Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Friday 30 April 1926, page 7


GOOLWA AND THE SOUTH COAST.

NOTES, HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE.

By C. R. Hodge.

Goolwa was originally known as "The Elbow," from the fact that it is situated opposite the nor'-western point of Hind-marsh Island, where the River Murray

takes an acute turn—elbow—Iike— in its course to the mouth. The aboriginal term for elbow was "Goolwa," hence it is one of the comparatively few towns in South Australia reminiscent of the days of natural primitive conditions, and the nomadic blackfellow. It is interesting to note the early nomenclature of the three principal towns on the coast, suggested, no doubt, by coastal contour, viz., the "El-bow" (Goolwa), the "Knob" (Port Elliot), the "Point" (Victor Harbour). The Early Days. Goolwa is linked up with very early Australian history. In 1829-30 Capt. Sturt made his remarkable trip down the Mur-rumbidgee and the Murray in a whale boat. He thus discovered the latter river, and named it after the, then, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir George Murray. It is recorded that Sturt left his boat at

the Elbow (Goolwa), and walked to the mouth of the river. As the result of this trip we have the names given by Sturt to the lake and to physical features on its outline, viz., Lake Alexandrina — in honour of the Princess (who seven years later be-came Queen Victoria); Point Sturt, after the leader; and Point MacLeay, after Sir George MacLeay, the naturalist of the ex-pedition. In later years, the island, circled by the river, was named "Hindmarsh," after the first Governor. It is also re-corded that Capt. Barker, in 1831, began a survey of the coast from Cape Jervis, and, en route, called at Goolwa, thence to the Murray mouth, where he met his tragic end at the hands of the aborigines. We thus have two visits to the Elbow; the first 41 years and the second five years be-fore South Australia was proclaimed a colony. It seems fitting, therefore, to give this historical setting of Goolwa, at one time a busy and important town, now a back number in consequence of a policy of centralization. After the first settle-ment of Europeans at Encounter Bay in 1839, the population gradually extended along the coast, and small towns were formed at Port Elliot and Goolwa, while sheep stations were established around the lake and along the banks of the river. Navigation and Trade. Although population was being attrac-ted to Goolwa, the river had not been utilized to any extent for trading purposes up to 1851. In that year the Legislature offered a premium of £4,000 to the first two steamboats which should succeed in navigating the Murray, from Goolwa to the junction of the Darling. An enter-prising resident, Capt. Randall, immedi-ately set to work to build a steamer at Goolwa. In two years it was ready, and the following notice appeared in The Register of February 22, 1853:— "Com-mencement of Steam Navigation on the Murray.— We announce with much plea-sure that the Messrs. Randall have success-fully started the steamboat Mary Ann, built by them on the banks of the Mur-ray. The Mary Ann is 55 ft. long, 9 ft. beam, 20 tons, working at 8 h.p." It was further stated that the boat would leave in a fortnight's time with a cargo of flour for the Victorian diggings. In the same year, 1853, another enterprising resident, Capt. Cadell, determined to make a bid for the Government premium, and bought a steamer called the Lady Augusta in Melbourne, and brought her through the Murray mouth He also built a barge at Goolwa, which when launched with due eclat, was christened Eureka by Miss Younghusband, with a bottle of cham-pagne A few days later the Lady Augusta with the barge in tow and His Excellency (Sir Henry Young) and other distin-guished men on board, started on her initial trip. Capt. Randall in the Mary Ann was also navigating the river, and arrived at Swan Hill a few hours after Capt. Cadell's boat. On her return jour-ney of nearly 1,500 miles, the Lady Au-gusta picked up cargo, which included 220 bales of wool. The first consignment

