History - general

Occasional Paper 96: RAN Encounters with Papua New Guinea’s Big Rivers

November 18, 2020

By David Michael

The passing of Commodore Sam Bateman RAN, (Rtd) in October 2020 reminded many people of his Command of the PNG based patrol boat, HMAS Aitape and its significant 1969 passage up Sepik River. As Aitape was not the first or only RAN vessel to navigate PNG’s big rivers this paper provides a summary of big river encounters by other RAN ships.

The Sepik River

The Sepik River flows 1,100 km through Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Today it remains largely undeveloped and pristine. Exploration of the region by Europeans commenced soon after establishment of German protectorate (Kaiser-Wilhelmsland) in 1884. Formerly the Kaiserin Augusta, the Sepik is one of the largest rivers on the island of New Guinea. It rises in the central highlands of PNG and flows north-westward (crossing just over the border into the Indonesian portion of the island) and then, turning east, follows the great Central Depression, receiving numerous tributaries draining from mountains to the north and the Central Range to the south before entering the Bismarck Sea through its delta. It drains an area of some 77,700 square km. For most of its lower course the river meanders through a wilderness of palm swamp and lagoons with large floating islands of vegetation drifting in the channel. The amount of sediment carried down this channel is so great that the waters of the ocean are discoloured for 32 km beyond the mouth, which is more than 1.6 km wide. The river is navigable for more 480 km by vessels drawing 4 metres of water or less, and by canoe for some 900 km.

Fly River

The Fly River is one of the largest rivers of the island of New Guinea, flowing almost wholly through Papua New Guinea. For a short stretch of its middle course, it forms the border between Papua New Guinea and Indonesian. Rising in the Victor Emanuel Range in the central highlands, the Fly—fed by its principal tributaries, flows south and southeast for more than 1,100 km to the Gulf of Papua and the Coral Sea. It drains an area of some 69,900 square km. The river was named by F.P. Blackwood, captain of the ship HMS Fly, who explored the estuary in 1842. The lower reaches of the river are navigable for 850 km in all seasons for boats drawing less than 2.4 metres of water. There are few settlements of any size along the river, but a port at the town of Kiunga, some 490 miles (790 km) inland, ships copper and gold mined in the Star Mountains. Environmental degradation along the upper course of the river system caused by the mining activity has been a source of political tension in the area.

River Passages by RAN Vessels

The March 2016 edition of the Naval Historical Review carried a story by Leyland Wilkinson entitled ‘River Cruises and the Big River’ described two wartime passages by RAN vessels up the big rivers of PNG.

He wrote, ‘Probably the most memorable however, was the 193 miles (310 km) passage up the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea in December 1914 during WWI by HMA Ships Parramatta, Warrego and Nusa, while HMAS Yarra guarded the river entrance. They were directed inland to search for any German military presence, passing along unknown waters that were home to crocodiles, disease carrying insects, and indigenous natives with cannibalistic tendencies, apart from any possible enemy action. Again, at the end of WW II, after the Japanese surrender in October 1945, the patrol boat ML 1347 under the command of LEUT Marsden Hordern, RANVR transited more than 130 miles (210 km) up the Sepik to Kanduonum in search of Japanese forces and Australian POWs.’

‘Possibly the longest river transit was undertaken by the LCH HMAS Tarakan, commissioned in June 1973 under the command of LEUT Chris Ritchie, RAN, a future Chief of Navy. In September of that year she visited PNG and undertook a 490 mile (790 km) passage up the Fly River to the river port of Kiunga where PNG Defence Force vehicles were embarked and transported to Port Moresby.’

Two letters were latter received by the Society in response to Leyland Wilkinson’s article.

Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie wrote ‘I was pleasantly surprised to see mention of HMAS Tarakan’s transit up the Fly River as possibly the longest river transit undertaken by a ship of the RAN.

It certainly was a memorable task; five and a half days in the river to reach Kiunga, a fast river assisted a three-day return trip, a few unplanned beachings and a bow door literally hanging on by a thread as a consequence of a heavy south easterly swell as we left the river and entered the Gulf of Papua.

My purpose in writing, however, is to correct the record a little and share the honour with HMAS Wewak. Wewak, under the command of LEUT George Scown, RAN had taken the engineering team to Kiunga a few months before our passage. The river levels had then become too low to extract the equipment and personnel once their work was completed so they had an enforced wait in Kiunga until it was deemed possible for another LCH to make the trip. Tarakan got the job and was in the Fly River from 4 to 13 September 1974.

HMAS Wewak departing the port of Lae in Papua New Guinea in 2007 during Operation PNG ASSIST for villages affected by floods after Cyclone Guba. RAN image/

Tarakan had been on her way back to Brisbane after performing a similar extraction of equipment for the army from Belawan in Northern Sumatra to Darwin. LCH’s certainly got around in those days. We shall miss them!

Commodore Sam Bateman wrote the following letter which provided more detail about the 1969 passage of HMA Ships Aitape and Ladava up the Sepik River.

‘The article by Leyland Wilkinson doesn’t really capture the full extent of activity by RAN vessels in the rivers of Papua New Guinea in the 1960s and early 1970s.

On the Sepik, Attack Class patrol boats of the PNG Division of the RAN made several visits during this period to the river port of Angoram about fifty river miles upstream. Then in February 1969, HMA Ships Aitape and Ladava ascended the river as far as the Government station of Ambunti about 230 river miles from the mouth of the Sepik. This was about thirty miles further upstream from the point reached by HMA Ships Parramatta and Warrego in 1914.

An account of the passage by Aitape and Ladava is available on the film ‘Navigating the Sepik’. I was in command of Aitape at the time and the late Peter Blenkinsop the Ladava.

Voyages by patrol boats into the Sepik stopped in the 1970s due to concerns about the risks of propeller damage from floating logs. These risks were higher if the patrol boats steamed on both engines while in the river. While the Aitape and Ladava encountered numerous floating islands of debris and logs during their passage up river to Ambunti, they steamed mostly on one engine and avoided any underwater damage. The theory was that having two shafts under power doubled the risks of a serious log strike – perhaps even more with the risks of one driving shaft throwing a log into the other driving shaft.

On the Fly, LCDR Jerry Lattin took the patrol boats Aitape and Ladava up the river to Kiunga in 1970. Jerry commanded Aitape and the late Dave Angus the Ladava. There is an account of this passage in Ian Johnston’s Historic RAN Voyage up the Fly River, Australian External Territories, Vol. 11, No.3, July-September 1971, pp. 19-22.

