Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth, WA : 1855 - 1901), Wednesday 5 April 1865, page 2


OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE NAVIGATION OF THE CANNING AND SWAN RIVERS— GREAT OBSTACLES TO THE TRANSIT OF TIMBER

To the Editor of the Inquirer and Commercial News

Sir,— Believing that all well-directed efforts for the development of our resources should be encouraged and supported by the Press, and the weight of its influence given to any measures calculated to increase our trade; and facilitate the conversion of our forests into gold; it was with much pleasure that I read the excellent remark in the Inquirer, of 15th March upon the able letter of Mr B. Mason, concerning our Timber

Trade. Complaints are constantly being made of emi gration from our shores, and every legitimate attempt to stay such emigration should be encouraged; The Sandalwood Trade has declined but we have a better in the Timber Trade. The first employed many hands — the other will employ more, both directly and indirectly. It is state (and I suppose with truth) that the supply is unlimited, the demand is large and certainly increasing; but the price enhanced by the diffi culties of transport, -operates to check the development of the trade, (tending as it does, to dishearten both employer and employed), the increase of price benefiting neither exporter, producer, nor those engaged in its transport, but representing only so much precious time wasted, or labour expended for nought. It is not for me to enter upon that part of the subject which is of a mercantile nature; such as its purchase by merchants, shipping to proper places, stowing in readiness for ships, &c for I have no doubt that all this will be speedily brought into good order, if that portion of the question — its quick and cheap transport— can be accomplished With that, end in view, therefore, I make the following remarks, and afford what information I have upon the subject of its water transport, and I venture to say that Mr Mason estimate of £15 per cent saved will not be a high one, if the works I enumerate below are carried out. We have two rivers penetrating to within no very great distance of those forests of which we so often boast, but which one would think we never intended to use tor our benefit. In those rivers there are various impediments to navi gation. These ought long since to have been removed, and must be now, if it is ever, intended to bring the produce of the country into a profit able market ; more especially the Timber, which requires a different class of boat to any we now have, but which will be speedily supplied, and which, aided by steam, will be able to take the Timber irom the landing to the ship at any time the ship can receive it on board. The two rivers of which I speak an the Swan and the Canning:.

I will first speak of the Canning, as upon its waters most of the Timber exported from Freman tle is borne; and would observe that the barges engaged in its transport have been detained as long as three weeks; not being able, either light or loaded, to recross the shallows they have passed in ascending the river for a load, and constantly it requires two or three flats to bring a load suf ficient for one over the shallows into deep water ; increasing the expense, losing time, and causing treble labour and actual loss to those engaged in the business, besides making an otherwise healthy occupation wearisome, un pleasant and unhealthy. The Canning River is entered through the Canning Bridge on the old Perth and Fremantle road; south side of Melville Water. This bridge being of good height, forms no part of the obstruction to the navigation during the winter floods; deep water is found tor about four miles, when you come to an estuary or wide reach of water, but shallow, having, at low water^ or the general summer level, about from 1 toot 6 inches to 2 feet depth of water. The reach extends upwards about a mile, when you enter round a low point, the second estuary, or muddy reach, as it is called by boatmen. This is shallower than the first by about 6 inches, and, in addition, has several patches of weed in it, which it is hard to avoid and upon which of course there is much less water. Having passed these reaches (the bed of which is a very soft mad on the deepest side, and oyster shell banks on the other), you enter a narrow reach, and after about 200 yards of shallow water, find deep water tor about a mile, and then obstacles to navigation on the river, viz., the 'sand flats.' These extend,with short inter missions of deep water, for about a mile. Upon these shallows you cannot find, in low water, more than a foot, and sometimes there is not even that depth, in very high water; summer-time as much as two feet six inches, but this is very rare, as the tide flows but little and very irregularly. These shallows passed, deep water, with the exception of a yard or two of sand at one bend is found to the landing-place to where the Timber Sandalwood, &c, is carted. In this upper part of the river all that requires to be done is to remove a few snags, and cut down a low over-hanging trees, which would be dangerous in descending the river in the strong current of winter. the landing itself is very well adapted,

