Paddle Steamers on the Murray River: Sepia Saturday #167

 

The Murray River is Australia's longest river.  At 2, 375 kilometers (1, 467 miles)¹ in length, it spans three states - Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.  The Murray is the third longest navigable river in the world, after the Amazon and Nile².  From its source in the Kosciusko National Park, it flows across inland Australia forming a border between NSW and Victoria.  For the final 500 km (310 miles) of its journey, the Murray flows through South Australia where it meets the Southern Ocean at Lake Alexandria.

The Murray River at Howlong, NSW - image by Tannin

During the 19th Century, the Murray River supported a commercial river trade and by 1860 river boats regularly operating on the Murray.  Steamboat transport brought relief to the shortage of transport in the goldfields and paddle steamers were used to carry goods such as wool, wheat and gold-mining supplies up and down the Murray.  The introduction of the rail link to Melbourne virtually brought the commercial river trade to an end.  However, tourists can now enjoy the beauty of the Murray River on one of the many fully operational old paddle steamers which operate along the river. 

The following are images of some of the beautiful old river boats which would regularly be seen along the Murray River:

Murray Steamer 'Corowa' (1900)

Launching of P.S.Wahgunyah at Wahgunyah (1867)

Night Travel on the Murray  (1800)

Paddle Steamers 'Ruby' and 'Marion' on the Murray River (1915)

Paddle Steamer 'Gem' on the Murray River (1921)

P. S. 'Corowa' at landing (1892)

This post is part of a series of posts for Sepia Saturday, which provides an opportunity for bloggers to share their history through photographs.  You can view more Sepia Saturday images here.

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^References:

1 "Murray River." Wikipedia. N.p.. Web. 6 Mar 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_river.^↩

2 "About the Murray River." Discover Murray Mallee - Australia's Greatest River. N.p.. Web. 6 Mar 2013. http://www.murrayriver.com.au/about-the-murray/.^↩

 

^{Photo Credits:}

Harny, Paul. Night Travel on the Murray. 1880. Drawing. commons.wikimedia.orgWeb. 6 Mar 2013.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Night_travel_on_the_Murray_c1880.jpg>.

Launching P.S. Wahgunyah at Wahgunyah. 1867. State Library of South AustraliaWeb. 4 Jan 2013. 
 <http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/godson/1/04000/PRG1258_1_3900.htm>.

Murray Steamer 'Corowa'. 1900. State Library of South AustraliaWeb. 6 Mar 2013.

<http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/17250/B17154.htm>.

Paddle Steamer 'Gem' on the Murray River. 1921. State Library of South AustraliaWeb. 6 Mar 2013.

<http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/searcy/22/PRG280_1_22_275.htm>.

Paddle Steamers 'Ruby' and 'Marion' on the Murray River. 1915. State Library of South

AustraliaWeb. 6 Mar 2013. <http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/searcy/22/PRG280_1_22_205.htm>. 

P. S. 'Corowa' at Landing. 1892. State Library of South AustraliaWeb. 6 Mar 2013.

<http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/godson/1/00750/PRG1258_1_655.htm>. 

Tannin, . Murray at Howlong. 2004. commons.wikimedia.orgWeb. 6 Mar 2013.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Murray_howlong.jpg>.

 

Trove Tuesday - A New Cure For Drunkenness!

Clarence and Richmond Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1889 - 1915), Saturday 17 August 1895, page 7,  printed an article which gave a whole new meaning to the words 'the demon drink'.  The article reports on a humorous story, from the village of Seaton Sluice in Northumberland, England,  of a poor man who had surely thought he had awoken in the depths of hell - in the company of the Devil himself!

I wonder if this episode actually cured him of his drunken ways?

Original Article - A New Cure for Drunkenness

 A New Cure for Drunkenness

A GOOD story is told of a Shields hawker, who was found one night near the Seaton Sluice, which was once famous for its bottle- works.

He was rather overcome by the effects of John Barleycorn, and as he lay helpless and speechless, some of the kind-hearted glassmakers carried him into the bottleworks,  where he slept profoundly, while the busy task of bottlemaking went on.

After a while the hawker woke up, and gazed with undoubted affright on the burning fires and broiling men around him.
One of the latter, the foreman, went to him and asked him how he was; whereupon the hawker, falling on his knees, replied:

" Oh, aw's onything but weel, mister  deevil; but if ye'll let's get back to Sheels, aw'll nivor get drunk aygen."