One of Jerry’s multifarious jobs after leaving the RAN was to command small bulk carriers on the Fly River and elsewhere between Bangkok and Townsville. The main role of these vessels was to carry copper-concentrate downstream from the Ok Tedi mine to the mouth of the Fly where the concentrate was transhipped into larger bulk carriers for export overseas. Jerry wrote about his experiences with navigating the Fly in an article in The Journal of the Australian Naval Institute (Shiphandling Corner – Brown Water Mariners – Cargo Ships on the Fly River, The Journal of the Australian Naval Institute, Vol. 28, No. 3, Spring 2002, pp. 33-38).

There were other voyages up the river to Kiunga in the 1970s by RAN LCHs, as well as the one mentioned by HMAS Tarakan in Leyland’s article. I travelled down river myself from Kiunga in Wewak under the command of LEUT George Scown in 1973, if I remember correctly. Before going up the Fly, Wewak also entered the Bamu River, an adjacent river to the Fly flowing into the Gulf of Papua. The Bamu has a strong bore in it and we experienced it in rather dramatic circumstances one night. Wewak was beached on the river bank when the bore came up the river. Effectively, it’s like an instant high tide and the ship was swept bodily sideways off the bank. Fortunately, George had the situation under control with main engines running and special sea dutymen closed up in anticipation of the bore’s arrival, and no damage was done.

The work of RAN vessels in opening up the Fly to river transport associated with the Ok Tedi mine is acknowledged in the seminal article The Fly River: A Continuing Hydrographic Challenge by P. Done, published in the International Hydrographic Review, Monaco, Vol. LXII (2), July 1985.’

References:

Encyclopaedia Britannica online, available at, https://www.britannica.com/

Leyland Wilkinson, River Cruises and the Big River, Naval Historical Review March 2016, available at https://www.navyhistory.org.au/river-cruises-and-the-big-river-2/

HMAS Aitape, Seapower Centre Australia, available at https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-aitape

Navigating the Sepik, Defence Public Relations, Video, available at https://www.navy.gov.au/history/videos/navigating-sepik

Occasional Paper 95: Grandfather was a cableman

November 18, 2020

By Fairlie Clifton

Fairlie Clifton is a long-term member of the Naval Historical Society and foundation member of the Australian National Maritime Museum where she volunteers as a guide. Her passion for naval history is fuelled in part by her strong nautical background. She has personal experience at sea in square riggers, yachts and cargo vessels. Similarly, the service of several family members in the Royal Navy and loss of another in HMAS Sydney II makes naval history very personal for her.

You may think the object in the photo below is a paperknife. It is not. There’s a tale here, perhaps several tales.

In 1890 my paternal grandfather, Frank Bellis Vincent Graves, joined Eastern Telegraph Company (ETC) as a cadet at the company’s head office in London. His whole working life was spent with the company, most of the time being posted to ETC’s cable stations in far distant places around the world, some of which I had never heard of (and my geography is good). He was born in India, taken by his mother to England as an eight year old to be educated – usual British Empire thing.

In the 1890s ETC was probably the most powerful corporation in the world. It was formed in 1872 when four much smaller submarine cable laying companies merged after they had each been laying sections of cable between the UK and the Far East. In 1872 Australia was linked to the system by a cable from Bombay via Singapore. Other nations had cable laying companies but ETC was by far the most dominant; after all, there was a large empire to service. As the networks expanded, only very fit, young, adventurous and mostly single men were employed as ‘cablemen’ and sent off to various, often remote cable stations around the world, there creating a little piece of England. By 1902 there was an ‘All Red Line’ of British cables around the world.

By George Johnson (1836-1911) – The All Red Line – The Annals and Aims of the Pacific Cable Project, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6576300

During the First World War cablemen were classed as essential war workers and were required to stay with the company and not sign up for active service. However, many of these young men were torn between their desire to join up and the need for their services to keep Empire communications going. A few did resign and then enlist. Unfortunately many of those who remained were frequently accused of cowardice and presented with white feathers, which must have been very hurtful. The company was protective of them and issued a special wartime service lapel badge for them to wear. Pay was also increased as some compensation.

A few cablemen left the company to work on cable ships, which in both World Wars were considered to be prizes of war and liable to be sunk on sight. One of the ETC’s cable laying ships, Levant II, was from the earliest hours of the Gallipoli landings busy laying and maintaining cables close to shore to provide communication for allied troops. She remained in the area throughout the Gallipoli campaign and had some narrow escapes. Her master was subsequently awarded the DSC and five members of the crew were mentioned in dispatches.

Even while continuing to work for ETC, cablemen experienced some dangerous situations at station postings in WWI. One of the most famous ETC stations, certainly to us in Australia, was the strategically important Cocos Keeling station on Direction Island, which in November 1914 was captured by a well-armed landing party from the German cruiser SMS Emden. The cable boys on shore were quick to send off an SOS when they realised an enemy ship was approaching. The message was picked up by a passing troop convoy, and the news reached ETC London HQ in minutes. One of the convoy escorts, HMAS Sydney I, was despatched at full speed to intercept Emden, which was destroyed in the ensuing battle close to shore.

Before Sydney’s arrival the station staff were herded into their mess under guard while the Germans destroyed equipment. They also cut through the Perth cable and tried unsuccessfully to hack through another, not realising that this one was a decoy which had been hastily rigged by station staff. When it came to dynamiting the radio mast, the cable boys politely asked if this could be done so as not to damage the tennis court. The Germans obligingly complied.

Having become stranded following the destruction of their ship, the Germans commandeered a schooner anchored in the lagoon and set sail. Their seven-month journey home by various means over sea and over land is in itself an extraordinary tale. Meanwhile, back at Cocos Keeling, repair of equipment commenced immediately and the station was back in action by the time the Germans reached Bombay.

In September 1914 there was a very similar raid on the mid-Pacific Fanning Island cable station. On that occasion the German raiding party had got away safely as there was no allied ship to attack their ship, the cruiser SMS Nürnberg, which had been detached from the Imperial German Navy’s East Asia Squadron for this raid. Fanning, almost on the equator (3°51′36″N159°21′52″W) is now part of Kiribati and is very remote indeed. Nürnberg rejoined her Squadron, which then defeated the RN’s West Indies Squadron at the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile. Her crew may have survived that battle but perhaps not the next one a month later, the Battle of the Falkland Islands, when almost all the German ships, including Nürnberg, were destroyed.

During the Second World War cable laying and cable repair ships were constantly in action all over the world, and a number were sunk by enemy action. The slow, careful work required to lay or lift cables, often in difficult sea conditions, can make them an easy target. In WWII the ships often moved through narrow swept channels between minefields and quickly moved in behind troop landings to lay new cable. Soon after the D-Day landings a cable ship was used to lay PLUTO (Pipeline Under the Ocean) from the Isle of Wight to the Cherbourg peninsula to supply petrol to the fighting forces.

