Rose Hill Packet

Last updated

18th-century hoy.jpg
18th-century diagram of a hoy, with the names of essential parts and a legend giving dimensions [1]
History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgNew South Wales
NameRose Hill Packet
BuilderRobinson Reid, King's Slipway, Sydney
Laid down30 December 1788
LaunchedSeptember 1789
Commissioned5 October 1789
Decommissionedc.1800
In service1789 - 1800
FateBroken up
General characteristics
Class and type Packet or Hoy
Tons burthen12 (bm)
Length38-42"
Beam16-18"
Draughtless than two fathoms
PropulsionSail, oars or poles
Sail plancutter
Complement8-10

Rose Hill Packet, was a marine craft built in Australia to serve the second place of European settlement in Australia, "Rose Hill", the furthest navigable point inland on the Parramatta River. When launched the vessel was named Prince of Wales [2] but was later named the Rosehill Packet by the convicts. [3] The boat design was later called a packet (or mail) boat, because its use was that of running the first Parramatta River trade ferry, passenger, cargo, and mail service between the Sydney Cove and the Rose Hill (Parramatta) First Fleet settlements after she was launched in Sydney Cove in September and commissioned on 5 October 1789. She was the first purpose-built sailing vessel constructed in Sydney . She later earned the nickname 'The Lump'. [4] Some authorities believe that a 1790 drawing by First Fleet MIdshipman George Raper shows the vessel in the centre of Sydney Cove. [5]

Contents

Authorising construction

Governor Arthur Phillip had appointed a midshipman, Henry Brewer, as temporary superintendent of building works in the colony seven years before. In 1796, Governor John Hunter would establish a government shipyard in Sydney Town. The craft was laid down in May 1789. [6] near the site of the present Customs House, by convicts under supervision of Robinson Reid, a carpenter from HMS Supply.

Construction resource problems

Fourteen ship's carpenters are known to have been sailing with the First Fleet ships, so the selection of Reed as the builder was unlikely to have been accidental. [7] Unfortunately the quality of local timber left few options for the construction, and "From the quantity of wood used, she appeared to be a 'mere bed of timber." What made construction difficult was the lack of specialised shipbuilding tools, and many of the carpentry tools intended for use in the cutting and shaping of the European timbers turned out to be unsuitable for the task mainly due to the density of the local hardwood timber. [8] Although there were sixteen ship's carpenters in the colony, of the convicts used in the building of the packet only twelve were trained as carpenters. All these factors forced excessive use of timber.

Australian timbers in early shipbuilding attempts

The difficulties in constructing Rose Hill Packet lay with the type of timber readily available in the Sydney area, the Sydney red gum. Some trees were 23 metres (75 ft) or more high with no lateral branches until 15 metres (49 ft). Their girth could measure in excess of 8 metres (26 ft) in diameter, but the trunks were hollow and rotten in eleven out of a dozen felled trees. Cox and Freeland describe the species as, "almost without exception, they rot out at the heart before they are any useful size leaving a mere shell of living sound wood." [9] It was found that no matter in what way it was sawn or how well it was dried, that when placed in water "it sinks to the bottom like a stone." [10] Members of the First Fleet soon realised that, "despite their amazing size the trees were scarcely worth cutting down." [10] Several years later, George Thompson summed up Australian timber as "of little use - not fit for building either houses or boats." [11] It wasn't until later that Australian settlers found that the most useful timbers for boat and ship building were the Eucalypts species: iron bark, stringy bark, box and the blackbutt, the bluegum, and turpentine. Consequently, the axes, saws and chisels used by carpenters broke or became blunt with the unfamiliar timber which only much later was discovered to have a density three times that of the European Oak. [12] To add to their woes, the red gum began to split and warp almost as soon as it was cut, making the usual seasoning impossible, and forcing the use of green timber. However, the same timber after being seasoned for 15 years was reportedly very strong and suitable by the time the colony's first three-masted ship King George was being built. [8]

Craft design

Reid called the craft a 20-ton (about 15.9m3) launch, a term appropriate for the Royal Navy service, which would produce a 38–42-foot (12–13 m) craft, larger than any fleet ships could have carried on board to the new colony. Several contemporary accounts reported her to be 10 or 12 ton, or alternatively the size of a small hoy-decked boat, which in England were commonly sloop-rigged, designed for inshore work. She carried a single mast, and was also provided with oars, reportedly requiring occasional use of poles due to her "heaviness", however this refers to a vessel's handling during sailing, not physical weight. The naming confusion perhaps stemms from the variety of coastal craft used in Britain at the time: the English Cutter of the late 18th century, the Margate hoy used for Channel crossing, the Leith sloop, and the English Channel packet-boat. However, the description closely matches the Southampton fishing hoys, with "heavy", i.e. nearly vertical, stem and stern posts, larger than expected beams and rounded mid-ship sections. The clinker-built [13] Southampton fishing hoys carried the smack or cutter rigs rather than the sloop rigs of the south-eastern English coast (Dover & Thames) hoys. [14]