This post was created for a series of blogging prompts called Trove Tuesday, hosted by Amy at Branches, Leaves & Pollen. 

National Library of Australia, 'A New Cure for Drunkeness' Clarence and Richmond Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1889 - 1915) Saturday 17 August 1895, page 7.




 

Sepia Saturday #163 - Frozen Souls

I developed a love of cemeteries at a very young age when my Grandmother would take me, on a weekly basis, to visit the graves of family members.  Over the years, visiting and photographing cemeteries has become a hobby for me and I have spent many hours walking up and down rows of old graves, reading the headstones and wondering about the history behind them.  I am drawn to the eerie beauty of the cemetery and I am always amazed at the time, effort and money people put into creating memorials to their loved ones. I am especially drawn to very old cemeteries because they hold so much local and family history.  The weathered and worn headstones in these cemeteries have a character rarely found in the modern, manicured cemeteries of today. 

Apparently, there is a name for people like me!  Wikipedia tells me that I am known as a 'Taphophile' or 'tombstone tourist' - a person who has a passion for, and enjoyment of, cemeteries.  Although, I like to spend as much time as I can on my hobby, I have yet to visit a snow covered cemetery in person, but this is something I hope to do in the future.  However, for now, I will have to be content with looking at the beautiful photos that others so kindly share on the internet.   Below is my contribution to this weeks theme:

Jeffries Gravestone -  by dannyfowler

Untitled - Highfield, Sheffield, England by andrewbasterfield

Tiverton Cemetery - by Lewis Clark

Frozen Souls - Wisbech St Mary church by Richard Humphrey

The Death of ... by cremeglace

 

In Beechwood Cemetery

Here the dead sleep--the quiet dead. No sound
Disturbs them ever, and no storm dismays.
Winter mid snow caresses the tired ground,
And the wind roars about the woodland ways.
Springtime and summer and red autumn pass,
With leaf and bloom and pipe of wind and bird,
And the old earth puts forth her tender grass,
By them unfelt, unheeded and unheard.
Our centuries to them are but as strokes
In the dim gamut of some far-off chime.
Unaltering rest their perfect being cloaks--
A thing too vast to hear or feel or see--
Children of Silence and Eternity,
They know no season but the end of time.

Archibald Lampman

This post is part of a series of posts for Sepia Saturday, which provides an opportunity for bloggers to share their history through photographs.  You can view more Sepia Saturday images here.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credits

andrewbasterfield, . Untitled. 2010. FlickrWeb. 6 Feb 2013. http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewbasterfield/4375086523/. 

 

Clark, Lewis. Tiverton Cemetery. 2010. commons.wikimedia.orgWeb. 6 Feb 2013. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiverton_,_Tiverton_Cemetery_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1654175.jpg>. 

 

cremeglace, . The Death of .... 2019. FlickrWeb. 6 Feb 2013. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/cremeglace/3208536607/>. 

 

dannyfowler, . Jeffries Gravestone. 2009. FlickrWeb. 6 Feb 2013. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannyfowler/4200461045/. 

 

 Humphrey, Richard. Frozen Souls. 2010. commons.wikimedia.orgWeb. 6 Feb 2013. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frozen_souls_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1657895.jpg. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trove Tuesday - Was He Really A Bushranger?

The bushranger was an outlaw from colonial times in Australia.  They were adept bushmen and would often hide in the dense bush of the Australian landscape and ambush coach services, travellers or settlers.  Small-town banks were also a target for these outlaws.  Early bushrangers were mostly escaped convicts, but later they consisted of land workers who saw bushranging as an easy way of making money.
 
Some in Australia, hold bushrangers in high esteem and they are often seen as political rebels - heroes to those powerless to the harshness of colonial rule.  The special place these rebels hold in the hearts of Australians can be seen in the example of the Victorian Cricket Team using 'Bushrangers' as their nickname.  Another example of this is the public interest which was aroused recently when the burial of Ned Kelly's remains, 132 years after his execution gained media attention.  

While most Australians are familiar with the names Ned Kelly, Mad Dog Morgan, Captain Thunderbolt and Ben Hall,  The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), Friday 6 March 1868, page 7, reports on the activities of an unknown bushranger in the Wahgunyah, Rutherglen and Beechworth areas of northeastern Victoria.  But, was he really a bushranger?