Of course, destroying enemy submarine cables was always an important task. And if the supply of cable was particularly short – well, just do a snip here and a snip there and make off with a piece of cable to be put to your own use. Italy lost 450 miles of cable in this way, lifted from a depth of 2000 fathoms despite U-boat activity in the recovery area.

Back to the mystery object

For a number of years in the late 19^th and early 20^th century ETC head office sent out promotional gifts at the end of each year, and this 32cm long object was one of them. They are not paper knives but map turners, probably smaller versions of the ones used to turn the pages in the huge map books which were used at head office. On the black handle is the date (1894 on the mystery object) and the year’s calendar, six months on each side. On the blade is a map of the world, northern hemisphere on one side and southern on the other, with the company’s vast network of cables shown in red. They were manufactured in Mauchline (pron. ‘mock-lin), a small town in the Scottish Lowlands, using local sycamore wood which is light and can be cut very finely. This trade also had its origin in the early- to mid-19^th century when railways were expanding, populations were becoming more mobile, and people wanted souvenirs of their holidays. For about 70 years British tourist souvenirs were made of Mauchline ware, which is now apparently very collectable.

Quite by chance when investigating ETC history on line, I found a picture of one of these map turners and asked Mr Google about it. I found that the National Library of Australia and the Queensland Museum each have one in their map collections. I also found three on UK eBay at prices ranging from £300 to £770 and all with minor scratches and signs of use. Finally, just for fun, I looked on local eBay and found one there, in Australia, with an asking price of A$150. I had to have it, of course. It occurred to me that the seller was not really aware that the object could have some value, and this impression was borne out when it arrived, packed in an unpadded PO bag, diagonally so that it only just fitted in, and wrapped in two sheets of kitchen paper towel and a strip of folded cardboard torn from a box and very roughly taped. It survived, and it’s in mint condition!

A bit of history

Laying all those submarine cables entailed fleets of specialised cable laying and cable repair ships owned by cable manufacturers, cable owners and communications companies, with Great Britain leading the way. In the early days inventing and manufacturing suitable cable was a great challenge.

The invention and laying of submarine telegraph cables was, of course, one of the extraordinary achievements of the Victorian age. In prosperous Victorian times there was a ready supply of entrepreneurs to invest in this costly and risky new technology which within a few short years provided instant communication between continents and, as a result, extraordinary change in world affairs. This instantaneity was not necessarily well received by Her Majesty’s overseas ambassadors, governors-general, admirals and generals, previously independent VIPs, some of whom regarded the new technology as a tiresome inconvenience and were seriously miffed by having head office just a few Morse taps away.

Submarine cable laying started in the early 1850s with short lengths of cable around Britain and across the Channel and in 1858 extended to the first, but not successful, transatlantic cable. The first successful permanent transatlantic cable was laid in 1865/66 with more advanced technology, followed by the first cable to India in 1870. By 1892 and until the 1920s Britain owned and operated two-thirds of the world’s submarine cables which serviced the Empire, and about the same proportion of cable ships. The first trans-Pacific cable became operational in 1902, linking North America, Australia and New Zealand. ETC continued to grow into the 20^th century until in 1934 the company became known as Cable & Wireless plc, still a prominent company in British communications.

Manufacturing submarine cable was big business in the 19^th century and is big business in the 21^st century. The early challenge, of course, was how to develop a completely watertight cable which could withstand the deep-sea environment.

Late 1840s: Early telegraph cables consisted of copper wires protected by bindings of jute, tar, soapstone and steel wire, and insulated by gutta percha. Gutta percha, a remarkable plant-based substance from Malaya, was widely used for many domestic and industrial purposes in Britain in the mid to late 19^th century but particularly for cable insulation. Synthetic materials replaced it in the 20^th century but it is still used in dentistry.

1892: two-thirds of the world’s submarine cables owned by Great Britain

1896: 30 cable ships in the world, of which 24 were owned by British companies

1900: global telegraphic cable network established

1950s: switch to coaxial telephone cable communication – costly and limited capacity

1970s: fibre-optic technology developing

1986: first international fibre-optic cable laid across English Channel

1988: first trans-ocean fibre-optic cable laid / fibre-optic starting to outperform satellites

1990s: development of global communications highway in tandem with internet growth

2000s: well over 1 million kilometres of fibre-optic cable connecting the world – and growing see Submarine cable map 2019: https://submarine-cable-map-2019.telegeography.com/

CS Cable Innovator 14,277 grt – designed for laying fibre-optic cable / completed 1995

The submarine cable network now carries 98% of the world’s cross-ocean digital traffic, including email, texts, financial transactions and top-secret military and government communications. The network’s carrying capacity is much greater than that of satellite communication and is more efficient.

Once laid, submarine cables are prone to damage by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, sealife, currents, anchors and fishing vessel equipment, particularly the latter. In the 1990s burying cables in the ocean floor began. Cable breakdowns do occur, even with the most modern technology, although nowadays these faults can be detected quickly from on shore as well as on board. To see how this is done, have a look at this video on You Tube, 20,000 Cables under the Sea

Manufacture of the world’s cables is provided by only a handful of companies in a very competitive market. The largest manufacturing companies today are Prysmian SpA, followed by Nexans SA.

And what about the ships that lay and maintain the cables?

It is 170 years since the first successful submarine cable was laid in 1850/51 from Dover to Calais. After other shorter cables were laid, mostly around northern Europe, it was not long before a transatlantic cable was envisaged. For this, huge amounts of capital for such a risky and costly venture were needed and, of course, a suitable ship. There were some failures before the first successful permanent telegraph cable was laid across the Atlantic Ocean by Great Eastern, a mighty iron sailing steamship designed by Brunel.

Cable laying was Great Eastern’s second career after her five years as a passenger ship, which was not a commercial success. Being the largest ship in the world and exceptionally strongly constructed, she was the only ship able to carry the 2500 nautical miles of cable needed to lay the Atlantic cable successfully. She laid the cable from Ireland to near St John’s, Newfoundland where in July 1866 she was greeted by thousands of people and great celebrations, as well as special church services to give thanks for this great enterprise.

Most cable laying in the 1850s to 1870s was done using temporarily converted vessels. In 1872/73 two purpose -built cable layers were built in Britain, and one cable repair ship in Denmark. Over the next century private cable, telegraph, communications and oil companies built up their fleets, together with the British government and GPO, the French and Japanese governments, the US, and several European and Japanese companies also owning ships. The Royal Navy and US military operated a small number of ships, mostly in the first half of the 20^th century. Up to year 2000 by far the greater proportion of cable ships (about 50%) and most of the largest (10,000-14,000 grt) were owned by British entities. In that year about 100 cable laying and repair ships were operating around the world, and many more were expected in order to meet the rapidly increasing demands of data traffic.

