The Tomerong Poem

I found this poem in the “Shoalhaven Telegraph 1934”. -  Despite the authors obvious dissatisfaction with those making the decisions in 1934, the benefit of the author putting pen to paper is the information it contains about conditions prevailing at the time. The Clyde Shire Council was formed in March 1906 and was the first form of local government in the area.  The shire covered a large area from Falls Creek to the Clyde River. (Excluding Ulladulla). The Council operated until 1948 before being amalgamated into the Shoalhaven Shire along with other shires and municipalities. REF: http://home.exetel.com.au/tomerong/history2/index.htm

The town councillors of Tomerong. They are some brainy men, To have them in such a place as that It is a mortal sin. They should be in Parliament, Where they would get good pay; Bruce’d have some trusty men To send to Ottoway. You’d search the whole wide world And you’d never meet such duds, They’re only interested In the cattle and the spuds. For to hear them debatin’ It is a proper treat, You’d think they were the only ones To put Australia on her feet. The road into the Basin Is in a shocking state. A warning to all travellers Before it is to late: If you get there with your car And it truly starts to rain, The only way you can get out Is by an aeroplane. The Engineer the other day Down to the Basin went, Got bogged up to the axels And his mudguards badly bent. The muddy scenes around he viewed (Choice language sure did float about), Then requisitioned a bullock team To try and pull him out. Now safe upon the Prince’s Highway, ”Oh, no,  no,  no!” said he; ” When next I to the Basin go I’ll sail around by sea. Geo.  Basin is a pretty place, And a pleasant place to view, But there’s no one interested there But Mansfield and his crew The Shire Clerk is not to mean, He’s one of the De Groots, He often gives a man a job, And sometimes a pair of boots. But sure,  if I only had my way, Then sad would be their fate, For in the best of my opinion The lot is OUT-OF-DATE. Noham C.M.J.M

A very early photograph of St Georges Basin.

Tomerong memories

 

Albury Banner and Wodonga Express. 1929

Small articles like the one below speak to us from a different time.

A Launching Place

Dear Uncle Jeff, – There was a motor boat launched today at Huskisson.  We saw a large vessel launched there at one time.  We will soon be having our Sunday School Picnic,  and it is a day we all look forward to.  Daddy is getting a Rexonola and records,   as our other gramophone in about worn out.  Our little bantam has some dear little chickens.  Last time mummy set her on three duck eggs,  but she soon tired of the ducklings,  for they did not seem to understand her language and would run into the water when she would try and warn them off it. – Your fond niece,  “Heather Bell.”

(The ducklings”  natural love of water must have been very puzzling to the foster mother,  Eileen.)

Rexonola – was Australia’s first talking machine, – 1912 – 1930.  Below is an advertisement for the 1929 model.

Loss of the Spec - Gerringong

You would think the loss of a large sailing ship and some of it’s crew members would attract a great deal off attention in the city press of the day,  but in many cases the reporting of the tragedy would only be a few lines added to the shipping column of the Sydney papers… As you would expect regional papers close to where the disaster happened, usually included much more detailed information about the incident. The loss of the Schooner Spec and two of it’s crew was one of those cases. Sydney newspapers only devoted a total of three lines of text to the loss,  hidden away in the back of the newspaper in amongst general news items,  the story could be easily missed,  fortunately the local newspapers covered the story in a more comprehensive manner, allowing us to put together these details of the wreck.