of wool to be brought down the river. There was great jubilation, not only in Goolwa but in the city also, and an offi-cial dinner was given to Capt. Cadell and his officers at Parliament House, when congratulatory and optimistic speeches were made by His Excellency the Gover-nor; Sir John Morphett, Sir R. D. Han-son, and others. At the present time and in present circumstances the following ex-cerpts from two speeches will be of in-terest:— Sir John Morphett said, "It is certain that by the navigation of the River Murray we practically annex the Province of South Australia a large tract of ex-port producing country. It is certainiy that by this step we afford to our agri-culturalists the means of conveying their products to the doors of the consumers, thus, securing to them the best markets and I consider it is certain that naviga-tion of the River Murray is the first step in that most important object, the union of the Australian colonies." His Excel-lency said:— "We have been able to pene-trate the margin of vast tracts of the in-terior of this great continent, and have peacefully opened up a great highway of upwards of 1,500 miles in length, and of perpetual durability and unfailing utility throughout the greater potrion of every ordinary year. There was no hint of building railways in competition with the natural highway for the river trade, and lad any member of that assembly pro-posed, that the river be tapped at dif-ferent parts by the building of railways so that the produce might be taken direct to Port Adelaide, he would have either heen howled down or treated with pity as not being quite sound mentally.

Wanted, a Port. From this date the river was con-stantly navigated by an ever-increasing number of boats. Wool and other pro-duce were brought down, while flour and goods of all descriptions were taken up, for Victoria. In view of the growth of trade down the river a port for shipment became necessary, and Port Elliot was selected. A train line was constructed from Goolwa to Elliot, and the desired outlet for trade at once utilized. Later on the train line was extended to Vic-tor Harbour, which eventually became the port of shipment. The trucks for con-veying the wool, &c, were all run by horse traction. Passenger trucks were also provided, and a picture of one of them standing at the Goolwa Station is shown below. Negotiating the Murray Mouth. About this period the practicability of negotiating the passage of the Murray mouth by steamer, and taking the wool and other produce direct to the ship's side instead of transhipping at Goolwa and then by rail, was being discussed. An occasional boat did go through, but in The Register of June 19, 1866, the follow-

ing paragraph appeared: — "Some time ago Capt. Johnston of the Murray steamer trade went to England to superintend the construction of a steamer to trade between GooIwa and Port Adelaide through the Murray Mouth. A telegram was received on Monday from Capt. Johnston as follows: — 'Got the steamer Murray into Victor Harbour yes-terday, 117 days out. Waiting a fair wind to bring her to port.' " I can find no record of the career of the Murray in re-gard to trading through the mouth, but in later years Capt. Johnston obtained another steamer, the Queen of the South, and for a considerable time traded with her regularly to Port Adelaide via the mouth. Accompanying is a picture of the Queen, gay with bunting, lying in the river. In recognition of his enterprise Capt. Johnston was presented with a handsome cup. He negotiated the mouth with several steamers, even at night. On one occasion he took the steamer Ger-trude, with two barges, through the mouth to Victor Harbour, and returned in the steamer to Goolwa. Capt. James King also traded on the Murray, and frequently took his boats through the mouth. He built the steamer Frances Cadell and the barges Jupiter and Venus. The Jupiter is now running between Milang and Meningie, and has in her the engines of the Frances Cadell. In 1859 Capt. King was presented with an illuminated address expressing satisfaction with the careful and seamanlike manner in which he had carried on the coasting trade and naviga-tion of the sea mouth of fhe Murray. Accompanying the address were a gold watch, a sextant, and barometer. One of those who signed the address was His Excellency the Governor (Sir Richard MacDonnell). In June, 1876, Capt War-ren took the steamer Amphibious, which had come from Melbourne, through the mouth, although he had never previously entered the river. He said that with a suitable boat he would have no hesitation in negotiating the mouth at any time. The Government and a Port. The volume of trade so increased that it was felt the provision of a safe port was essential, and that, although it had been amply demonstrated that the mouth was navigable, and that the steamers which passed through had never met with any mishap, a canal from Goolwa to Vic-tor Harbour would be safer, and far more practicable. Accordingly, in 1874, Sir J. P. Boucaut, when submitting the Public Works Loan Bill to the House of Assem-bly, included in his expenditure:— 1. The building of a breakwater at Victor Har-bour, £50,000. 2. A canal from Goolwa. to Victor Harbour, £150,000. The first part of the scheme was carried out, but although the canal scheme was strongly supported in policy speeches and public meetings, and the people of the south tried to move heaven and earth in its favour, nothing has ever been done to thus unite the great waterway with the Southern Ocean for trading purposes. In all proba-bility the scheme would have been carried out had not Parliament, before the break-water was completed, resolved to tap the river at Morgan by railway, thus divert-ing trade from Goolwa and a southern port. The question of a port, however, was kept alive, and Major Johnston, an expert, was brought out to report thereon. In 1919 the major's report was before the House of Assembly, in which he recom-

