first established, it was considered
that the Murray would be a highway into the interior and to the settlements
of the east coast. However it was not until 1850 that any thing was done
about this when the Governor, Sir Henry Fox Young urged that a bonus
be offered by the Government.
To further encourage river navigation a jetty was built at Goolwa and
beacons and navigational markers were erected between Goolwa and Wellington.
Still nothing happened until the discovery of gold in Victoria, and the
opportunity arose of delivering stores to the diggings.
William Randell was the first to seize the opportunity and built his
small paddle-steamer Mary Ann. Built of local timber at
Gumeracha, the frame was taken to the Murray near Mannum and completed
there. Loaded with provisions, the Mary Ann had first
to steam to Goolwa to obtain a Customs clearance for her cargo. There
also Governor Young inspected the vessel. He told Randell that
he would recommend that he receive a bonus of £300 for being the
first steamer on the river. The Mary Ann left Goolwa on
25 March 1853. Unfortunately the boat only reached Lake Bonney
before being forced back by low water.
Meanwhile Francis Cadell became aware of the bonus being offered by
the South Australian government. He then negotiated his own deal
with the government whereby he would receive £1000 if he built
a steamer and barge and reached the Murray-Darling junction, another £500
for bringing his boat through the Murray Mouth and a further £1000
if he successfully operated on the river for a year. Cadell arranged
for his steamer to be built in Sydney, and when launched it was named Lady
Augusta after the South Australian Governor’s wife. It was
then jury-rigged as a ketch and sailed to South Australia. After
successfully negotiating the Murray Mouth, the Lady Augusta set
out on her first voyage on 25 August, towing the barge Eureka. Three
days from Swan Hill the crew of the Mary Ann were awakened by
the sound of paddlewheels and saw the Lady Augusta steaming
towards them. Over the next few days the two paddle-steamers passed and
repassed each other. Cadell’s voyage was well documented, as among
the party aboard his boat were journalists. Two accounts were subsequently
published: Allen, James Journal
of an experimental trip by the "Lady Augusta', on the River Murray and
Kinloch, Arthur The
Murray River: being a journal of the voyage of the "Lady Augusta" steamer
from the Goolwa, in South Australia, to Gannewarra, above Swan Hill,
Victoria; a distance from the sea mouth of 1400 miles.
William Randell pushed on upriver to Maiden’s Point (later called
Echuca) while Cadell turned back to collect a cargo of wool that he had
arranged. Randell received a bonus of £300 from the South Australian
Government with a letter of congratulations for being the first to navigate
a steamboat on the Murray. In addition to the money he had already negotiated
with the Government, Cadell was offered a further £4000 if he would
place another two vessels on the river within three years and make two
voyages a year to Albury, Gundagai and Fort Bourke (Bourke). He accepted
the proposal and ordered two iron-hulled boats from Scotland.
Cadell now formed the River Murray Navigation Company and was shown
further favour from the South Australian Government when he was presented
with a gold medal especially struck to commemorate the successful steam
navigation.
Randell and Cadell vied with each other to reach higher and higher points
on the rivers. Randell increased the size of his boat by building
another hull the same size as the Mary Ann and by placing the
paddle-wheel between the two, creating a sort of catamaran and renamed
it Gemini. With this he steamed up the Darling as far as Brewarrina. He
was the first to reach Fort Bourke (Bourke). By 1859 he had established
his store at Hay.
By now Randell and Cadell were not the only men operating boats on the
river. Robert Napier and William Webb operated the Moolgewanke,
and on 13 July 1860 were the first to reach Deniliquin. In 1856 the Leichardt (sic)
was launched by Acraman, Main and Co, followed by a sister ship. Navigation
aids along the river were increasing and in 1858 the removal of snags
from the river commenced.
By late 1858 or shortly after, Cadell’s River Murray Navigation
Company was dissolved, and two companies formed: Cadell, Turnbull and
Company and Younghusband and Company split the fleet between them.