David Steel's The Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture. Illustrated with a series of Thirty-Eight Large Draughts and Numerous Smaller Engravings, 1805 illustrates a 13-ton hoy of this type on Plate XXVIII. The reason for the design and rig differences are suggested by the need to navigate the Solent within the proximity of the Isle of Wight with its Eastern Solent, Portsmouth road, Bramble Bank, Bembridge Ledges, and Needles Channel hazards. It is then understandable where the design came from since the First Fleet set sail from Portsmouth, 19 miles (31 km) south east of Southampton. When launched, was named by the convicts, Rose Hill Packet, but afterwards, was appropriately known by the name of 'The Lump'. [4]

Craft's performance

Despite the colloquial name given to the Packet, it did not necessarily refer to the 'ugliness' of construction, or the lack of construction skills, but the actual design shape produced by the stem and stern rakes, because in use she was "...going up with the tide of flood, at the top of high water, she passed very well over the flats at the upper part of the (Parramatta river) harbour." [4] Reports suggest she could carry up to thirty passengers on deck.

Because of the amount of timber used, the craft's performance was considered sluggish, and she was an awkward looking row-and-sail boat. As much as the service was useful to the settlers, the craft lacked durability due to use of green timber, and was difficult in operating, sometimes even requiring the passengers to assist in rowing. Other lighter sailing craft and rowing boats were soon brought into service as ferries across the Harbour to Manly Cove and up and down the river.

The packet service was discontinued by 1800.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Jackson</span> Body of water in Sydney, Australia

Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea. It is the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The location of the first European settlement and colony on the Australian mainland, Port Jackson has continued to play a key role in the history and development of Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Sydney</span>

The history of Sydney is the story of the peoples of the land that has become modern Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parramatta River</span> River in Australia

The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average depth of 5.1 metres (17 ft), the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson. Secondary tributaries include the smaller Lane Cove and Duck rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circular Quay</span> Locality in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Circular Quay is a harbour, former working port and now international passenger shipping port, public piazza and tourism precinct, heritage area, and transport node located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the northern edge of the Sydney central business district on Sydney Cove, between Bennelong Point and The Rocks. It is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cockatoo Island</span> Heritage listed island in Sydney Harbour

Cockatoo Island Wareamah is a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the confluence of the Parramatta River and Lane Cove River in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Putney, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Putney is a suburb of Northern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located 14 kilometres (9 mi) north-west of the Sydney central business district on the northern bank of the Parramatta River. Its local government area is the City of Ryde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Ferries</span> Public transport ferry service

Sydney Ferries is the public transport ferry network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales. Services operate on Sydney Harbour and the connecting Parramatta River. The network is controlled by the New South Wales Government's transport authority, Transport for NSW, and is part of the authority's Opal ticketing system. In 2017–18, 15.3 million passenger journeys were made on the network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomon Wiseman</span> English convict, merchant, and ferryman

Solomon Wiseman was a convict, merchant and ferryman. The town called Wiseman's Ferry, New South Wales, Australia is named after him.

MV <i>Lady Denman</i> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Lady Denman is a former Sydney Harbour ferry built in 1912 for the Balmain New Ferry Company. She was later run by Sydney Ferries Limited and its government successors. She is now preserved at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum near her original build site in Huskisson, New South Wales, Australia.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sailing:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">121 George Street, The Rocks</span> Heritage-listed building in Sydney, Australia

121 George Street, The Rocks is a heritage-listed retail building and former terrace house and shops located at 121 George Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built during 1880 for Thomas Playfair. It is also known as Baker's Oven – Shop and residence. The property is owned by Property NSW, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002.

<i>Kulgoa</i> Ferry on Sydney Harbour

Kulgoa was a "K-class" ferry on Sydney Harbour. Launched in 1905, the timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited during the boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the 1932 opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Kulgoa was Sydney's largest ever wooden ferry. She was a typical early example of the "K-class"; a group of double-deck, double-ended, steam-powered screw ferries. Kulgoa was one of the first Sydney ferries built with the sides of her promenade (upper) deck enclosed, although the ends near the wheelhouses remained open.