Development of cable ships was broadly as follows:

Late 19^th century: compound single screw propulsion / mostly small ships averaging 1500 grt and 155-250’ length

1890s: triple expansion, twin screw propulsion

1900: ships growing larger, operating over greater distances / smaller vessels retained for inshore work

1950s: diesel-electric propulsion and some oil engines / bow thrusters

1900-1960s: ocean going ships typically about 2500-4500 grt / largest about 9,000 grt

1970-2000: largest vessels 9,000-15,000grt

21^st century: multi-purpose ships /ROVs to assist repairs and retrievals / computer controlled positioning systems to hold ship steady at precise locations

Seen in profile, a typical 20^th century ocean going cable ship had elegant lines – long, lean and with clipper like bows. The bridge and accommodation superstructure was placed midships, leaving space forward and aft for circular tanks for new cable storage. Generally, there were 2-3 such tanks (4 for the largest ships), 2-3 bow sheaves, and 1-2 stern sheaves. Repair work was done via the bow sheaves, and new cable was paid out through the stern sheaves. Most ships were cable layers and repairers, while some were solely repair ships.

CS Colonia laid some of the world’s longest cables 1905-1940. War loss 1944. Note high masts for better radio reception.

The work carried out on board was slow, tough and painstaking, often in difficult sea conditions and for long periods. Accommodation and amenities provided on board were therefore of a higher standard than on other ships.

A big change has taken place in the design of cable ships in the 21^st century. The newest ships are powerful, snub-nosed multi-purpose vessels with the superstructure placed up front, and designed to lay cable in much deeper water. With the ships being held in one precise position, repair and maintenance can be done via the stern sheaves, removing the need for bow sheaves. The newest technology makes grappling and retrieving cable much easier. Two such vessels now being fitted out are:

CLV Leonardo da Vinci: LOA 171m / speed up to 14kts / designed to operate safely in winds up to 130kph / and lay cable in depths >3000m. Owned by Italian power/telecommunications company Prysmian Group, which now owns four cable ships. For a close-up look at her being towed through the Bosphorus Strait on her way from Tulcea in Romania to Norway for final fitting out, have a look at this You Tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNgWCGBakR8&ab_channel=CavitEgeTul%C3%A7a

CLV Aurora: LOA 149m / 17,000 dwt / up to 14kts / owned by French energy/telecommunications company Nexans. Next generation multi-purpose cable installation ship. Built Ulstein, Norway. See Aurora on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_pROFi83Hc&ab_channel=NexansNorwayAS

Strategic significance

Submarine cables have long been intelligence targets. At the start of WWI Britain quickly cut the five cables linking Germany to the rest of Europe and to North America, which put Germany at a considerable disadvantage, it having only wireless communication. The cable war resumed in WWII, with German and Italian cables being cut by Britain very early on. In the Cold War the cable networks of both sides were under close surveillance, and it is known that the US Navy planted listening devices on Soviet underwater communication lines. More recently Russia has been probing the locations of the US’s cables, using deep sea submersibles capable of cutting cables at depths where repair would be difficult. Not surprisingly, Russia is laying a submarine cable across the Arctic ocean to increase its defence capability.

Should new conflicts begin in the world, severing or jamming cables to interrupt vital communications will be just as likely as it was in the two World Wars, and even before then. Both China and Russia are closely monitoring western networks, using submarines and sophisticated oceanographic ships to tap secret communications, and focusing particularly on cable choke points such as the Straits of Malacca, the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, to name three in our region.

The Australian government considers its submarine cable links to be vital to the national economy, and their protection is an emerging strategic problem. But how to protect them? They are out of sight but can be detected, and routes are shown on publicly available maps that alert shipping to their presence. 100-150 years ago the security risk was lessened by trusted companies laying British cables in British controlled or friendly territory but that’s not so easy in today’s fragmented world.

It seems that the cable wars are continuing in the 21^st century as they have since the late 19^th century. Grandfather would no doubt be astonished if he knew!

References:

History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications From the first submarine cable of 1850 to the worldwide fibre optic network.

Bill Burns, publisher and webmaster – https://atlantic-cable.com/

Evolution of Cable & Wireless, Part 1 by Bill Glover available at https://atlantic-cable.com/CableCos/CandW/index.htm

Direction Island Cable Station and the Battle of Cocos https://atlantic-cable.com/Article/1914BattleOfCocos/index.htms

Cable Laying at Gallipoli 1915-1916
Diary of A L Spalding, available at https://atlantic-cable.com/CableStories/Spalding/index.htm

Not Another Hero: ETC’s creation of the Soldier Hero and Company Man
by Wendy Gagen available at, https://atlantic-cable.com/Article/TCS/indexwg.htm

Occasional Paper 93: Boxing in the Navy

October 6, 2020

By John Smith

John Smith, our senior researcher, joined the RAN College in 1946 and retired as a Commander having specialised in gunnery. He served in many RAN ships and had operational service in Korea, the Malayan Emergency and Vietnam. Post navy he had various managerial positions, the last being CEO of the Sydney Maritime Museum. He is a former Vice President and has been a volunteer since 2003.

Aeons ago, when I was serving in the Navy, junior officers and ordinary seamen were expected to be able to Box the compass. That is that they should be able to recite the compass points of the magnetic compass in clockwise order and this in the days when gyro compasses were practically universally installed in warships. Indeed the 1964 Seamanship Manual still contained the magnetic compass rose.

However, this article is about a different form of boxing, i.e. the often so called gentlemanly art of boxing in accordance with the Queensberry rules. For many years it was a popular public spectator sport. How many of you remember taking a tram from the city to that ramshackle building, the Rushcutters Bay Stadium in Sydney to watch a boxing match (when it was built it was the largest roofed in structure in the World and held 12000 people).

It is therefore to be expected that it should be popular in the navy. After all, it was easy to set up if space was available for the ring and suitable superstructure nearby from which the crew could watch and barrack. There was always plenty of rope to fence it off and it could be carried out either at sea or in harbour, onboard or ashore.

In the twentieth century it was considered to be an official Naval sport and the rules for matches were included in the book “The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Sports Handbook”.

The earliest reference I can find to boxing in the Royal Navy is quoted in Michael Palin’s book “Erebus The Story at A ship” where on New Year’s day 1842, the crew of HMS Terror, then in the Antarctic came across to Erebus and danced on deck until five in the morning, after which there were one or two pugilistic matches in the forecastle, which peaceably ended.