South Australians had led the way in the steam navigation of the Murray-Darling
system, but by the mid 1860s companies were being formed in the other
colonies: the Upper Murray Steam Navigation Company at Echuca; the Wagga
Wagga Steam Navigation Company in 1869, the Melbourne and Riverine General
Carrying & Forwarding Company in 1866; the Hay Steam Navigation Company
in 1874 were just a few.
During the peak years on the rivers companies continued to proliferate,
although there were also individual captains who operated a single steamer. William
McCulloch and Company commenced operations in 1866, and their busiest
branch was at Morgan where a rail line from Adelaide terminated. Initially
attracted by the high tariffs imposed by the Victorian Government, the
company was forced out by a series of low water seasons.
Permewan Wright, established in 1872, successfully underbid McCulloch’s
branch managers in the freight rates they offered, and by 1884 had 35
branches in Victoria and New South Wales. Other companies included the
Gem Navigation Company registered by Benjamin Chaffey; A.H. Landseer & Co
Ltd of Milang, and Arnold’s Line of River Steamers Ltd formed as
late as 1913.
At the peak of the paddle-steamer era there were between 200 and 300
boats operating on the Murray River system and the river was vibrant
with the noise of boat whistles and thrashing paddle-wheels.
For more detail on shipping lines see R.H. Parsons Ships
of the Inland Rivers. Gumeracha, SA, Gould Books, 1996.
 Sidewheelers
or Sternwheelers
The style of the paddle-steamers used on the Murray-Darling river system
were sidewheelers, rather than the sternwheelers common on the rivers
of North America. The reason for this lies in the nature of the rivers
themselves. The Australian rivers are slow moving with many meanders,
and could only be navigated by a smaller more compact boat. The sidewheelers
are typically of this type. North American rivers are generally
wide and fast flowing with long straight stretches; sternwheelers were
better suited to this type of river. In addition sternwheelers usually
pushed their barges, whereas on the Murray, barges were either towed
or lashed to either side.
Sternwheelers were tried in Australia. In 1861 the Settler owned
by P.W. Jackson and Alexander Murray, was built at Fletcher’s Slip
at Port Adelaide. At 167 feet long including the wheel, she proved far
too long to negotiate the many twists of the upper river. After just
one season she was taken off the rivers. Jackson and Murray then built
a smaller sternwheeler the Lady Daly, 112.6 feet plus wheel. She
served with some success until the 1890s. A third steamer operated
by these owners, although the shortest, was at least successful. On her
maiden voyage the Lady Darling was snagged and sank three times
in 239 miles.
The Captain Sturt was also a sternwheeler and 116 feet long. It
was however used only on the lower river with its long straight reaches
and was quite suitable for this.
Barges
Barges increased considerably the amount of cargo that could be moved
by a steamer, and were either towed behind or lashed alongside. Barges
were essentially empty hulls with several holds separated by bulkheads.
Sometimes a small space was provided for the crew, but many barges were
handled by one man. The good management of a barge consisted of correct
loading, as much as knowledge of the river and the ability to anticipate
the moves of the steamer’s master. The momentum of a heavily laden
barge could drive it down upon the steamer and cause considerable damage.
Every barge was classified to carry a specific amount of cargo, as were
the steamers. Loading was an art: to avoid capsizing the barge, no cargo
could be loaded higher than two-thirds of its width. Wool bales were
stacked in a pyramid shape with a single row of bales at the top. A properly
stowed barge rode at an even keel. Each layer of bales was firmly secured
with wire cables, so that in the event that the barge did run into a
sandbank, the cargo would not be dislodged. Spaces were also left to
insert pumps that might become necessary in the course of the voyage.
Finally the cargo would be firmly lashed down all round. The barge’s
steering wheel was raised at each successive tier, so that the steersman
could see above the cargo.
