Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Tuesday 6 October 1936, page 22


NAVIGATION IN GULFS

PILOTS SAMUEL AND BEN GERMEIN To the Editor

Sir— As a grandson of Pilot Samuel Germein, may I make two comments on the recent articles re early navigation. It was the ship City of Dublin, 900 tons, and not the South Australian, that collided with the steamer Lubra.

The City of Dublin had been in tow of the steamer Eleanor and collided after casting off opposite Prince's Wharf. This took place on April 19, 1870. The pilot was Samuel Germein, and not Ben Germein. Ben was at Port MacDonnell prior to 1859, as he was the hero of the wreck of the Admella, which occurred on August 6, 1859. It was his ride to Mount Gambler for help that Adam Lindsay Gordon immortalised in

'From the Wreck.' Also, he rescued Captain Sivier and two men from the bottom of the brig John Omerod. which was wrecked in the vicinity on October 23, 1861 Samuel Germein was the State's first pilot having been selected by George Fife Angas in 1836 to go out with the manager of the South Australian Com-pany, Mr. McLaren. They arrived in the South Australian on April 22, 1937. In 1839 he was appointed by the then Governor, Lieutenant-Colonel Gawler, master of the Water Witch, and from this date to June 6, 1849, was in charge of every vessel that the Government had, or chartered for survey or otherwise. As master of the Hero, he went to King George's Sound, Western Australia, with supplies for Edward John Eyre for his journey across the continent. He

was the discoverer of what are now Ports Germein and Pirie in 1840. Both were named after him, Port Pirie being originally called Samuel's Creek. In January, 1851, he piloted into Port Ade-laide the Ascendant, with George Fife Angas on board. On April 20. 1856, the boat of the "Register'' shipping reporter capsized at the Semaphore, and but for the efforts of himself and Pilot Creer several lives would have been lost. In May, 1873, he took the ship Queen of the Age from Port Pirie to the mouth of Spencer Gulf, and then left the ship in a small boat, the Tiny Tot, in which he sailed to Troubridge. I have often heard my family mention about the Germeins sailing ships up the Port River, but I doubt if they ever did so as late as 1870.— I am. Sir, &c. C. H. WEST. 100 Sea View road, Henley Beach.