In the Navy, boxing was a popular inter departmental and internship competition, and the first annual Royal Australian Navy Boxing championships were held in June 1920.

In 1921, the firm WJ Sanders crafted the solid silver Colin Rodgers Cup for the annual Fleet boxing championship. It is now in the Naval Heritage Collection.

Another interesting trophy which is on display in the RAN Heritage Centre, Garden Island, Sydney is the 2UW/Daily Telegraph Boxing Tournament Shield competed by the Navy, Army & Air Force and which was won by the Navy.

The first RAN Fleet Championship in June 1920 may well have been a preparatory event for the Naval Boxing event held on 5 July 1920 to mark the visit of the Prince of Wales. It was open to the public.

In the Royal Navy in World War I, the Grand Fleet spent much of its time in Scapa Flow which was not exactly a tourist attraction or indeed, good run ashore. The following extract from Australia’s Argonauts by Peter Jones is an interesting, report of the newly formed RAN’s boxing prowess. “In dealing with this morale challenge Admiral Jellicoe and his successor Admiral Beatty were able to sustain generally good morale. They did so by an active sea training regime and a vigorous sporting program. The centerpiece of the latter was the annual boxing championship.

In 1917 it was held on 22-23 August onboard the battleship HMS Ajax at anchor in Scapa Flow. In the lead up to the event ships conducted preliminary contests in the different weight divisions to decide upon their ship’s champions. To the surprise of the Grand Fleet officers the Australian midshipmen figured prominently in the officers’ bouts. Thousands of Grand Fleet officers and sailors watched from any upper deck vantage point to view the boxing ring set up on the battleship’s deck. In the preliminary fights, Leigh Watkins, Hugh MacKenzie, Harry Showers and Dick Cunningham all won their preliminary bouts. Frank Larkins was then unlucky to lose his match. Perhaps the most memorable match of the first day was Frank Getting’s light heavyweight match which had to be stopped in his favour. At the end of the day a Jervis Bay midshipman was left to contest the finals in each weight division. The following afternoon, Admiral Beatty and other flag officers, viewed the hard-fought finals from ringside seats. Dick Cunningham after weeks of sweating down and starving won the bantamweight championship bout with a technical knock-out in the first round. Harry Showers and Hugh MacKenzie had to fight each other in the preliminary final. Hugh MacKenzie won on points and then went on to win the middleweight in great style. Beatty presented the cups to the winners and Harry Showers received a good loser prize. Norman Calder wrote that he witnessed a great victory for Australia and wrote to Commander Grant (at RANC) with the stunning results.”

Some of the Grand Fleet boxing Championships were held ashore at Flotta.

Back in Australia, boxing tournaments were also held at shore establishments such as Cerberus, Leeuwin and Nirimba. They were considered an important part of the training of cadet midshipmen at the Royal Australian Naval College as the following extract from Work Hard Play Hard, The Royal Australia Naval College 1813-1988 by LCDR I J Cunningham shows. “The ‘manly art of self defence’ was taught at the college as part of PT, with the first official tournament of matches between cadets being conducted in July 1918. The competitors were matched by weight and were all volunteers. Boxing was apparently not as popular as college authorities would have liked, because as a consequence of the disappointing number of entries for 1919, the decision was made that all cadets should enter the 1920 tournament. This set the pattern of boxing at the college for over forty years.

As is usual in boxing, all combatants were graded by weight. The age range of cadets, at least until 1956, was 13-17 years of age, and the weight divisions, starting from the “Paperweight” Division, were correspondingly diminutive. The “Heavyweight” Division was rarely contested. Preliminary elimination bouts were held to determine the last two contenders in each weight division, after which the boxing tournament culminated in a gala occasion as the finalists fought out their respective championships. Trophies were awarded to the victors with the overall best exponent being awarded the “Shelley cup”. The good losers received a cake, a traditional college reward and probably, from the point of view of a cadet, more immediately gratifying than any metal memento.

The boxing finals became a feature social and sporting event, and at FND were held at night, with the ring set up in the gymnasium, surrounded by seating for spectators (mainly officers, masters and their wives and the ship’s company).

Boxing continued at the college until 1976 although the last recorded tournament in the college magazine is for 1975. By the 1970s, compulsory participation had ceased, but with the increased numbers of cadets, there was never a lack of competitors. The reason for the cessation of boxing is not clear. One officer who as a cadet the time and who participated in the last tournament stated that he believed one officer’s wife was appalled at the ‘brutality’ and left the gymnasium in tears, shortly afterwards, boxing was discontinued at the college. On the other hand, social attitudes may have influenced those in command as boxing at all levels declined in popularity in the 1970s. In the 1980s, HMAS Nirimba was the only naval establishment that persisted with boxing of any kind. Instruction in boxing or the sponsoring of tournaments ceased thought out the RAN by 1985.”

Another occasion on which RAN boxing prowess was demonstrated occurred in the Mediterranean Fleet. In 1934 to 1936, HMAS Australia had an exchange cruise with HMS Kent in that Fleet. The following is an extract from the cruise book. “It was very soon after our arrival in the Old Country that the opportunity for gathering boxing bouquets was thrust upon the ship. Owing to injuries, a vacancy had occurred in the Royal Navy team in training at the P and RT School, Portsmouth for the Imperial Services Championships to be held at Aldershot. This was in the heavyweight division.

Rumors of our fistic capabilities had drifted across to Pitt Street, with the result that PO Writer Wilson was asked to step into the breach at the last minute to do battle for the Royal Navy. This on reputation alone. Caught somewhat out of condition, but mindful of the honour of the occasion, Wilson made the most of the short time available and journeyed to Aldershot, where he succeeded in annexing the heavyweight title of the Imperial Services. This is believed to be the instance of an Australian securing a Services title, and reflected very favorably on the ship.

The stage (or rather the ring) next shifted to Alexandria for the 1936 Championships of the Mediterranean Fleet. The number of the ships and the total personnel had increased enormously by the concentration necessitated by the political situation, and it was apparent that in each section and division a considerable amount of elimination would be necessary.

All boxing was held on board the “Glorious” where a spacious hangar provided ideal accommodation. The Novices was the first section called up for settlement. In this division, Leading Seaman Curtis succeeded in taking out the final of the Light-Heavies and A.C. Barnes was runner-up in the Welterweight. “Australia” came out of the tournament 5 points behind the winner, “Glorious” but on top of the Cruiser section.

