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On this Page 7
HOBART MARINE BOARD
70th Anniversary on Sunday
Growth of the Port
Striking Progress of Hobart
On January 8, 1858 - 70 years ago on Sunday - the
management of the port of Hobart was vested in the Marine
Board, and on Monday the Wardens will celebrate its 70th
anniversary. Ranking second only to the City Council in the
importance of its duties, the Hobart Marine Board may well
have cause to look back over the record of its 70 years with
pardonable pride. Blessed with a port of unsurpassed natural
advantages, it has guided its destinies ably and made it fit to
rank, in proportion to the volume of trade that passes through
it, with any in the world.
If exterior influences of later years have robbed the port
of some of its trade, it is no fault of the Marine Board, and the
Board is not sparing, and never will spare, any effort, not
merely to bring the port back to the prosperity of pre-Naviga-
tion Act days, but to lead it forward to far greater prosperity
than it has ever known. There is no reason why it should not
be successful.
Tasmania was discovered by Abel
Janszoon Tasman on November 24, 1642,
while on a voyage in the vessels Heems-
kirk and Zeehan. It is recorded that
Tasman's carpenter swam ashore near
Cape Paul Lamonon, on Forestiere's
Peninsula, East Coast, and planted the
Dutch flag there, thus taking possession
on behalf of his Government. Some hun-
dred and thirty years later (1772) the
French navigator Marion du Fresne an-
chored his ships, Mascarin and Castries,
in Marion Bay, and in the following year
Captain Tobias Furneaux visited Ad-
venture Bay in the ship Adventure.
Amongst other notable visits in the
seventeenth century were those of Cap-
tain Bligh, in the Bounty, on his way
to Tahiti, who landed and spent 12 days
at Adventure Bay (this was, of course,
before the mutiny of the crew) ; Captain
Cook, Rear-Admiral Bruny d'Entrecas-
teaux, and Captain Huon Kermadac,
Captain John Hayes, Lieut. Flinders,
and Commodore Baudin, but it was not
until 1803 that the first real settlement
was made, when, on September 11 of
that year, Lieut. John Bowen arrived at
Risdon (about three miles above Ho-
bart) in the ship Albion. Governor Col-
lins arrived at Risdon on February 15,
1804, and used judgment in transferring
the settlement to the site on which the
city of Hobart now stands, naming the
harbour Sullivan Cove, and the settle-
ment Hobart Town. In the early years
of the settlement progress was very
slow, and it was not until a number of
years later that any appreciable advance
was made.
PORT ADMINISTRATION.
Following this brief reference to the
discovery and first settlement of Tas-
mania, it is open to give attention to the
chief object of this article, namely, the
port of Hobart. Previous to 1858, the
administration of the port duties for the
whole island was in the hands of the
port officer, but in the year mentioned
two guilds were formed to attend to
maritime interests, such guilds being
named the Hobart Town Marine Board
and Launceston Marine Board respec-
tively. On January 8, 1858, His Excel-
lency, Sir Edward Fox Young, issued a
proclamation establishing these guilds.
The jurisdiction of the Hobart Marine
Board was Cape Portland, at the extreme
north-east of the island, round the east,
south, and west coasts, to the 42nd de-
gree of latitude, and one nautical league
to seaward from low-water mark. In
1867 an Act was passed giving the
Governor in Council power to create
other Marine Boards within the jurisdic-
tion of the Launceston Board, but the
limits of the jurisdiction of the Hobart
Board were not altered till 1892, when a
proclamation was issued by His Ex-
cellency the Governor, Sir Robert Hamil-
ton, creating the Marine Board of Stra-
han, by which the Hobart Board's con-
trol was restricted to the coastline be-
tween Cape Portland and South-West
Cape, and one nautical league to sea-
ward, and the control of Macquarie Har-
bour, on the West Coast, with adjacent
waters, given to the Strahan Board.
With regard to its constitution, the
first Hobart Board consisted of five