Cargoes
In the early years wool was one of the chief cargoes being shipped down
river, with wheat and flour, building materials and general stores also
a regular. Later as the irrigation colonies became established dried
and fresh fruit, and wheat formed part of the regular cargo going downstream.
Later during the building of the locks and weirs, cement, timber and
crushed granite became regular cargo.
General stores included everything conceivable that could be used by
settlers upstream: flour, tobacco, tea, beer, stoves, galvanised iron,
wire, dried fruit, cheese, pickles, pipes, drapery, sewing machines,
sugar, hay, kerosene, candles, vinegar, boots, saddlery etc. Low water
in drought years or after a long summer could be disastrous for cargoes
such as these. Dumped on the banks they would rot.
But wool would remain a mainstay, and the greatest period of the paddle-steamers
occurred during the great growth period of Australia’s wool industry.
Mission
boats and hawkers
In the heyday of Murray River shipping the great majority of the vessels
on the river were steamers and barges engaged in commercial trade - either
cargo or passenger. There were however some vessels that followed
a different business. The mission boats Etona and Glad
Tidings brought religious comfort to small settlements and stations
along the river where the population was too small to support a church.
Perhaps more important to the settlers were the hawkers, who operated
floating general stores. William Randell and Francis Cadell had
sold provisions on their first trip on the rivers, but had ceased this
when they realised it conflicted with their supply of stores to storekeepers
in the settlements. There was still a need though for stores to be brought
to the more remote and isolated stations, for the woodcutters and fishermen
along the river. The Prince Alfred built at Goolwa in 1867 was
the first vessel built specifically for this trade. The Pyap and Queen,
the Marion and Emily Jane, also operated as floating
stores. The largest and longest operating was the Merle, with
the barge Flo D carrying additional stock. The Diener family
ran these, and the Kookaburra that succeeded them until 1956.
More unusual perhaps was the steam yacht used by a dentist to take his
profession to the remote reaches of the river. (The Queen also
carried a dentist about his business). Fishermen occasionally used
paddle-steamers as their base for their operations.
Milk boats were common along the lower Murray during the first half
of the twentieth centuries. Usually motor launches, there were
also some paddle-steamers engaged in the business of carrying the milk
churns from the dairy farmers to the processing plants at Murray Bridge. The
South Australian Farmers Union operated a fleet consisting of Co-operation,
Loyalty, Progress and Union.
Customs
Difficulties
Before the Federation of Australia in 1901, Murray River trade was governed
by taxes from three colonies. Apart from the physical difficulties imposed
by the river itself – snags, rocks, low water – taxes or
border tariffs were the single most difficult issue.
The Australian Colonies Government Act was passed by the British Government
in 1850 and enabled the colonies to levy Customs duties. There was no
consideration that in the near future the Act would have dire consequences.
The initial lack of interest in river navigation by New South Wales and
Victoria saw Goolwa established as a major port, with customs to be cleared
from there. Hence when William Randell set out in the Mary Ann in
1853 he had first to steam down river to clear his cargo, before proceeding
up river to his markets. The taxes collected at Goolwa on goods carried
to New South Wales and Victorian customers were credited to those colonies,
but it became apparent quickly that they were loosing revenue and by
1855 these colonies decided to collect their own taxes, and Albury and
Wodonga became customs points for their respective colonies. Low water
for much of the year made this difficult. Different rates in the tariff
charged by each colony were another factor. Importers quickly discovered
ways to avoid paying taxes.
In May 1859 the first of a number of attempts to resolve the problems
came into effect when the three colonies signed a treaty: South Australia
would collect all duties, at local rates, take 5% for its expenses and
remit the balance. This didn’t work out and in 1863 another attempt
was made to accept a uniform tariff, but again this failed. New South
Wales then decided to establish Custom Houses at Wentworth, the Swan
Hill crossing, Moama, Corowa and Albury, to commence collecting duties
in September 1864. Intercolonial rivalry was rife, and Victoria declared
an increase in the number of materials that were taxable, and also decided
to establish Customs Houses on its bank of the river: at Cowana, Narrung,
Swan Hill, Echuca, Wahgunyah and Belvoir.