In the Amateur Championships following. We took the 1st and 2^nd in the Heavies (P.O.Wtr. Wilson and Stoker Hill), and 1st in the Middleweight (Ldg.Smn. Madden). In addition, Ord. Smn. Hillen reached the final in the Featherweight and A.B. Ward the final in the Lightweight divisions. Although this tournament was not run on a “team” basis, we headed the list in final placings.

Followed a brief respite before the competitors in the Open section were called upon to shape up for eliminating. The unrestricted class gave the ship’s popular and well-known professional, Wall Hancock, a chance to gather glory for his ship. Wally had previously been bringing his ship’s name to the fore with his successes among the civilians, from four starters in the Open section we collected three titles – Heavy (P.O.Wtr. Wilson) Middle (Stoker Hancock) and Welter (Ldg.Smn Madden). This also secured the aggregate in final results, and is, we believe, without precedent on the Station. That one ship could secure three such titles speaks volumes for the prowess and keenness of our glove-throwers, and has left behind a very respected reputation in this branch of sport.

In summary, our successes on the cruise were as follows;

Imperial Services Heavyweight, 1935 – P.O.Wtr. Wilson

Mediterranean Fleet Championship 1935

Novices

Won Light Heavyweight (Ldg.Smn Curtis)
2^nd Welterweight (A.B. Barnes)

(won Cruisers’ Aggregate)

Amateurs

Won Heavyweight (P.O.Wtr. Wilson)

2^nd Heavyweight (Sto Hill)

Won Middleweight (Ldg.Smn Madden)

(Fleet Finals Aggregate)

Open

Won Heavyweight (P.O.Wtr. Wilson)

Won Middleweight (Sto Hancock)

Won Middleweight (Ldg.Smn Madden)

(Fleet Finals Aggregate).

In addition to the ratings mentioned above, the following men threw punches in the Mediterranean Fleet Championships, and thus did their share towards our fistic fame: – A.B. Lergessner, Ord.Smn. Dawson, Stoker Burrows, A.B. McDonald, A.B. Rimmer, Ord.Smn. Sanderson and Blk.Petersen.”

1922 RAN Boxing Tournament – Winners & Runners Up

Boxing is no longer an official sport in the R.A.N. Perhaps, interestingly, in the December 2019 issue of the Proceedings of the US Naval Institute is an article by Petty Officer McCoy titled BOXING CAN BOOST THE NAVY’S FIGHTING SPIRIT in which he recommends the reinstatement of boxing in the United States Navy.

Occasional Paper 85: A Curious Spectacle

July 27, 2020

By Brooke Twyford

This paper was provided courtesy of Australian National Maritime Museum volunteers. It was published in the June 2020 edition of ‘All Hands’, the Australian National Maritime Museum Volunteers’ Quarterly Newsletter. Through the close relationship between the Naval Historical Society and Australian National Maritime Museum stories are periodically shared for the mutual benefit of members.

As I gaze out over Iron Cove in ‘iso’, I regularly spy the welcome sight of a classic wooden Navy boat motoring back and forth from Spectacle Island to the public jetty at Birkenhead, Drummoyne. Spectacle Island is closed to the public except for those who are invited or granted access to visit for business purposes. I became curious to know more about the history of the launch that links the Naval Repository to the outside world.

The island originally named Gongul by the Wangal aboriginal people became known as Spectacle Island in the early 1800s, most likely after the shape of the island before modification. Britain’s Royal Navy’s Australian Squadron opened an armament depot there in 1884, then it was transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901 and continued as the armament depot when the Commonwealth Naval Forces became the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1911.

The 40-foot Australian Workboat, displaying the number 379 on the bow of her shiny black hull with a storm grey colour cabin, is a service vessel owned by the RAN and operated by Serco, a contractor specialising in defence support including vessel operations and maintenance.

Aerial View of Spectacle Island surrounded by ammunition lighters

David Michael, President 0f the Naval Historical Society, confirmed that AWB 379 is steered by a number of coxswains on a roster system departing Garden Island boat pound each weekday around 06:30am and arriving back to the pound from Spectacle Island around 15:30pm. As the boat cannot lie alongside a public wharf it arrives just before the hour and departs on the hour back to Spectacle Island. The first run of the day commences at 07:00am from Drummoyne and subsequent runs depart Spectacle Island at 15 minutes to the hour and the last is at 14:45pm.

The run’s history can be traced back to the early 1900s not long after the RAN took over Spectacle Island from Britain’s Royal Navy. The original “run” linked Spectacle Island, Drummoyne, Newington Armory, Cockatoo Island, Garden Island and Circular Quay. It incorporated the then active navy yards in Sydney including the UNESCO world heritage site Cockatoo Island dockyard which closed in 1991 and the heritage armament depot at Newington Armory in Homebush Bay, which closed in 1999 ahead of the 2000 Olympic Games.

AWB 379 alongside Drummoyne Sailing Club

The history of the boat itself dates to 1966, when Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd of Sydney designed and built it on spec as a one-off to replace “WWII 40-footers,” which were designed by Botterill and Fraser of Melbourne to support Allied operations in the islands north of Australia. Of the 400 produced, many have since become collector’s items, with some restored to their original form and others turned into pleasure craft. While guiding visitors on SY Ena just before the shutdown, I was lucky enough to meet the proud owners of a workboat now located in the Whitsundays.

The new boat was first launched in 1967 to serve as a tender for the trials of the 12-metre America’s Cup contender Gretel 11 (see ARHV) which was owned by media mogul Sir Frank Packer and syndicate. Five years before that, Gretel became the first Australian yacht to challenge the New York Yacht Club for the America’s Cup; previously only Great Britain and Canada had taken it on. Although Gretel lost 4-1 that year, she became the first yacht since the 1930s to beat the Americans in a single race. Gretel II was the last Cup boat with a wooden hull, rather than made of aluminium or fibreglass, to contest the America’s Cup challenge series in 1970. It wasn’t until 1983 that Australia won the Cup with a winged keel hull ending 132 years of US domination. Today’s competitors, which will next sail in the 36th America’s Cup Match in New Zealand from 6 to 21 March 2021, are shaped from high tech materials and are foiling monohulls.

The RAN procured the tender as soon as it returned from the America’s Cup trials, and she became known as AWB4011. The 40 prefix is a direct reference to the size of the boat. Slightly different from standard Australian workboats, with a flare at the stern and no forward coach house, it was used for defence and civilian passengers and cargo transport as well as assisting large “ammunition lighters”, a flat-bottomed barge used in loading and unloading naval ships and transporting goods for short distances. “Lighter” is possibly derived from an old Dutch or German word, lichten (to lighten or unload).