members-three appointed by the Gover-
nor in Council and the Mayor of Hobart
and the Collector of Customs as mem-
bers ex officio. In 1874 this was altered
as follows:-Two to be appointed by the
Governor in Council, and three nominat-
ed by the Chamber of Commerce, with
the Mayor, Collector of Customs, and
Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce
as members ex officio. A change was
again made in 1889, when the elective
system was introduced, and this system
is in force at the present time, the
Marine Board of Hobart now consisting
of nine wardens, elected by shipowners,
importers, and exporters.
HARBOUR APPROACHES.
There are two approaches from the
sea to the River "Derwent, on which
Hobart, with its population of 55,000,
stands, through D'Entrecasteaux Chan-
nel and through Storm Bay. The latter
is generally used both by steamers and
sailing vessels, but the Channel approach
is also used by large steamers visiting
the port. The entrance to the River
Derwent from Storm Bay is 2¼ miles
wide, with depths of 8 to 10 fathoms,
and an average width of about 2½ miles
is maintained throughout the distance
of 11 miles to Hobart. The soundings in
mid-channel increase to 20 fathoms at
5¼ miles above the entrance, thence de-
creasing to 12 fathoms off the harbour.
The River Derwent is free of all dangers
well lighted, and easy of navigation
even by strangers to the port, and the
harbour itself is well sheltered and per-
fectly safe in all weathers. So easy of
navigation is it that there is now a pro-
posal to do away with pilotage.
WHAT VISITORS SAY.
Of many appreciative remarks made
by notable visitors, a few may be quot-
ed, which will convey some idea of the
magnificent harbour that Hobart pos-
sesses, The late Governor-General
(Lord Forster) said that ho "could not
find too much to say in praise of its
broad expanse, its depth of water, and
its scenic beauties. It was one of the
finest harbours he had seen."
Sir Rider Haggard, when in Tasmania,
said: "The people in Tasmania con-
sidered their country small, but it was
larger than Denmark, Belgium, Holland,
Switzerland, and other places that had
made a stir in the world. He was satis-
fied that the fruit industry in Tasmania
could be multiplied twentyfold, and
could support an enormous number of
people. The harnessing of Tasmania's
water power meant a tremendous thing
for the State, which had many other
assets, one of the greatest of which was
the port of Hobart, which was the finest
in Australasia, and one of the finest, if
not the finest, in the world."
WHARFAGE ACCOMMODATION.
The wharfage accommodation is some
2½ miles in length, and occupies the
whole of the foreshore in Sullivan Cove.
With the exception of Prince's wharf
and the inner end of Ocean pier, the ac-
commodation takes the form of piers,
and while it is generally recognised that
the "wharf" structure, with ample space
alongside, lends itself admirably to the
economical working of cargo, the piers
have met requirements so far, although
it is now thought, owing to the increased
traffic of the port, that they could have
been, with advantage, built a good deal
wider.
There are now five piers large enough
to accommodate oversea steamers which
call at Hobart, and a little information
about them will not be out of place in
this article. The best of the piers is,
of course, Ocean pier. This pier is at
the northern side of Sullivan Cove, and
is 1,142 feet in length on the south side
and 650 feet on the north side. Its
width is 122 feet, and there is a depth
of water on both sides of the pier of 36
feet at the inner end, and 60 feet at the
outer end. A vessel 800ft. long, with a
loaded draught of 36 feet, can be berth-
ed with safety at this pier without the
aid of tugs. A berth to take a vessel
1,000 feet long, and with a minimum
depth of 40 feet could be provided in
three months if needed. The shed on
the pier is 650 feet long and 61 feet wide,
and has a flat roof for the landing of
passengers. At the approach to the
pier there is a two-storeyed shed 316
feet long and 40 feet wide. The largest
Continued on Next Page