The large dutiable list of goods was a nightmare for the agents and
captains of the steamers, as the two colonies of New South Wales and
Victoria appeared to engage in rounds of one-upmanship, with South Australia
as the chief beneficiary. In 1867 they abandoned the collection of duties,
with instead Victoria agreeing to pay £60,000 annually to New South
Wales. But a few years later in 1874 both colonies again began collecting
border tariffs, and continued to do so until the new Federal Government
finally abolished internal customs in 1903.
At one point in the strained saga of customs dues on the river, dried
fruit produced in New South Wales was transported to Melbourne under
bond, by steamer to Murray Bridge, thence by rail to Port Adelaide, then
to coastal steamer. It was cheaper than by sending it by river to Swan
Hill, and then rail to Melbourne!
Navigation
hazards
Snags, rocks, sandbars, low river, high river with its drifting debris,
bridges, locks and weirs – these were the list of hazards that
a steamer captain would face in his navigation of the river. Many
of these would be marked on his river chart, but many were not.
With the development of the locks and weirs in the early twentieth century
the problem of low river was largely a thing of the past, but by then
the age of heaviest steamer traffic was also a thing of the past.
When the river was in flood, the usual hazards of snags, rocks and sandbars,
might be safely underwater, but trees that were previously on the banks
and out of the way, were suddenly ‘in’ the river, and as
well, there were other trees torn out from the banks and floating in
the floodwaters. The river in flood would also take ‘shortcuts’ and
the boat might be steaming along the normal channel without any river
current, only to be strongly hit in the side when the river returned
to the main channel.
Snags
Snags are the remains of trees in the river, trees that have either
been flushed downstream during floods and become stranded, or trees that
have toppled into the river from the adjacent bank. With their branches
and roots largely underwater they create an enormous hazard in the water. The
South Australian government built and launched the Grappler in
1858. Designed by Francis Cadell, the Grappler was built
specifically to remove snags from the river and was fitted with a crane
able to lift 14 to 15 tons, or logs four to five feet in diameter.
Another remedy was to whitewash the most dangerous snags to make them
more visible, or to cut them off at the summer (ie low) river level. An
accurate river chart was also a benefit in avoiding snags.
The Industry, built in 1876, was sold to the South Australian
Government in 1887 for use as a snag boat. In 1911 she was replaced by
another vessel, also named Industry and later sold to the River
Murray Commission. She served as a snag boat, dredger and for lock repairs
until refitted in 1969.
Sandbars
Sand in the river is a very mobile hazard, shifting and accumulating
on river bends depending on the flow in the river. Despite sandbanks
being carefully marked on the captain’s charts they would sometimes
discover that it had shifted position between trips.
Rocks
Isolated rocks, and rocky reefs presented particular problems at low
water. Some reefs extended well across the river leaving a relatively
narrow passage through which the water rushed. At another point
on the river below Swan Hill a series of reefs caused a deep waterfall
of two feet at low water – while not high in itself, this was unpassable
by paddle-steamers caught either side of it. At least at low water
the rocks were visible. With plenty of water in the river these
would be covered and the value of the river charts that plotted these
would be immeasurable.
Bridges
The variety of bridges and the manner in which they permitted the passage
of river traffic were many. Some had a central lift span such as
those at Wentworth or Tooleybuc. The bridge keeper would raise
the central section, and traffic waiting to cross could be delayed for
half an hour or more. Frequently steamer and barge would go under
the bridge stern first – in the event of becoming jammed against
the bridge pylons the steamer could then steam ahead and extricate itself
and barge more easily.
The Menindee Bridge on the Darling River was placed at a point that
was particularly difficult for steamers – on a bend. Because
the bridge carries the Sydney-Broken Hill railway line, the span cannot
be raised during the heat of an inland summer because of metal expansion – the
steamer must wait for the cooler temperatures of early morning or late
afternoon.