Clive Sewell, who was recently recognised by Serco for 50 years of service as a Tug Master and currently works in the Dockyard at Garden Island, recalls his time at the helm of AWB4011 as one of his favourite years, filled with his most cherished memories. “It was a time when you looked after your charge as if it were your own, always polishing the brass,” says Sewell, who dubbed the boat Sobraon after the 1800s clipper, because of his admiration for full-rig ships.

The original engine was a Cummins NH2 20 diesel, which gave the boat a lot of power. “There was only one way to drive it and it would throw a huge wash,” says Sewell. “You would see her coming.” The cockpit alone was big enough to carry a small car. Sewell never ferried a car in the boat, but he did count admirals and commodores among his passengers. And his most prized cargo? A full pallet of beer!

Having served through the end of the steam tug era, the introduction of diesel tugs and the launch of other propulsion units on the water today, Sewell remains passionate about the job. “Honestly some days I’ve been frightened and cold but I’ve still enjoyed every day.”

In the mid 2000s, AWB4011 was reassigned and refurbished to put seats in it specially to do the run it continues to do today and the hull number change to 379 happened when it changed service providers. It is now an asset number rather than a pennant number.

David Glasson who is a model-maker and master of many things marine, has conducted extensive research on Australian workboats, along with Mori Flapan, naval architect, author and administrator of boatregister.net, where a plethora of information about workboats’ history can be found. According to Glasson, as many as eight workboats were to go on display at this year’s Classic and Wooden Boat Festival, which was due to be hosted by the Museum during the first weekend in May before it was Covid 19 cancelled. Let’s hope we get to see those beauties in 2021.

In the meantime, AWB 379 will continue to be a welcome sight in my daily life, and a reminder to Sydneysiders of a storied era in Australia’s past.

Notes:

For more information about Gretel and Gretel II, see the Australian Register of Historic Vessels: https://www.sea.museum/discover/arhv

Artwork titled Australian Work Boat 4011 ‘Sobraon’ at Spectacle Island, Sydney

From 2016 to 2019, Victoria Kitanov was an archivist on Spectacle Island. She documented her time travelling back and forth on tender 379 in photographs. From archivist to artist, her passion is painting naval heritage reconstructed from the photos taken around Spectacle Island. She painted the original pennant number 4011 and ‘Sobraon’ in this painting as a historical tribute. To view her other works, visit https://www.victoriakitanovfineart.com.au/.

Occasional Paper 70: The Ship’s Garden – GARDEN ISLAND

February 11, 2020

By Colin Randall

Colin is a Committee member, volunteer researcher and tour guide of the Naval Historical Society of Australia with a particular interest in the history of Garden Island. He has researched the northern hill, its gardens and tunnels and the Captain Cook Dock. Colin’s previous paper on The Naval Garden on Garden Island, Sydney (Occasional Paper 69) has been published by the Australian Garden History Society.

Introduction

The first records of a ship’s garden were in the first half of the 14^th century by Ibn Batutta, the Muslim Berber Moroccan scholar, who when travelling to China observed “the sailors have their children living on board ship and they cultivate green stuffs, vegetables and ginger in wooden tanks.”

The most reasonable candidates for growing on board were bean sprouts- they grow very fast and are highly nutritious.

It was nearly three centuries before ships coming from the West recognised the ability to grow bean shoots on board ships.

In the 17^th Century, it was Dutch ship’s captains who understood the value of fresh greens for the health of their crews on the long voyages to and from the Far East. For example in 1632 on the ship Grel a garden was laid out that provided horse radish, cresses and scurvy grass.

They literally had gardens, established on the ships, in tubs to grow the required vegetables and in some cases citrus trees. The practice was so pervasive that the Dutch ship owners in 1677 forbid the practice as they became concerned that the root systems of some plant/trees were causing damage to the ships.

As an alternative, the Dutch East Indies company better known by its initials, VOC, established gardens ashore at strategic places along the sea route at St Helena in the South Atlantic, The Cape of Good Hope and on Mauritius. By 1661 over 1000 citrus trees had been planted in the VOC farms and gardens at the Cape.

The vegetables and citrus fruit helped fight the dreaded scurvy that caused the death of so many sailors well into the 19^th century.

The Royal Navy for its part, over a period of nearly 200 years debated the cause of scurvy, the best anti-scourbotics and how they should be administered. In 1757 the work of James Lind clarified the nature, causes and cure of scurvy.

By the end of the 18^th Century the practice of supplying ship’s company with green vegetables and onions along with lime juice being the principal way of combating scurvy.

The practice of on-board ship gardens was not totally abandoned as the example in 1795 aboard the East Indiaman, the “Cirencester” where the captain unable to procure any lime-juice “converted a part of his own apartments into a garden which he managed himself with wonderful success.”

Suffice to say that it became regular practice that if a Royal Navy vessel was to be located at a particular place for any length of time the ship would establish a garden ashore to provide the fresh vegetables so essential to keep the crew healthy.

HMS Sirius, Port Jackson – its ship’s garden

So on 11th February 1788, aboard HMS Sirius in Port Jackson, just 16 days after the establishment of the colony of New South Wales in Sydney Cove, the ship’s log records:-

“Sent an officer and party ashore to the garden island to clear it for a garden for the ship’s company.”

Further references to the establishment of the garden are given by Lieutenant Collins – dated 18^th February 1788 refers to “the island where the people of the Sirius were preparing a garden”

So it was, that on this twin hummocked island east of Sydney Cove, a garden was established for the ship’s company of HMS Sirius.

The saddle between the hummocks appeared ideal for the establishment of a garden.

The early photograph below, taken in 1857, looking south, shows the fairly flat area used for the garden.

This garden would over the next 22 years provide fresh vegetables for a succession of Royal Navy vessels that were stationed in Sydney.

The Royal Navy ships which used the garden included; HMS Sirius, Supply (I), Supply (II), Lady Nelson, Porpoise and Buffalo.

The Captain of HMS Lady Nelson, Lieutenant Grant reasserted the use of the garden as evidenced by the Government and General Order published on 8 January 1801 which reads:-

“Garden Island being appropriated as a garden for the “Lady Nelson”, no person is to land there but with Lieutenant Grant’s permission, or the Governor’s in his absence.”

The garden went out of Royal Navy control in 1811 when the new Governor Lieutenant- Colonel Lachlan Macquarie took the island into the Governor’s Domain and used it to raise poultry for the Governor’s table.

Before the coming of the First Fleet.

The Gadigal of the Eora people, knew Garden Island as Booroowang, a fishing place.

The Gadigal had managed their land for over 40,000 years and when the sea levels stabilised around 6000 years ago they managed the land on Booroowang.

While there was no running water on Booroowang the natural sandstone outcrops provides pools and soaks for these resourceful land managers. While there is no record of how the flat area of the garden was used by the aborigines it was no doubt used frequently and for a variety of purposes.