HOBART MARINE BOARD

Continued from Page 7

vessel which has been berthed at this
pier is H.M.S. Hood, 41,200 tons. The
pier was opened on March 2, 1914, by
Lady Ellison-Macartney. Some of the
piles used in construction were 110 feet
in length and weighed 17 tons each, and
were all obtained in Tasmanian forests.
In addition, 2,000,000 feet of sawn tim-
ber - all Tasmanian - was used. The
total, cost of the pier, sheds, and re-
clamation necessary for the construc-
tion, including proportion of cost of the
plant, was £76,620. The pier is con-
nected with the railway system of the

State.

Queen's Pier, 700 feet long and 100
feet wide, with a shed 400 feet long and
35 feet wide, was built in 1901-02 at a
cost of £18,072. King's pier was built
in 1909-10 at a cost of £21,538, and is
700 feet long by 100 feet wide, with a
shed 540 feet long by 44 feet wide.

SIR JOHN EVANS, Master Warden of the Hobart Marino Board. CAPTAIN MCARTHUR. Haibourmastcr of the Hobart Marino Board. . I MR. E.<HAWSON, Secretary of the Hobart Marine Board. ' Help

SIR JOHN EVANS,

Master Warden of the Hobart Marine

Board.

Argyle Street pier is 333 feet long and
65 feet wide, and has a shed 257 feet
long by 43 feet in width. It was origin-
ally constructed in 1875, but has under-
gone much alteration. In 1921 repairs,
which included the driving of 87 new
piles, were carried out, at a cost of
£1,864, and the pier was brought thor-
oughly up to the mark.

Elizabeth Street pier, originally built
in 1866, but rebuilt in 1904, is 335 feet
long by 70 feet wide at the inner end,
and 60 feet wide at the outer end. It
is provided with a shed 220 feet long
by 38 feet wide, and the total cost of
pier and shed was £6,677.

Prince's wharf, which is 1,292 feet
long, forms the water side of Salamanca
Place, and was formerly known as New
wharf, but was renamed Princes wharf
by the Marine Board on January 24,
1902, in honour of H.R.H., the Duke of
Cornwall and York, who landed at the
wharf on July 2 of the previous year.

Other piers are Franklin, which
though only 215 feet in length has 40
feet of water at the outer end; Brooke
Street, Bellerive, and Lindisfarne, all
of which have ample shed accommoda-
tion; the Naval pier and Powder jetty.
The Hunter wharf, near Ocean pier, was
constructed a few years ago for the ac-
commodation of small vessels. In ad-
dition to all these there is the splendid
wharf built by the Electrolytic Zinc


SIR JOHN EVANS, Master Warden of the Hobart Marino Board. CAPTAIN MCARTHUR. Haibourmastcr of the Hobart Marino Board. . I MR. E.<HAWSON, Secretary of the Hobart Marine Board. ' Help

CAPTAIN McARTHUR.

Harbourmaster of the Hobart Marine

Board.

Company at Risdon, about 3½ miles
from Sullivan Cove. This wharf is
fitted with electric cranes for the rapid
handling of cargo, and can accommo-
date two vessels of nine or ten thous-
and tons at the same time. There are
two docks, the Constitution, which has
a depth of nine feet; and the Victoria,
which has a depth of 10 feet. These
docks are used for the most part by
local traders. The Constitution dock
was built during the Governorship of
Sir W. T. Denison, and the Victoria dock
was built in 1890-2, at a cost of £27,348.
At the Constitution dock there is a small
hand crane for the use of shipping.

HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

In 1911 the Marine Board decided up-
on an extensive scheme of harbour im-

provements, which included the con-
struction of the Ocean pier, the diver-
sion of the Hobart Rivulet, and the re-
clamation of land to the north of the
pier. The total area reclaimed to date
is six acres (apart from land used for
roadways), and of this 5½ acres are
leased and about half an acre is oc-
cupied by the Board. It brings in a
revenue of £1,125 per annum. Upon
one of these sites have been erected the
oil tanks by the British Imperial Oil
Co., with a storage capacity of 1,250,000
gallons, at a cost of about £75,000. A
proposal for the erection of a new pier
on this area is now under consideration.