The Bridge at Hay carried the town’s water pipes, with the resultant
loss of water whenever the bridge was raised. On the other hand
the two bridges at Murray Bridge are fixed and at high water, the steamers
were required to lower their funnels to pass beneath in safety. Other
bridges were difficult because of proximity to rocks or dangerous eddies.
Lake Alexandrina
Despite the broad appearance the lake is shallow, and buoys and beacons
were necessary to guide the vessels into the proper channels. The
surface is also readily affected by the wind: a north westerly wind “has
the odd effect of pushing water out of the lake so that it becomes shallower,
as opposed to the south-easterly wind which makes it deeper”.(Drage,p.
172). (B1003139x)
Tourist
Boats
The paddle-steamers carried passengers as well as cargo and by the 1890s
the vessels’ accommodation began to reflect the growing trend.
George Chaffey and others formed the River Murray Navigation Company
in 1888. When they purchased the Gem, these boats were already
familiar in the passenger trade. The Company upgraded and refurbished
them with electric lights, improved catering and accommodation. The Company
promoted the steamers and by linking with the railway line at Echuca
advertised a trip Mildura to Melbourne in 36 hours. Another round trip
was Melbourne to Echuca by rail, Echuca to Morgan by paddle-steamer,
thence by rail to Adelaide, and to Melbourne by coastal vessel. Other
owners became interested in the passenger trade and added their vessels
to the Mildura/Echuca run. The emphasis on comfort gave a new lease
of life to the river trade, at a time when the railways began to make
inroads in the movement of cargo.
There were also excursions or day trips promoted in association with
the railways. These usually coincided with the holiday period of Christmas
and New Year and operated between Goolwa, the Murray Mouth and Lake Alexandrina.
The Marion was another steamer, along with the Gem that
became a popular passenger vessel. George Fowler planned the vessel
in 1896, as a general trading vessel, but one that could be adapted as
a cruise vessel for his own leisure. With refrigeration, electric
lights and comfortable cabins, the Marion would be a modern
and commodious vessel. Unfortunately Fowler died the same year
and the Marion after several years mouldering at Milang became
a general trade vessel. Then after a refit in 1908, it became along
with the Gem, the most popular of the passenger boats. Serving
five meals a day, with hot and cold water baths, two berth cabins, a
smoking room and a piano in the dining room, the Marion offered
seven day cruises from Murray Bridge to Renmark and return for £6.00.
After World War I an amalgamation of a number of shipping lines occurred
and Murray Shipping Ltd was formed. This continued to operate the Gem and Marion in
the passenger trade and the Victorian Government Tourist Bureau, the
South Australian Intelligence and Tourist Bureau and Murray Shipping
Ltd offices in Adelaide managed the organisation of its “weekly
circular trips”. Passengers could plan their own trips and could
leave the boats at several points, making rail connections at Paringa,
Murray Bridge, Mildura and Swan Hill.
Passenger trade had become an important component of the River Murray
steamship business.
During the 1930s some Murray Valley towns even began small tourist centres. Coaches
began to replace rail travel and the state tourist bureaux began to actively
support coach-steamer transfers. Bonds Scenic Motor Tours also ran bus
tours and extolled the scenic beauty of the Riverland in their glossy
brochures. The Gem and Marion were upgraded again to
meet the demand.
Then in 1947 Murray Valley Coaches added the Murrumbidgee to
their business and began day trips and charter trips. Several years later
they added the Coonawarra. The future of River Murray tourism
seemed assured.
The
last voyage of the Marion
Adapted from Riverboats
and rivermen by William Drage and Michael Page; Adelaide,
Rigby, 1976.
In 1963 the South Australian National Trust bought the Marion that
had been laid up at Morgan in April 1941. Apart from a few brief trips
in the intervening years the old paddle-steamer built in 1897 had been
mostly idle. A private consortium that had hoped to restore her and begin
regular trips had bought the boat, but when this became impossible, the Marion was
sold to the Trust, who planned to install her as a floating museum at
Mannum.