While it is unknown whether yams were cultivated on the flat land, the possibility remains to be established through archaeological investigation using analysis of phytoliths in soil on the site of the original ship’s garden.

It was recorded that the area was relatively clear of growth.

The continued presence and interest by aboriginal people on Booroowang is apparent by the recorded history of them coming to the island.

Below is a painting by Joseph Lycett ca 1817-1818 showing aboriginal people on the northern end of Booroowang.

(from ‘Album of original drawings by Captain James Wallis and Joseph Lycett, ca. 1817-1818, bound with ‘An Historical account of the Colony of New South Wales …’, published London, Rudolph Ackermann, 1821) (Mitchell Library)

Interaction between the Aborigines and the Gardeners

Just one week after the start on the garden, a group of 17 aborigines landed on the island. Sighted from on board HMS Sirius they were seen to take some of the tools. Midshipman Mr Hill ordered marines to fire at their legs with buckshot resulting in the dropping of an axe and a pick but with a spade being removed.

Sirius thereafter posted marines ashore on the island to guard the tools and the garden plot.

Some 15 years later in 1803, a group of men were confronted stealing from the ship’s garden.

An aboriginal man, with the mixed group including convicts was shot dead by a marine guard.

The verdict of the coroner was “Justifiable Homicide”.

Sirius’s Ship Garden

The first planting was of corn and onions.

The crop flourished and was picked in July 1788.

To understand the full range of what was grown we need only to refer to the multitude of records including official documents, ship’s log and diaries by those who were involved in this monumental enterprise of sending 1200 people half way around the world to establish a penal colony.

By July 1788 it was recorded the vegetables planted on Norfolk Island included ’turnips, carrots, lettuces, onions, leaks, parsley, celery, five sorts of cabbages, corn, salad, artichokes and beet´.

While in Sydney Cove in 1788 it was recorded that the Reverend Richard Johnson had growing in his kitchen garden “Indian corn, cabbages, turnips, beet, cucumbers, water melons, pumpkins and peas.”

To know what was grown on Garden Island we need to go to the coroner’s record of 1803 into the shooting death of the aboriginal man on Garden Island.

A group of men had been seen plundering the garden. A marine fired on the group of mainly white men resulting in the killing of the aboriginal man.

The 1803 coronial enquiry recorded that when the other men fled the island they left behind a canoe and small fishing boat that contained “maize, melons etcetera.”

Who were the gardeners and the guards?

We know the names of two seaman gardeners and a marine guard, all three from HMS Sirius. This followed a trial conducted on 26 May 1788.

Marine John Atwell and Seaman James Coventry were tried for assaulting and dangerously wounding another Seaman James McNeal. The assault resulted from being intoxicated and quarrelling, the three having consumed a week’s allowance of spirits in one session. Atwell and Coventry were found guilty and each sentenced to receive 500 lashes. As reported by Surgeon John White they did not receive their full sentences as they were weak, both suffering from scurvy.

When HMS Sirius left to go to Norfolk Island in 1789 the garden was not abandoned. In a letter to his mother dated 19 February 1789 Midshipman Daniel Southwell wrote “having left a man to look after a kind of kitchen garden to the service of HMS Sirius.”

HMS Sirius did not return to Sydney as it was wrecked on Norfolk Island but its crew was eventually repatriated to Sydney.

Convicts were also assigned to work alongside the seaman in the garden. The most notable being a 24 year old Jamaican servant, John Caesar who was sentenced to 7 years transportation for stealing the considerable sum of 12 pounds. In June 1789 he was put to work on Garden Island in irons as a result of his troublesome behaviour. Subsequently he was released from his irons, but he then absconded in a canoe having stolen a musket. His is a story of escape, recapture, imprisonment on Norfolk Island, return to Sydney Cove, a small land grant but eventually, a return to theft and robbery.

“Black” Caesar, as he was known, became notorious as the first bushranger. On 15^th February 1796 he was shot and killed by a settler near present day Strathfield who claimed the five gallons of rum for his capture.

Water for the gardens

There was no permanent water on the island. The garden footprint was 145 feet (44.2m) by 160 feet (48.8m). There are no records of the digging of a well and no apparent evidence of a well.

However, with the presence of the two sandstone hills, it is possible that with some drainage works, run-off could be directed into a well, while with additional seepage into the well, sufficient water could be collected to maintain the garden.

The 1851 survey plan of Garden Island however does show two water tanks on the eastern side of the flat area used for the garden.

Stand-alone ship’s garden, no longer needed

With the departure of HMS Buffalo from Sydney in 1807 the need for a stand-alone ship’s garden was greatly diminished.

Any ship requiring vegetables could easily acquire them from the many Sydney market gardens.

Exact location of the garden

In the middle of what had been the gardens an Observation Spot as part of the Admiralty’s Longitude Studies was established by means of a stone cairn that was marked on the 1851 map.

The location was given as latitude 33 degrees 51 minutes and 45 seconds South and longitude 10 hours 10 minutes and 5 seconds East (152 degrees 31 minutes and 15 seconds East) noting a deviation of 62 degrees 41 minutes South and variation of 10 degrees 10 minutes East.

What happened to the garden?

This is quite clear. It was incorporated, in part, into a lawn tennis court circa 1871. Possibly the first lawn tennis court in Sydney.

See map below showing Lawn Tennis Ground.

Where is the garden today?

As best as can be identified it is located in the square behind the Clock Tower Building.

Ca 1900 map

Heritage Tours of Garden Island

Garden Island became part of Australia’s naval history just 16 days after the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, firstly as a ships’ garden. Its naval use further developed into a naval depot near the end of the 19^th century and ceased to be an island in 1945.

Many of the buildings are now over 100 years old, each having its own history, but rarely seen by the public unless through a Naval Historical Society tour. Each tour visits the buildings and details of their history are provided by tour guides. Tours start with a video briefing into the Island’s history. Small groups accompanied by a knowledgeable guide then explore the Island.

To undertake a tour contact the tour co-ordinator by E-mail tours@navyhistory.org.au or by phone (02) 9359 2243 office hours are Tuesday & Thursday.

References:

Torck, Matthew. Maritime Travel and the Question of Provision and Scurvy in a Chinese connection. East Asian Science, Technology and Medicine No. 23 ( 2005)

Frame, TR. The Garden Island. Australian Naval Institute 1990

Rivett, Norman. Our First Gardeners. Naval Historical Review, September 2016

Burnby, J and Bierman, A. The incidence of scurvy at sea and its Treatment. Revue d”Histoire de La Pharmacie. 1996, No. 313 99 339-346