The Kiama Independent and Shoalhaven Advertiser 1865

It is with the greatest regret that we find ourselves called upon this week to publish the particulars of the loss of the schooner Spec off the coast in our immediate neighbourhood,  and the death of the skipper and one of the two seamen who were employed on board. The Spec which had been freighted in Sydney with merchandise for some of the storekeepers in Kiama and Broughton Creek,  had discharged a large portion of her cargo at this port;  and after leaving had proceeded on her way towards Shoalhaven,  as far as Black Head,  Gerringong,  when she was struck by a sudden squall with such violence it threw her on here beam ends,  when she filled and within five minutes has sunk beneath the waves. The Spec at the time of the accident was about a mile and a half from the land.  One of the seamen named Edward Ross,  was fortunately enabled to swim to land,  which he reached,  as might be expected in a very exhausted condition.  He was received with all possible kindness and humanity by Mr. Kirby, and related the last he saw of his comrades,  one of them was on the bow of the sinking vessel,  and the other swimming for the shore which he proved unable to reach. The name of the skipper we understand,  was William James Dawson.  The seaman, a foreigner,  who was lost,  was commonly known by the name George.  On receipt of the intelligence of the accident,  Senior sergeant Johnson,  and the other members of the police stationed here,  left in all haste for Gerringong. Since the above was written,  the police have returned,  having searched the beach carefully for a considerable distance,  without finding any trace of the bodies of the unfortunate men,  or of the wreck.  Captain Dawson we understand, was a married man whose wife and two or three children residing in Sydney,  and are by this sad event bereft of their support and left in a state of destitution. For their relief it is intended to appeal to the sympathy of the public by means of subscription lists, which will be found at the banks and principal stores in town.  The other unfortunate was a Prussian by birth,  and was married but had no children.

Spec Schooner – 17 tons, 13.1 meters in length – 3.5m meters beam – 1.6 meter in depth,  Owned by G. Robertson Nicoll,  built 1865 – Registered at Sydney.

HMAS Creswell.

Inside history

Following on from the previous post about the fascinating story of the missing bell that at one time sounded navy time across the parade ground called the “Quarterdeck” at HMAS Creswell, I had the unique opportunity of  being given a guided tour of HMAS Creswell’s history museum and to climb the ladders to the top of the bell tower. HMAS Creswell  is a collection of heritage listed buildings, constructed in 1913, they are beautifully maintained and sit in an idyllic location on a small headland known as Captains Point overlooking Jervis Bay.  Creswell is a hive of activity and while we were there,  a batch of new trainee’s all dressed in blue and white uniforms were being put through drills.

These are just some of the buildings on the base.

The Museum. The museum has an amazing collection of artefacts,  which include diaries, photo’s,  precious objects and priceless documents,  all connected to the rich history of the base and to Jervis Bay. The photo’ take you on a journey back to the very beginning of the base,  particularly interesting to me were the many photo’s that depicted the workers that helped build the facility in 1913,  living in tents on site and carving out the rugged bush with limited machinery. A photo of the train that was used to transport rocks from the quarry during the construction of the break wall,  and another of a steamer used to deliver supplies during the construction, all add to the story. An image of the first group of 13 year old navy cadets to be trained at the base and their accompanying service history makes compelling reading. There were portraits, photo’s and stories of officers trained at the base who served during conflicts Australia has been involved in,  many made the ultimate sacrifice,  their stories are told on panels accompanied by uniforms, ceremonial swords and personal items,  many of which have been donated to the museum by relatives.

The railway line used to move equipment and a Steamer Workers at the site during construction Locomotive 530 in use from 1912 to 1930’s

The Clock Tower Building.

The clock tower was constructed at the same time as the rest of the buildings, recently renovated and looking fantastic, inside the building you find a large open space that was used as a gymnasium,  beautiful hardwood polished floors,  high ceilings and exposed steel trusses overhead. The Peter Webber Collection. The building houses a world class collection of hand made model ships, tracing the development from sailing ships right through to modern steel war ships.  The detail and craftsmanship used in making these models is truly mind boggling,  each ship is accompanied by a text panel outlining the history of the vessel.

Born in Bournmouth England in 1923 Peter joined the Royal Navy and served as a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm. He came to Australia in 1952 settling in the Shoalhaven. The ship models on display are the result of years of experience and research and endeavour.  He made every part by hand in it’s entirety. The assembly of models on display represents Peter Webber’s entire collection.

a few of the magnificent ships on display.

Inside the Bell Tower

Connected by a series of narrow steep ladders,  the first climb brings you out into a dark empty room, once your eyes adjust,  the first thing you notice is the walls are covered with names and dates,  the markings are from trainees at the base who over many years,   broke into the tower and signed their names on the walls, it was seen as a challenge and quite an achievement to get your name on the walls, some date back into the 40’s.