<i>Kameruka</i> and <i>Kamiri</i> 20th-century ferries on Sydney Harbour

Kameruka and Kamiri were near identical ferries that served on Sydney Harbour. Kamiri was built in 1912 and Kameruka was launched on 8 February 1913. They were double-ended "K-class" steam ferries, a type that was prolific on Sydney Harbour in the early 20th century boom in cross-Sydney Harbour ferry transport before the 1932 opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Kamiri was laid up in 1951 following the New South Wales government take-over of the Sydney Ferries Limited. Kameruka was converted to diesel in 1954 and was laid up in 1984.

<i>Lady Scott</i>

Lady Scott, later John Cadman and Harbour Queen, was a Sydney Harbour ferry built in 1914 for the Balmain New Ferry Company. She and four similar ferries, Lady Chelmsford (1910), Lady Denman (1912), Lady Edeline (1913), and Lady Ferguson (1914), were a new series of "Lady-class", designed by renowned naval architect, Walter Reeks.

<i>Lady Edeline</i>

Lady Edeline was a Sydney Harbour ferry built in 1913 for the Balmain New Ferry Company. She and four similar ferries, Lady Chelmsford (1910), Lady Denman (1912), Lady Ferguson (1914), Lady Scott (1914) were a new series of "Lady-class", designed by renowned naval architect, Walter Reeks.

<i>Lady Ferguson</i>

Lady Ferguson was a Sydney Harbour ferry built in 1914 for the Balmain New Ferry Company. She and four similar ferries, Lady Chelmsford (1910), Lady Denman (1912), Lady Edeline (1913), and Lady Scott (1914), were a new series of "Lady-class"craft designed by renowned naval architect Walter Reeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Sydney Harbour ferries</span> Timeline of ferry transport in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sydney Harbour ferry services date back to the first years of Sydney's European settlement. Slow and sporadic boats ran along the Parramatta River from Sydney to Parramatta and served the agricultural settlements in between. By the mid-1830s, speculative ventures established regular services. From the late-nineteenth century the North Shore developed rapidly. A rail connection to Milsons Point took alighting ferry passengers up the North Shore line to Hornsby, New South Wales via North Sydney. Without a bridge connection, increasingly large fleets of steamers serviced the cross harbour routes and in the early twentieth century, Sydney Ferries Limited was the largest ferry operator in the world.

<i>Kookooburra</i>

Kookooburra was a "K-class" ferry on Sydney Harbour. Commissioned in 1907, the timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited during the boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. She was retired from Sydney Harbour service in 1947 after which she was sent to Newcastle. She is thought to have been broken up in 1959.

<i>Kaludah</i> Ferry on Sydney Harbour

Kaludah was a K-class ferry on Sydney Harbour, Australia. Commissioned in 1909, the timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited during the boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the 1932 opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Like the other "K-class" ferries, she was double-deck, double-ended, steam-powered screw ferry. However, she and the larger but otherwise similar Kookooburra (1907), were the only two K-class ferries designed by naval architect Walter Reeks and not Sydney Ferries Limited's Captain Summerbell.

<i>Karingal</i> (ferry)

Karingal was a ferry operated by Sydney Ferries Limited and its NSW State Government operated successors on Sydney Harbour from 1913 until 1984. A wooden ferry built at the time of Sydney Ferries' rapid early twentieth century, she was the smallest of the round-end "K-class ferries".

References

  1. ↑ Sutherland, William (1717). Britain's Glory: or Ship-Building. facing p. 17.
  2. ↑ The Diary of James Scott Remarks on a Passage to Botany Bay, Angus and Robertson Sydney 1963 page 50.
  3. ↑ Collins D. An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales Facs. Reed Sydney 1975 page 67.
  4. 1 2 3 T. Cadell and W. Davies, An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales: From Its First Settlement in January 1788, to August 1801, 1804, pp.70-71
  5. ↑ Hardie D. The Rosehill Packet Australia St. Studio Sydney 1990.
  6. ↑ Collins D. An Account of the English Colony in N.S.W Page 56
  7. ↑ Fellowship of the First Fleeters
  8. 1 2 Tuckey's observations on the various kinds of timber found in New South Wales in 1804
  9. ↑ Cox, P. & Freeland, J. Rude Timber Buildings in Australia. Thames and Hudson. London. 1969. pp.9-27
  10. 1 2 John White, Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, 1787-1788
  11. ↑ H.R.N.S.W. (Historical Records of New South Wales). [1893]. Lansdown Slattery & Company. Sydney. (1978) Volume 1, p.128 & volume 2, p.799
  12. ↑ Archer, J. Building a Nation; A History of the Australian House. Collins. Sydney. 1987. pp. 6-16, 25
  13. ↑ Mike Smylie, Traditional Fishing Boats of Britain & Ireland, Amberley Publishing Limited, 2012
  14. ↑ E. W. White, British Fishing-Boats and Coastal Craft, H.M.S.O., London, 1950
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.