Ships I worked on

These vessels worked in Australian waters..

1.M.V.Nilpena, Owned by Australian Line Traded from Tasmania to Brisbane, cargo was Paper

Rolls for local newspapers, and apples.Also general cargo to

nth.Qld Ports her sister ship the Noongah was sunk during a storm

to the bottom off the East Coast after cargo shifted . They were not very large ships.

2. M.V.Century, Owned by Howard Smith Industries, traded to

Townsville,Cairns,Mackay,Sydney,Newcastle,Thevenard,Port

Pirie,Fremantle,Bundaberg,cargos were Sugar,Steel,general cargos.

3. M.T. P.J.Adams. Owned by Ampol Australia and travelled to Dumai to Barrow Island to Australia with crude oil for Brisbane Refinerys.

4.M.V.Baralga, Owned by Australian National Line traded Brisbane Melbourne, Sydney, Weipa,

Gove,Darwin,Heavy General cargo and steel.

5.M.V.Bulwarra, Owned by Australian National Line traded Brisbane Melbourne, Sydney, Weipa,

Gove,Darwin,Heavy General cargo and steel.

6.M.V.Boonaroo, Owned by Australian National Line,we served Weipa to Darwin,via Sydney,

Melbourne,till she was recommissioned by Australian Navy for Vietnam Duties to carry Australian troops

7.M.V.Bilkarra. Owned by Australian National Line also,spent one day on this vessel.

8.MV.Cape Moreton Lighthouse vessel which serviced all the lighthouses along the East Coast of Australia,she was also involved during the 1974 Floods in Brisbane at that time as she berthed across the river from the Robert Miller.

9.Tall ships arrivals in Brisbane at the celebration of Australia Bi-Centennial

10.Albert Hussy Knotoligist!

All the works you see in this picture are made from ropes

Anchor scene made entirely of knotted rope.

11. Rope anchor made by Albert Hussy

12. Jeffery McDonald,Len Birlerson,Bob Toreaux,Terry Bulfin with salvage job in tow H.M.A.S. Melbourne aircraft

Carrier.

12. Bob and Bill Jones on deck of the M.T.Barbary with salvage ship in tow.

13.City Views of Brisbane from Kangaroo Point at the old shipyards before they started all the new developement of the area.

14.Old Patricks Wharf at 1972 the old sailing ship left from here bound for New Zealnd and she sank before ariving there in storm.

15.Anro Australia one of the container carries which visited Australian ports and overseas from time to time.

16.SS.Dubbo I spent many years on this vessel as a deck boy, she was on the Port Kembla ,Newcastle,Sydney to nth Qld owned by

Australian National Line, Ports,Townsville,Mackay,Cairns,Gladstone,Bundaburg.

Phirities to Newcastle.

She was latter sold to overseas interests and renamed Pacific Lady and 1969 sold to Hong Kong shipbreakers

16.H.M.A.S.Diamondtina at South Brisbane Dry Dock at the Maritime Museum after she served many years at sea for the Australian Navy.

17. S.S.Dalby Owned by Australian National Line garried general cargos from the south to northern ports of Queensland.

20. S.T Fearless served Brisbane shipping for about 30 years she was built in Scotland and was run by AUSN Company Brisbane.

21.M.V.Fair Princess Passenger ship for P.O

22.M.V.Trochus she was mud barge for the Harbours and Marine company in Brisbane helping to deepen the reaches of the river with M.V.Groper which was the bucket Dredge which loaded them there were 3 such vessels ,Trochus,Cowrie,Nautilus.

23.H.M.A.S.Melbourne being towed into Brisbane after breaking her tow on

her way to Taiwan breakers.

All other vessels here are ships I sailed on also.

24..S.T. P. J. Adams, Owned by Ampol (tanker) traded from Brisbane to Dumai to Sydney.

Cargo was Crude oil from Dumai in Sumartra and Barrow Island off the West Australian Coast.

25.M.V.Timbarra, Owned by Australian National Line. Traded to Brisbane to Groote Eylandt,

Weipa, Newcastle,Sydney,Brisbane,Bell bay (Tasmania) Cargo was General cargo

Sugar and Steel.,Bauxite from Weipa.

