September 2017 – Edition 150

COLONIAL HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA: PADDLE STEAMERS (PART 3)

Introduction

We have been having a solid diet of genealogy lately, so I thought that is now time for some good old Australian Colonial History. This article is the third in a series, continuing the story of the early paddle steamers on the westerly rivers of New South Wales and Victoria.

The Oozlum Bird

The Oozlum Bird presented a significant hazard to paddle steamer captains, particularly on the Darling River where it was often sighted in dry summers. This bird has not been recorded by ornithologists for the simple reason that it was in fact the name for delinquent dust storms tumbling in from the western deserts. It was heralded by a menacing cloud filling the western sky. When it arrived visibility was reduced almost to zero and the paddle steamers had to heave-to.

Bringing wool to the river

In the 19th Century in Australia wool bales tended to weigh a hefty 300 pounds (about 150 kilos), but there was no compulsory size or weight.

Some huge sheep stations like Dunlop Station (referred to in my previous article) had the comparative luxury of a frontage to a river served by paddle steamers. However other stations had to bring their wool to the river ports by horse or bullock waggon or even by camel waggon.

For historic and climatic reasons horses, bullocks and camels were the main pack animals adopted in Australia, in contrast to the United States where horses and mules predominated.

Camels, bullocks and horses had the following relative merits.

Camel teams

Here is a photo of a camel team with a much more practical load. Camel teams came into their own in arid areas where water and feed were scarce. They travelled at a similar speed to horses but their splayed feet meant they could maintain their footing on sandy tracks. Their main limitation was the waggons with their narrow wheels which could sink into the sand. This could lead to the waggons being bogged or capsizing.

A camel could also carry a bale of wool, but this was less efficient than hauling waggons.

If necessary camels could live on poor quality herbage like saltbush.

Here is a bullock team at Horsham Railway Station in the north-west of Victoria.

Bullocks were the four legged equivalent of four wheel drives trucks. They were more powerful than horses or camels but the downside was that they trudged along at a very slow pace. On the plus side (compared with horses) they could live on a diet of grass.

Here is a photo which I have included for your amusement.

Does the size of the load on the waggon demonstrate that horses are far stronger than camels and bullocks?

When I first saw it I thought it was a joke. It shows a horse team and a waggon stacked absurdly high with bales of wool. The indistinct caption provides the answer. It refers to the waggon having a record load of 150 bales, which rather indicates to me that the practicality of the waggon staying upright while being hauled had been disregarded. Also, I wonder how the bales were hauled up to the top of the waggon!

Horse teams towed waggons of similar size to camels and bullocks, however they travelled faster than bullocks if the conditions were favourable. The horses needed dry conditions and firm tracks and roads. Draught horses were mostly used.

Evolution of paddle steamers for carrying passengers

This photo shows the 1907 version of the “Ruby”, which was restored in the early 2000s (an earlier version had been built in 1876).

Although the paddle steamers could initially carry passengers this was very much subsidiary to their main purpose of carrying goods. However passenger travel gradually became popular. Some goods paddle steamers were adapted by building cabins on the decks, followed by paddle steamers like the Ruby which were purpose built.

Built by the Chaffey Brothers, who became famous for introducing irrigation on the Murray River, the Ruby was long and powerful and had three decks, modelled on the Mississippi River steamboats.

The new Ruby was 205 tons gross, 132’9″ in length and had a beam of 18’9″. The depth of the hull was 6 feet, and she was of light draught drawing only between 2’6″ and 3′ when fully laden with around 85 tons. This enabled her to operate on much lower river levels when other steamers were tied up.

Ruby carried 30 passengers in style and comfort. Her top deck featured the wheelhouse, chimney stack and Captain and Mate’s quarters. Later in her career female crew quarters and a music room were added. The second deck housed the passengers, saloon and bathrooms. The lower or cargo deck contained the Engineers cabin, galley and crew quarters.

Advertising passenger accommodation

Echuca was only a four hour train trip from Melbourne, making it very convenient for city dwellers to travel there for a river holiday

Here is an early Melbourne 1871 newspaper advertisement: referring to passenger accommodation:

ALBURY and the UPPER MURRAY.

WMN Edmondson and Others new and powerful steamer CUMBEROONA and barge, HOWLONG, Make regular trips for Albury and the Upper Murray. Goods intended for next trip should now be sent to Victorian Railways. The passenger accommodation in the Cumberoona is superior to anything on the river. There is a separate cabin for ladies and the steamer carries a stewardess. For particulars freight, &c, JOHN ORR, l8 Queen Street.

Shopping from paddle steamers

Here is a photo of the “Emily Jane”, which was a floating shop owned by William Bowring & Co.

It was common for paddle steamers to carry a range of goods which could be bought by people living on the river. These people lived on the rivers (mainly the Murray and Murrumbidgee) individually on small farms or in small groups in the forests who gained a living by timbergetting or collecting wood for the paddle steamers.

Paddle steamers were for practical purposes the only connection the people had with civilisation, and they eagerly looked forward to the paddle steamers which carried goods, mail and newspapers.

Perhaps before Christmas there would be presents for the children, which could be ordered from Melbourne or the main river towns.

These paddle steamers would blow their whistles as they were approaching, and the children would run down to meet them. No doubt etched in the childrens’ memories for the rest of their lives would be the excitement of seeing paddle steamers hoving in sight with their funnels belching smoke, their white bow waves frothing, their paddle wheels thrashing and their haunting whistles blowing.’

Conclusion

I hope you have found this third episode of Australian paddle steaming of interest. It was a fascinating bygone era.