Genealogical &
Historical Society Inc.
No. A17295X
Inaugural Member Society of Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc.

Quarterly Newsletter
 Number 62
May 2000
Page 4

Swan Hill and the Riverboats
Cadell (Lady Augusta) and Randall. (Mary Ann) arrived late one September evening.

The citizens of Swan Hill drinking at the bottom of Macrae and Rutherford streets could see a dim light coming up the river. They adjourned to the  river just in time to see to see the Lady Augusta arrive on dusk. The Mary Ann came in about four hours later.

The Invincible which was the last cargo and passenger boat to operate from Swan Hill,was one of one of our most important vessels. There was also the  Ruby, the Little Ruby the Viola and the Marion which made her last trip in 1930 between Swan Hill and Morgan.

The boom years existed from the early 1850s to the mid 1880s. There was no  wharf  at Swan Hill  until later years. Boats would call and stop near the bridge at the punt and unload onto the bank. The customs house was just this side of the bridge The arrival of the rail greatly helped the trading prospects of the boats. Other ports had an early advantage over Swan Hill in this respect.

Wool came from as far away as Bourke to Swan Hill instead of going to South Australia because of the rail connections. In its time the wharf,  which was constructed just on the northern side of the bridge, was unique but today only two piles remain.

The river traffic comprised of not just cargo steamers there were also cargo as well tow boats which could haul heavily laden barges along the river either by tow rope or lashed to the side of the steamer. One steamer was compelled to tie a barge alongside because of the fear that it would turn over and capsize without a balancing effect. Some boats hauled up to 2000 bales of wool on a good river.

Despite many good seasons droughts and subsequent low rivers were the bane of the crews. Aong drought could mean no boat movement for two years. The Jane Eliza is supposed to have left Morgan for Bourke in NSW with a load of timber for its burnt down hotel. It took three years to get there. Meanwhile the pub had been rebuilt and 're-burnt' twice for her to arrive in time for the third rebuilding. The enterprising captain and crew are supposed to have brought the boat close to the bank, removed a paddle wheel and powered a circular saw to cut would for grateful surrounding inhabitants and turned a considerable profit by doing so.
The Pyapp was originally built as a hawking boat. People would buy of bank from the boat. There was also a fishing fleet of small paddle steamers.

The mosquito fleet is less well known than the big boats which were restricted to the lower reaches of the river system. With their low draught and shorter length they could trade into the high reaches of the rivers. Boats like the Bunyip went as high as Seymour on the Goulburn River  Boats of this type mainly  worked out of Echuca into the shallow and snagged Edward and Wakool Rivers.
Few boats were lost around Swan Hill although the Mundoo sank near the caravan park and remains there to this day.

Of the barges the Vega, now in the Pioneer Settlement, made a name for itself. It has been used as pile driver and in 1939 the Vega carried all the construction gear to for the building of the Yarrawonga Weir. It was last used during the  1960 flood to carry load of wool from flood bound stations  behind the boat Success.

A number of very capable river boat captains  operated out of Swan Hill: amongst them were Captains Hepburn, Olsen (once fireman on the Oscar W) and Charles Hunt.

Address to Swan Hill Genealogical & Historical Society
by: Captain Bill Hogg

Growing up on the river:
Bill Hogg's father  Paddy captained the 'Marion' and the 'Gem'. Paddy put young Bill into school at Mildura. Every time the 'Marion' called Bill would wave to his father pedal his bike to the lock at  Rufus River and jump aboard. Under this painful separation from his father and the river he made Grade 4.
Then Paddy married Pearl Collins whose family had many boats on the river. Pearl gave Bill correspondence lessons .
Paddy finally gave Bill £2 and told him to get a job and care for himself. After picking fruit for a short time, he  obtained a job with Jack Searl who had the Wanera???[spelling] at 35 shillings per week less 10 for board  for board and  5 per week to be banked on Bill's behalf.
Bill  started from the bottom up by mopping decks and throwing timber. After no change to his duties for 18 months he started getting  2 hours a week on the wheel. Jack taught him to read and write and gave him a chance to make something of himself as he could then become a captain. He obtained his  mates ticket in Melbourne after three attempts. Then twelve months later he got his masters certificate. His steam certificate was a 'breeeze' because "I knew a lot about steam because it was my work."
 
 

Interchange Items

From Periodical Magazines and Newsletters of other Societies
 

Newsletter - Wendish Heritage Society Aust. No. 24.
Lists of passengers on board the "Alfred", "Sophie", "Antonie", and "Prebislaw" - Hamburg to Hobson's Bay.

Newsletter - Lithgow Pioneer Press has articles on the following:-
- Lanarkshire, Scotland, GenWeb project.
- WWI Records of missing & wounded soldiers from Red Cross records.
The War Memorial plans to put names in it's web site
(Source the Daily Telegraph 11/2/2000 http://www.news.com.au)

Newsletter - Lachlan Valley Gold   No. 57.
A must visit Australian War Memorial Internet site -
http://www.awm.gov.au

Public Records Office Victoria - Laverton Search Room closed on Friday 31st March, 2000. As from Monday 3rd April, 2000 research may be conducted at the Melbourne Archives Centre (MAC), level 2, Casselden Place, 2 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, telephone (03) 9285 7999 or toll free 1800 657 452.
Email: [email protected]
Website - http://www.prov.vic.gov.au
Opening hours 9.00 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday.  9.00 am to 4.30 pm second and last Saturday of each month (excluding public holidays).  The first Saturday opening of the MAC will be 29 April 2000.
Access to records: records must be ordered through the MAC.  20 items per person can be pre-ordered. Two deliveries per day Monday to Friday, four items per delivery.  Same day delivery of up to four items if ordered by 10.30 am.  Records for Saturday must be pre-ordered.  Special arrangements can be made for access to volumes, large and fragile records.

Divorce Index Victoria 1861-1900 by Sue McBeth & Wendy Baker.
Website -  http://www.cohsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/db/divorce.pl

Women of Vision. Index & History of Nuns & Sisters of the Catholic Church in Australia 1838 - 1918.
Website -  http://www.stbedes.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/br/

Newsletter - South Australian Genealogist,  February 2000, pages 19 - 23.
Article "Using the Society's Resources: Shipping Records."
A comprehensive list of shipping records available in the South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society's library.

Newsletter - Western Ancestor,  March 2000, page 44.
Lists Registrars addresses and current fees for obtaining certificates in Australia, New Zealand, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

Newsletter - Yarram Genealogy Group Inc,  February, 2000, Page 13.
Article "Searching for Victorian Railways Employees".  A source for obtaining Employment History Records of past Victorian Railways Employees.

Newsletter Page 1 May 2000

Newsletter Page 2 May 2000

Newsletter Page 3 May 2000

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Updated: 19 May 2000