mended: — 1. Extension, of the break-water and provision of jetties or wharfs at Victor Harbour at an estimated cost of £275,000. 2. A railway from Monarto to Sandergrove £155,000. He stated that if this work were not done the hills line would have to be duplicated from Eden to Murray Bridge at a cost of £962,000. This rail-way from Monarto was in lieu of the canal whlch, however, was going to cost £125,000 more than the latter, and would be another nail in Goolwa's coffin. In contrast to the above we find that the Commissioner of Railways, when giving evidence before one of the many com-missions, said, "The River Murray is, in my belief, the.proper outlet for produce from the eastern agricultural areas. It is ridiculous to carry goods long distances over costly railways when by the proper development of the river they can go direct to the sea.'' One bogy put up was that the cost of bringing wheat down the river and through the canal would be greater than by railway. Not so, accord-ing to the Commissioner of Railways. Fur-ther, Capt. Sunman, a trader on the Mur-ray, once said that he would guarantee, if the river were navigable, to carry goods at £l a ton each way, for more than 1,000 miles. The railways could not ap-proach that tariff. In addition to this, it was pointed out by the late Mr. T. Goode when giving evidence before a commis-sion that the power which will move eight tons on a railway will move 32 on the water. Goolwa's Misfortunes. During the long years of consideration the sittings of commissions, the obtaining