They engaged William Drage, who had captained the Marion for
many years during the 1930s, to take her from Berri to Mannum. There
was no shortage of willing volunteers to serve as firemen and deckhands,
but another experienced riverman, Ron Pickering, served as mate.
The voyage was arranged for 6-10 June 1963, and a special representational
cargo was organised: dried fruit, cases of oranges, a bale of wool, a
barrel of wine, cases of wine and brandy.
The Murray River flag was hoisted – the same flag, so it was believed
that had been hoisted on the barge Eureka at its launching in
1853. (The flag was a Union Jack with a red cross with five white stars
on top half and four horizontal blue bars on a white background below).
The Marion was cheered off from the Berri wharf and began her
last voyage to Mannum 237 miles down river. As she negotiated Lock 4
some damage was done to the port bow – the inexperienced crew had
not known to have a fender in place. Minor damage, it was quickly repaired,
just as throughout the voyage volunteers continued to apply paint to
the superstructure.
Eager crowds awaited the Marion all along the river, congregating
whenever she put into a town. The volunteer firemen struggled to maintain
pressure on the boiler, but everyone was too excited by the history taking
place to be much bothered by this. Quickly enough this was remedied.
The whistle blew, no doubt startling the birds in the trees. Past Moorook
Cobdogla, Overland Corner, Woolpunda, Yarra Glen to Waikerie, where an
old pile in the river tried its best to wreck the voyage.
At Morgan the crowd was huge – the Railway Historical Society
had put on a special train – a further reminder of the great days
on the river. At Blanchetown Bridge there were a few problems as eager
amateurs confused the passage.
At Swan Reach they were swamped again with visitors, old timers recalling
the river trades of glory days, and young people sharing the taste of
the past. At Bow Hill, a number of distinguished passengers boarded the Marion,
including the Premier of South Australia, Sir Thomas Playford, and the
President of the National Trust Mr H.C. Morphett.
The Post Office at Mannum was franking special post cards “Last
trip of P.S. Marion, 6th to 10th June 1963”. From Swan Reach to
Mannum hundreds of people lined the riverbanks.
At 2pm on the 10th June the Marion pulled into Mannum to the
music of the Police Band and a gathering of thousands. The token cargo
was unloaded onto an old dray and carted to the depot. The gallery and
the dining saloon were cleaned, the fires put out and the engine wiped
over. The last voyage of the Marion was over.
Today she stands at Mannum, a museum to the great days of the paddle-steamer
trade on the Murray-Darling River system.
Further
reading
Allen, James Journal
of an experimental trip by the "Lady Augusta', on the River
MurrayAdelaide: Libraries Board of South Australia, 1976
Bean, CEW. The
dreadnought of the Darling Sydney: Angus and Robertson,
1956
Drage, William and Page, Michael Riverboats
and rivermenAdelaide: Rigby, 1976
Godson, Harry The
Marion storyLeabrook, S.A.: Investigator Press, 1973
Kinloch, Arthur The
Murray River: being a journal of the voyage of the "Lady Augusta" steamer
from the Goolwa, in South Australia, to Gannewarra, above Swan Hill,
Victoria; a distance from the sea mouth of 1400 miles Adelaide:
Friends of the State Library of South Australia, 1997
Painter, Gwen A
different river: river trade and development along the Murray Valley
networkSouth Melbourne: Hyland House, 1993
Painter, Gwen The
river trade: wool and steamersWahroonga, N.S.W.: Turton & Armstrong
with Pioneer Settlement Press, 1979
Parsons, RH Ships
of the Inland Rivers. Gumeracha, SA, Gould Books, 1996.
Phillips, Peter J. Redgum & paddlewheels:
Australia's inland river trade Collingwood, Vic.: Greenhouse,
1980 |