TIMBARRA'S FAR EASTERN ODYSSEY

From D. Isbister. Captain Steverson's Account in the May issue of Timbarra's epic 1961 voyage leaves readers wondering if the vessel, management and crew were adequately prepared for such an out-of-the-normal voyage. Indeed was it symptomatic of ANL's problems at that time? Her next such enterprise five years later followed lengthy damage repairs in Cairncross Dock where she picked up a stable, steady Brisbane crowd to resume the Whyalla black and tan trade. Then she obtained a BMP charter, steel products to Manila. Kelung and Kaohsiung. You would expect this time she would be more prepared and indeed now have radar, better radio equipment and VHP, but the winches and deck steam piping, unused for years, were certainly not ready for sixteen hour day discharge by gung-ho Philippine and Chinese stevedores. Before leaving Newcastle some crew members were replaced when their wives said No to their venturing overseas! Their replacements could best be described as "characters", long used to quick Whyalla trips and never far from the Carrington pub life. However they found after the bond was opened that "deep sea" voyaging did have compensations! Even more so later with the availability of cheap Manila rum. In Manila a fireman soon deserted, heading for his high-paying vessels servicing the Vietnam war. Another who disappeared on arrival was brought back just on sailing, eight days later. He was lucky because there had been a day's delay to straighting a derrick, dropped while squaring up. On arrival Keelung there was no money for advances on wages as the owner's agent had received no notification from Melbourne despite Head Office being notified on leaving Manila. Fuel and water though were waiting, arranged by the charters* agent, based on the same Manila message. However for some, "hocking" their passports around the bars solved that problem. Cargo completion meant going to anchor to retrieve those scallywags and lost" documents while a delegation of now not so friendly bar owners swarmed aboard with I.O.Us for services supplied. Kaohsiung was more of the same and the Master was literally carpeted by the Port Captain who read a list of complaints involving abuse of Customs officers, gatekeepers, watchmen etc. Included was disruption of cargo caused by people attempting to ride, rodeo style, the water buffalo’s used to haul the cargo on rubber tyred wagons to a nearby holding yard. His finale was that this was the worst behaved crew ever encountered in the port and the ship should never return. Homeward bound the vessel loaded iron ore for Newcastle at Koolan island where the Donkeyman paid off on compassionate grounds. At sailing time four members were absent, brought back several hours late so much the worse for wear that two fell into the water while another dived in to "save" them. A doctor decreed two be paid off and flown out, while another who spoke minimal English and could not coherently answer the doctor's questions, regained onboard and sailed. However, it became apparent he was in serious trouble with water in the lungs so a diversion was made to Darwin where he was hospitalized and the vessel now being below the minimum manning, a Donkeyman was called for in Brisbane but no sooner had he arrived thre the union demanded all missing members be replaced, which altogether took four days. Timbarra and Talinga made further similar charters! which seemingly had nothing like the problems of the first. For those trips the crews were put in air-conditioned accommodation ashore, which, given the size of those crews, must have put quite a dent in ANL's earnings. But after such a shermozzle as the first it seemed likely that within a few years Australian manned ships, including ANL, would later be operating large lift successfully in worldwide voyaging.

26.M.V.Townsville Trader, Owned by Australian National Line,traded Brisbane,Sydney,Melbourne,

Devonport. Cargo was Containers.

27.M.V.Tri-Ellis, Owned by British Phosphate Commisioners,traded from Brisbane,

Geelong to Ocean Island, and Nauru cargo was Phosphate.

28.M.V.Waiben (Eugowra), John Burke Owned by John Burke Company traded from Brisbane

to New Guinea ,Rabaul , Wewak , Madang , Lae, cargo's were General cargo.later sold to NG

29.M.V.William G Walkley,

30.M.V.Windarra, Owned by Australian National Line,Traded Sydney ,Port

Kembla , Newcastle,Brisbane,Mackay , Townsville ,Cairns General cargo's

and steel., General cargo also for Gove in the Northern territory.

31.Hemiplecta ,Owned by Shell (Tanker) Traded from Brisbane to Sydney , Cairns , Mackay , Townsville , Geelong , Kurnell.

20.M.V. Iron Wyndham

,Owned by BHP ,east coast trade between Melbourne and Weipa and other gulf ports

32,Royal Viking Sea Passenger ship visiting Brisbane ..

These few I never worked on at all.S.S. Doulos. The oldest ship still working around the world today as a floating Library and salvaging ships parts from broken up ships in ship graveyards to keep going. she was built in same shipyards as the Titanic,and the Britannic.she is pop riveted vessel too Still sailing the world ports today.

H.R.H.Q.E.11 Passenger liner visiting Brisbane

M.T.Leslie J Thompson Tanker owned by Ampol ,Australia.

This is a floating restaurant called M.V.Kookaburra Queen on the Brisbane River.she is one of two such restaurants now serving Brisbane each day and night.

M.V. Murray River Explorer she came from Sth,Australia on the Murray River and traveled many miles on that river before coming up here to Brisbane during the Expo 88 and then returned back to Sth.Australia she had plenty accommodation during her stay here for visitors from all over the world.

This is the old Dalgetys Wharf which is gone now.It was used for Queensland Tug and Salvage for few years till part of the old wharf building was burn down on Christmas eve of late 1980's Redevelopment took place and

townhouses and units now stand in its place. The Tug is the Naldham.

M.V.Italian Reefer. This ship travels to the ice countries. That is why she is

painted red to withstand the ice crushing her.The background has changed very much as there is now a box girder bridge crossing there now,and the land is developed into housing estates.

S.S.BP.Enterprise ..Tanker servicing many Australian Ports.

M.V. William G Walkley owned by Ampol Australia servicing eastern ports of Queensland.

Links to Tangalooma Wrecks. Page 3 I do hope you enjoy this page as much as I have in making it available for you to see.