WAS HE REALLY A BUSHRANGER?

(FROM THE OVENS ADVERTISER, FEB 27.)

On Monday last the usual equanimity of one of the most philosophic of the Wahgunyah bonifaces was rather rudely disturbed by the entrance into his hostelry of a stranger with a rather Jack-Sheppard like head and face, who announced himself as being from the land of bushrangers (New South Wales), and expressed his intention of trying his hand in that way on this side of the Murray, as "sugar was scarce on the t'other side." He made inquiries as to the probability of his being able to gather a little heap on this side, but the landlord paid little attention to his vapourings as his experience of many characters - for he had studied man- kind and not books during rather an eventful life - had led him to thoroughly coincide with the Hon the Attorney-General, that it   is the "still man" ( and as he naively   remarked, the d-----d roguish one too) that was most to be dreaded. Perchance, however, he saw the muzzle of a pistol peeping from the stranger's pocket, and considering that further companionship with such a fellow would not conduce to maintain his character as an honest man, he left the would-be highwayman in sweet dalliance with one of the fair maids of his establishment, and went to attend to some business in the bush. He had not been long gone  when the unknown made inquiries after him, and muttering threats of revenge, ordered his horse, and proceeded in the direction the landlord had gone. The landlady felt anything but easy at the strange conduct of her   guest, and at once informed the police of it, and expressed her fears for her husband's safety. Senior-constable Buckmaster proceeded to investigate the matter, and, having     first assured himself of our landlord's safety, whom he sent home with a whole skin, went in search of the fellow who had caused such a hubbub. A stern chase is invariably a long chase, and it was not till he reached Rutherglen that he found the party he was searching for, comfortably seated in one of the hotels of that lively and interesting township, enjoying some refreshment. At first he did not appear disposed to account for himself, but being called upon to produce a receipt for his horse he did so, and also gave his name. He was then accused of carrying a pistol, and at once admitted the fact, and produced a very dangerous-looking firearm, but a careful inspection of the article   rendered it doubtful whether, when charged, it would have been more dangerous for the   person who stood before or behind it. How a   strange change came over the man's talk; he said no more of bushranging, even denying having done so, and finally assumed an air   of injured respectability. He was then warned that such conduct as he had been   guilty of would not be tolerated, even in that minor stage, in Victoria, as little sins some- times led to great evils, and he was advised to be more circumspect for the future. But, was he a bushranger? He has since given the Beechworth people a touch of his quality by trying to shoot Mr. Evans, the grocer, in the street, and in broad daylight.

[The man is now supposed to be a lunatic ]

This article was of particular interest to me because my YATES family has had a family connection with this part of northeastern Victoria since 1858-59, when my 2 x great-grandfather, Thomas Alexander YATES, purchased land in the area, established a farm and raised a family.  The YATES family would have been living close to Rutherglen at the time this incident occurred. 

This post was created for a series of blogging prompts called Trove Tuesday, hosted by Amy at Branches, Leaves & Pollen. 

Sepia Saturday #162 - The Writing is on the Wall!

This weeks Sepia Saturday doesn't feature bicycles or caps, but is a look at outdoor advertising.  I've taken the theme of 'the writing is on the wall' and the result is featured below.

Outdoor advertising has a long history and, with increased consumerism, came increased advertising. As literacy increased within the population, companies began to look for effective ways to sell their wares.  Billboards offered an opportunity for companies to communicate visually with their customers.  Pictured below are examples of this type of advertising from Australia.

 This 1930 black and white photo is of a billboard at Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia.  It is promoting trade between Australia and Canada and was designed by Rousel Studios, Sydney.  This print is part of the Powerhouse Museum Collection.

Billboard Circular Quay, Sydney, NSW, Australia, c 1930

 Advertising sign produced by Stan Denford from Rousel Studios,  for David Jones depicting men and women in evening dress.  This is another print featured in the Powerhouse Museum Collection.

David Jones Advertising Evening Wear, Sydney, NSW, Australia, c 1925

 Another of the Powerhouse Museum's Collection of Rousel Studio's advertising billboards.  This one is for Grace Bros advertising furniture. 