PORT CHARGES.

As one might expect, the Port Auth-
ority, with the aid of unparalleled natu-
rul advantages which allow of the port
being maintained in an efficient manner,
without the provision of expensive
maintenance plant, is able to pass on
the benefit to the shipowners in the
form of low port charges. It may be
claimed fairly that Hobart is by far
the cheapest port in the Commonwealth,
as a comparison of charges at other
ports with the following will quickly

prove:-

PILOTAGE.
Inward:-

Sailing vessels, per ton net, 6d.
Steamships, per ton net, 4d.

Maximum, £15; minimum, £4.

Outward:-

One-half the above rates, with a
maximum of £5. No vessel is bound
to take a pilot, but the payment of the
prescribed fee is compulsory.

TONNAGE RATES - OVERSEAS

VESSELS.

1¼d. per ton gross. Maximum, £50.

PORT DUES.

Vessels not liable to tonnage rates
(i.e., not using a wharf under the control
of the Marine Board), 1d. per ton gross.
Maximum, £50.

Light dues at a rate of 9d. per ton
are payable to the Commonwealth
Government at the first port of call. If
the steamer has visited another Com-
monwealth port before calling at Hobart
(as is usually the case) nothing further
is collected for a period of three months,
which allows a vessel trading to places
outside the Commonwealth to visit all

SIR JOHN EVANS, Master Warden of the Hobart Marino Board. CAPTAIN MCARTHUR. Haibourmastcr of the Hobart Marino Board. . I MR. E.<HAWSON, Secretary of the Hobart Marine Board. ' Help


MR. E. HAWSON,

Secretary of the Hobart Marine Board.

the principal ports and leave Australian
waters within the period of three

months. As an actual example of
charges, the R.M.S. Mooltan, 20,847 tons,
arrived at Hobart on May 6, 1926, and
after an 81 hour stay left on May 9, the
Marine Board's account being as under:

£ s. d.

Pilotage in and out (max.) . . 20 0 0
Tonnage rates, 1¼d. per ton

max. . . . . 50 0 0
Use of office and telephone .. 0 10 0
Use of gangway .. 2 0 0
Use of electric light .. 15 8 2

Total .. £87 18 2
Or to take a pleasure steamer, the
R.M.S. Carinthia, with American tour-
ists on board, arrived on December 31,
1925, at 7.20 a.m. and sailed at 11 p.m.,
and by reason of the fact that she did
not discharge or load cargo was entitled
to a reduction of one-half of the ordi-
nary charges. This magnificent vessel
of 20,277 tons therefore paid the fol-
lowing, for which, in addition to pilot-
age, she received the services of the
Deputy Harbourmaster in berthing the
vessel, without the aid or expense of
tugs, and the up-to-date accommodation
for passengers and the vessel at the
Ocean pier:-

Pilotage in and out (max.), half

rate ... £10
Tonnage rates (max.), half rate .. 25

Total. £35

Hobart was the cheapest port she
visited - and it was the best. Her world
tourists said so, and no one had seen
more ports than they.

ALWAYS PROGRESSING.

It is interesting to note that when the
Marine Board of Hobart was formed in
1858 (four years after the establishment
of "The Mercury") the largest steamer
trading out of the port was the City of
Hobart, of 617 tons, belonging to the
Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company,
whilst to-day the largest vessels visit-
ing Australia call here and leave fully
loaded. As an instance of the ease
with which a vessel may be moored and
unmoored in Hobart, it may be stated
that on the occasion of her first visit to

this port the huge steamer Ceramic,
18,481 tons, took no longer than twenty

minutes, under her own steam and with-
out the assistance of tugs, from the time
she commenced to back away from the
wharf until she had turned full around
and was headed on her course down the
river. The policy of the Marine Board
has always been progress, and the port
has progressed with it.

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