of reports from highly paid experts in regard to a southern port, the people of the south were living in a state of ner-vous tension, and Goolwa was slowly dying, railways were built to Murray Bridge and Morgan. The former, inter-state, was essential, and had to cross the river somewhere, but it nevertheless took a large percentage of trade from Goolwa. The Morgan line was more deadly in ita effects on the southern town. Then came the locking scheme so as to make the river permanently navigable. This was essential, for in some years the river has been so low that persons could walk over its bed in places, dry shod. We used to hear of steamers being held up in con-sequence of low water and considerable trouble was caused in the delivery of stores. An old-time river trader, Capt. Walters, who was at one time a member of the crew of the Lady Augusta, told me that on one trip the steamer was stuck up, and the cargo had to be tran-shipped at Windomal, six miles above Murumbidgee. It was stowed in an old hut, and he was left in charge to pro-tect it from being pillaged by aborigines, and he had to wait for orders before the goods could be delivered. When Sir Henry Galway laid a stone at Blanchetown to mark the site of the first lock, there was great jubilation, and great things were predicted in regard to irrigation and navi-gation. Now, however, there is nothing to navigate, as the fleet of steamers has disappeared, and with a permanently navi-gable river, the prospect of a port at either Goolwa or Victor Harbour seems further off than ever. In spite of recommenda-tions by experts, consideration by com-missions, the efforts of the River Murray League, the opinions of men well qualified to, pronounce opinions, and regardless of natural provisions, the ultilization of the noble stream has been ignored. His Ex-cellency (Sir Anthony Musgrave), when retiring from office as Governor, in one of his farewell speeches, urged — one might say—implored—South Australia "to pawn her clothes rather than lose the chance of capturing the great river trade." In this connection the following letter, which ap-peared in the press some years ago, is of interest. The writer of it says:— I recall with vividness the excitement which pre-vailed, the glowing anticipations that were aroused, the confidence that was expressed when the Boucaut broad and comprehensive policy was outlined at Victor Harbour, and looking back on the fate to which that national scheme was doomed, I cannot cease wondering how the people of South Australia failed so utterly to realize the situation, to seize the chances that were offered. It is not too much to say that had the policy been carried through in its entirety the valley of the Murray would by this time have been thickly settled on, and Goolwa and Victor Harbour have become very important maritime centres. I remember Goolwa when it was already a very busy port with half a dozen shipping offices going hard, agents, G. Ferguson, G. S. Read, W. Wright, J. P. Trip, W. S. Reid, A. Graham. The world went very well then, and Goolwa was full of life and brightness, which would have con-tinued and grown had better councils prevailed with our legislators with regard to conserving the river trade. Those who may peruse these notes and have not read Sir David Gordon's book, "The Nile of Australia," are urged to do so as Sir David deals in a most interest-ing manner with the River Murray and its problems. I Acknowledge any in-debtedness to it for considerable informa-tion. Poor old Goolwa. "Hope de-ferred maketh the heart sick," and if ever a town had cause for feeling sick, it is Goolwa. Once flourishing with every prospect and every reason for an-ticipating a great future through ever in-creasing trade, the creation of the artifi-cial routes in competition with the natu-ral outlet for the river trade, had the effect of destroying its industries, de-pleting its population, and depre-ciating the value of property. Dur-ing Goolwa's palmy days, every house was occupied, and the shops did big busi-ness. It had a shipyard, where many steamers and barges were built, and sup-plied with boilers and other equipment, by the local foundry. It had a flour mill in full work, and a brewery, pro-bably also working full time; those in-dustries, together with its fleet of trading boats have disappeared; all snatched away by the tentacles of that octopus—centra-lization. Personalities and Incidents. Goolwa had some enterprising progres-sive, and far-seeing citizens, who not only took an active and influential interest in the town itself, but in the affairs of the State generally. It also once had its own cavalry company, which took part in the welcome to the Duke of Edinburgh, when he visited the colony in 1867, and the troop, in charge of Lieut.-Col. Higgins, formed the advance guard in the escort from Glenelg. The names of some of the earliest settlers one can remember were:— Atkins, Grundy, Goode, Ritchie, Randall. McBeath, Taylor, Eaton, Lindsay, Crystal, Ferguson, Sum-ner, Barber, Jones, Cadell, Johnston, Spencer, King. Mr. T. Goode, sen., opened a general storekeeping business in 1852. which has been carried on for three generations. The late Mr. T. Goode, jun., was an influential man, was the first Mayor of Goolwa, and held office for five terms. Mr. Atkins was one of the earliest settlers in the district. Mr. T. Jones supervised the construction of the tramway line from Goolwa to Port El-liot, and for some years was in charge of the whole tramway system. Messrs. Eaton and Crystal were both engaged in business, and were influential townsmen, as were Capt. CadelI, Randall, Johnston, Ritchie. Sumner, Walters, Barber, Sun-man, King, all engaged in the river trade. Mr. J. Spencer, once familarly known at Port Victor as "Gulnare Jack," from the fact that he was a member of the crew of the Gulnare, revenue schooner, owned and sailed by Capt. Jenkins— lost in the Engelbert. For some years Mr. Spencer kept the Goolwa Hotel, and also ran the brewery. He is still hale and hearty, although in the eighties. Another liv-ing link with the river trade, is Capt. Walters, still active and hale, although also in the eighties. Capt. Barber died about two years ago. An interest-ing relic of long years ago is the bust of a woman over the door of the Goolwa Hotel. It was once the figure head of a vessel, the Moyambique, wrecked near Goolwa. Part of the staircase, and the cellar supports of the hotel are timber from that ill-fated ship.

PASSENGER TRUCK AT GOOLWA STATION.

PASSENGER TRUCK AT GOOLWA STATION.

THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH AT CLAYTON.

THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH AT CLAYTON.