Grace Bros. Furniture, Sydney, NSW, Australia, c 1930

 An example from 1872 in Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia, advertising Gibbs and Emerick, signwriters, household painters, plumbers, glaziers and paper hangers.  This photograph is from the State Library of Queensland collection.

Gibbs and Emerick Sign Writers, Stanthorpe, QLD, Australia, c 1872

This post is part of a series of posts for Sepia Saturday, which provides an opportunity for bloggers to share their history through photographs.  You can view more Sepia Saturday images here.

Those Places Thursday: St Georges Church, Deal, Kent

The Church of St George is located in St George's Road, Dover, Kent.  This British Listed Building was built between 1706 and 1716 by Samuel Simmons, with advice from architect John James.  The church is built from red brick with round headed windows and a lead roof with wooden cupola containing a bell which is surmounted by a weather vane.   According to information on British Listed Buildings, the church has a Grade II rating, which means that the building is a 'particularly important building of more than special interest'.

St Georges Church, Deal (Courtesy Judith Bennett, http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1227560)

North Side of St Georges Church (Courstesy John Salmon, http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/957712)

This church came to my attention through the East Kent History website, while researching my YATES ancestors from Deal, Kent.  On this website is a list of monumental inscriptions for St George's Church dating from the early 1700s.  The author of the list is unknown, however, it is believed the list was compiled sometime in the 1950s.  The following is the description of the transcription list from East Kent History:

'This is a transcript of a list believed to have been made some time in the 1950s, before the gravestones in the central area of the churchyard west of the church were moved to the walls when it became a Garden of Rest in 1957. It does not appear to include the gravestones in the churchyard to the north, east and south sides of the church.

It is not known who compiled the original listing, nor how accurate it is, and we are still actively trying to confirm its date.

The earliest tombstone — unfortunately already partly illegible at the time the list was made — appears to date from 1702; however this is probably an error in the original list as the church itself was not dedicated until 1715.

Apart from a few cases where spaces existed in family vaults, burials ceased in the churchyard in 1856, the year Deal municipal cemetery opened.

The list is divided into several sections corresponding to the layout of the gravestones in the Garden of Rest.'

The following table shows the inscription information for my YATES family:

No.	Description	Inscription
215	Tombstone	In memory of Mr. WILLIAM YATES who died the 11th June 1848 in the 57th year of his age.
217	Tombstone	In memory of … WILLIAM and MARY ANN YATES. MARY ANN who died … HARRY HARFORD … EDWARD ALLEN …
232	Tombstone	In memory of MARY wife of WILLIAM YATES who died the 9th April, 1808. Aged 35 years. Also of MARY ANN their daughter who died the 15th February 18— in the 6th year of her age. And of RICHARD their son who died the 29th May 18-7 in the 8th year of his age. Also of RICHARD LLOYD YATES Grandson of the above who died in his infancy.

Information I have on these family members is as follows:

Tombstone No 232

Mary (CARROWAY) YATES (No 232) was born in 1773 to William CARROWAY and Alice (EPPS) CARROWAY and christened on 30 May 1773¹ .  She married William YATES in 1789 in Deal, Kent².  Mary died 9 Apr 1808 in Deal, Kent, England; she was 35 years old³ .

Mary Ann YATES (No 232) was born Abt 1794 to William YATES and Mary (CARROWAY) YATES³ .  She was died on 15 Feb 1800⁴ and was buried on 20 Feb 1800 in Deal, Kent, England; she was 6 years old³.

Richard YATES (No 232) was born Abt 1800 to William YATES and Mary (CARROWAY) YATES and he was christened on 14 Mar 1800⁵ .  He died on 29 May 1807³ and was buried on  11 June 1807 in Deal, Kent, England⁶ ; he was 7 years old.

Richard Lloyd YATES (No 232) was born Abt 1814 to William YATES and Mary Ann (DUNBAR) YATES and he was christened 9 Feb 1814⁷ .  He was buried on 9 May 1814 in Deal, Kent, England³ .

Tombstone No 215

William YATES (No 215) Born on Abt 1792 in Deal, Kent, England to William YATES and Mary Ann (CARROWAY) YATES and christened on 11 May 1792⁸ .  He married Mary Ann DUNBAR on 23 Nov 1809⁹ .  William died in 11 Jun 1848 in Deal, Kent, England; he was 56 years old³ .