being a good-sized piece of flat land, and of a good height for getting the timber into the boat. Having thus as shortly as I could stated the difficulties of the Canning navigation I will proceed to speak of the Swan. The difficulties of its navigation commence at, and are principally confined to, the estuary called Perth Bay or Perth Water. Its bed is soft mud, varied in some, places with oyster shell banks. In its shallowest part, and which reaches about half a mile, there is, in low: water not more than 15 or 16 inches water. There is about that depth, or perhaps an inch more, on the sand flats at the

head, of the bay. Of course this depth is insuf ficient for loaded barges ; consequently they have to be half unloaded on an island just below the bridge, or in the canal above it, and even with three or four tons, the steam-flat Pioneer, which has a very light draught of water, has been detained for hours. It is scarcely necessary to speak of the old Bridge, as I earnestly trust the Government intend to push on the work of the new one so as it (the old bridge) may be taken away before the floods of the winter come down, or of course it will be impossible to bring boats below the Bridge. There is a small mud-bank just below the Bridge, and another above. The canal itself is pretty fair, but of course will require deepening, if the other places I have mentioned are deepened to about two feet, or two feet six inches would be better, at low water. Leaving the canal, deep water is found to the lower end of Long Beach, distant 4 miles, where there is a short sand flat, say about a hundred yards, and from thence to Guildford, a distance of eight or nine miles, with one or two trifling ex ceptions, there is plenty of depth. In connection with this part of the River I need scarcely mention its importance as the means by which the principal part of our export of wool,

sandalwood, gum, flour, &c., is conveyed to the port, and that already, with increased facilities the trade has greatly increased, and the price of transport reduced nearly one half, and would be still further reduced, if barges could always arrive in Perth from Guildford with a full load and without the detention caused by the ob structions I have mentioned ; benefiting all par ties alike. Water carriage I believe to be the best and cheapest in all parts of the world, and should be promoted here especially, as our roads so soon show the effects of traffic upon them. Leaving Guildford, and ascending the Upper Swan, there are but few shallows to its navigable head, the only impediment being fallen trees, to the number of which almost every year adds one or more, the outermost branches of which are removed by boatmen; but the main portion remains, forming a nucleus, around which gather broken limbs of trees, sand, soil, and other sub stances, forming in the course of time, a little island on a shallow, and so adding to the causes of those floods which so often sweep over the land on its banks. It is scarcely to be credited that this fine stream navigable for 15 miles above Guildford (and of course nearer the Hills, where plenty of Timber can be obtained, and upon whose banks much corn and hay are grown, and the head of which would save Gingin and Victoria Plains settlers many miles of carting, by serving as a landing-place for them), should be

allowed thus, year after year, to get worse in its navigation. Mr Mason has suggested, as a means to accom plish these works, the sending oi a small party of prisoners. This would be sufficient for the upper portions of both rivers, with the help of settlers' horses, (which would doubtless be readily given) ; but to grapple effectually with the sand and mud flats requires other means, and in my opinion the time has arrived when the Government should set a steam dredge in motion,, as the cheapest and most effectual mode of deepening these rivers, because, supposing these works completed, there are -others of scarcely less importance, viz., the dredging of a channel from the Perth Jetty to the first beacon for large boats are often in the same dilemma as barges on the flats, having to half unload their boats before they can reach the Jetty with ship -cargo, and leave the Jetty half loaded for the ship. Then there is Point Walter, through which a canal needs to be made, saving, as it would, much time to barges and steamers. But if the first expense of a steam engine be objected to a dredge, worked by manual labour, might be employed — such a one as I am informed has been working at Port Adelaide, cutting a channel to the depth of seventeen feet, raising and depositing about sixty yards of soil; the price paid on the wharf being 1s 6d per cubic yard. Now we will suppose a dredge at work, deepening Perth Bay and the flats at its head ; the soil raised could be boated by the Govern ment barges to the space between the two Jetties, forming, as it soon would, the recreation-ground we all so much desire $ thus promoting our profit and pleasure at the same time. There are many reasons I could urge for the immediate undertaking of these works, but would leave it in your hands, feeling assured you agree with Mr Mason and myself in the main, question that this done, Timber can be delivered on board ship at much less cost), and with every chance of greater profit to this portion of the Colony. A great recommendation of the above works is that they are sure to be remunerative in the same way as railways are in different parts of the world. Hoping that I have not trespassed on your space too much, and that the matter may be taken up in a liberal spirit by the Public and the Government, I am, Sir, Yours truly, G. BANDELL. Perth, April 4, 1865.