Tombstone No 217

Mary Ann (DUNBAR) YATES (No 217) Born in 1789 in Deal, Kent, England to Alexander and Anne DUNBAR and christened on 18 Nov 1789¹⁰. She married William YATES on 23 Nov 1809⁹. Mary died on 20 Apr 1856 in Deal, Kent, England; she was 67 years old³.

Harry Harford YATES (No 217) Birth unknown.  He was buried 22 Dec 1842 in Deal, Kent, England¹¹.


Edward Allen (217) At this stage, I am unsure who this person is.


If you have any of these people in your family history, feel free to contact me.

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<sup>1. ["England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NJ39-JL6 : accessed 30 Jan 2013), Mary Carroway, 30 May 1773; citing Sandwich, Kent, England, reference ; FHL microfilm 1850184.]


2. ["England, Marriages, 1538–1973 ," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NN47-W2R : accessed 30 Jan 2013), William Yates and Mary Carroway, ; citing Parish Church Of Deal, Kent, England, reference ; FHL microfilm 1736691.]


3. [http://www.eastkenthistory.org.uk/source:inscriptions-st-georges]


4. ["England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JZYK-QJM : accessed 30 Jan 2013), Mary Ann Yates, 20 Feb 1800; citing [REFERENCE-ERROR], reference item 2; FHL microfilm 1736691.]


5. ["England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JQ7J-KPJ : accessed 30 Jan 2013), Richard Yates, 14 Mar 1800; citing Deal, Kent, England, reference item 2; FHL microfilm 1736691. ]


6. ["England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JZLB-3J9 : accessed 30 Jan 2013), Richard Yates, 11 Jun 1807; citing [REFERENCE-ERROR], reference item 1 p 488; FHL microfilm 1736692.]


7. ["England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JS71-G6R : accessed 30 Jan 2013), Mary Ann Yates in entry for Richard Lloyd Yates, 09 Feb 1814; citing Deal, Kent, England, reference item 1 p 48; FHL microfilm 1786327.]


8. ["England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NNJW-PHW : accessed 30 Jan 2013), William Yates, 11 May 1792; citing Deal, Kent, England, reference item 2; FHL microfilm 1736691. ]


9. ["England, Marriages, 1538–1973 ," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NN4W-TJ8 : accessed 30 Jan 2013), William Yates and Mary Ann Dunbar, ; citing Deal, Kent, England, reference it1; FHL microfilm 1736692. ]


10. ["England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NNJH-4YK : accessed 30 Jan 2013), Mary Anne Dunbar, 18 Nov 1789; citing Parish Church of Deal, Kent, England, reference ; FHL microfilm 1736691. ]


11. ["England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JZGN-543 : accessed 30 Jan 2013), Harry Harford Yates, 22 Dec 1842; citing [REFERENCE-ERROR], reference item 1 p 52; FHL microfilm 1786328. ]</sup>

Trove Tuesday - Experience with Lightning!

The Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 - 1954) , Thursday 2 March 1911, page 2, reports of the frightening experience three women from the Parnell family had with lightning while driving to Corowa, NSW, during a thunderstorm. 

EXPERIENCE WITH LIGHTNING.

Three Women Rendered Unconscious. 

Mrs Parnell and her daughter-in-law, and granddaughter were driving to Corowa during a thunderstorm, and when within a mile of their destination the lastnamed got out of the buggy to get the whip which had fallen. As she was stooping a vivid flash of lightning passed near the party, striking a post, and for several minutes the three women were rendered unconscious. The younger girl and the horse were felled to the ground. When they came to they were covered with splinters of wood, evidently from the post struck by the flash. Beyond a slight scare none of the party was injured.   

My great grandmother's sister, Mary Ann EAST (1869-1944), married William PARNELL (1869-1947).  They resided in Corowa from at least 1896 until their deaths.  To my knowledge, Mary Ann and William had at least four children born in Corowa:

• Dulcie R PARNELL (1896)
• Vera G PARNELL (1901)
• Clive D V PARNELL (1903)
• Eric L L PARNELL (1899)

Due to the lack of christian names in this article, I am unsure whether this incident involved Mary Ann PARNELL, one of her daughters and her mother-in-law or not.  However, given that Corowa did not have a large population at the time, it is highly possible there is a family connection.

This post was created for a series of blogging prompts called Trove Tuesday, hosted by Amy at Branches, Leaves & Pollen.