The second ladder brings you to another room with a small window and old timber doors,  opening the doors gives you a view across the base and the beautiful blue water and white beaches of Jervis Bay.

This floor houses the fascinating and unique mechanism that drives the bell and clock and keeps it on time.  Originally driven by a weighted pendulum the mechanism has been updated and now runs on small electric motors.  There are two wires connecting this device to the  floor above.

After another steep climb you finally reach the top of the tower,  this room is bathed soft light, the light comes via the two large translucent clock faces that flank both sides of the room,  the first thing you see is another fascinating piece of machinery with a swinging pendulum and moving gears,  simple in design but puzzling to watch, how they worked this device out is beyond me, the wires from the floor below connect the two devices and then go vertically to the bell sticking out through the roof above,  there you see two large steel hammers ready to be drawn back at the appropriate time and ring the bell.

You can see the two large steel hammers that have been in action since 1913, there ready to strike the bell,  all driven by the amazing mechanism on the floor below. After the original bell went missing, when the base was turned into a holiday resort in the 30’s it was replaced with the bell shown here,  it’s smaller in size then the original bell.

Each floor features more names and dates and they make interesting reading,  there was some discussion about covering the signatures,  but they have become part of the towers history, describing many of the past students and their adventurous spirit. Descending each level you finally come back into the light and our guided tour of the base and this fascinating building came to and end. The history of the base is intertwined with the history of Jervis Bay,  the navy has played an amazing roll in the development of Jervis Bay,  their presence has been a positive and inspiring connection. Since the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in America the base has been closed to the general population, so this remarkable museum can’t be seen by the general public at this time,  it’s a great shame,  and hopefully one day the authorities will be able to open the doors to the public again.

The original Bell.

The original bell is housed in the foyer of the museum.  You can read more about the bells history,  disappearance  and it’s rediscovery here – Continue reading.

I would like to thank Lieutenant Commander David Jones for giving me the opportunity to experience the museum and the amazing bell tower. His knowledge, and passion for the Navy’s history in connection with the base and Jervis Bay is manifest. And a special thanks to Ken Sheen who initially organised and accompanied us throughout our tour.

World War One – Jervis Bay

The Shoalhaven Telegraph Wednesday 12 August 1914 - 1915

As the war raged in Europe,  life around the bay went on. The gardens at the newly constructed Naval College were a matter of concern from the head gardener from the Federal Capital. A Bachelors Ball was held with visitors from Sydney,  Nowra,  Huskisson,  Tomerong,  and other centres coming in good numbers,  the College Orchestra supplied splendid music and the supper was dainty and good. Other dances were arranged trying to raise funds for the Huskisson School of Arts,  The present day Huskisson Pictures. The disastrous war being waged has had it’s effect on the holiday traffic,  and although the accommodation houses had their complements they were not overtaxed. 1915 The Shipbuilding family the Dents arranged dances to raise funds for the wounded soldiers

But war was never to far from peoples minds.

Great interest in being taken in the war,  and many wonder what the position will be in the event of a hostile fleet appearing off the bay.  As this is not  fortified no enemy can bombard,  etc.,  even though the future work of the college is to train officers of war. It is hoped the Government will not be forced to reduce hands,  who would naturally go to over-manned centres.

What a remarkable piece of art.   A mother and child gripped in fear, sharing straight out of the page, puts you in two positions,  one as an observer and one as the enemy,  the skill used by the artist to conveyed fear and emotion with  a few simple shapes and shadows can’t be ignored. .

In Remembrance of the 100 year anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war the museum has a remarkable collection of images on display until September taken at Gallipoli – Continue Reading

Schooner Darcy Pratt – Jervis Bay

March 1876

With much fan fair and celebrations the beautifully hand crafted Schooner Darcy Pratt slid into the calm waters of Currambene Creek Jervis Bay. Built by Thomas Macaulay for Mr Willaim Peverley's of Balmain,  and launched at Mr Peverley’s  yard on the banks of Currambene Creek she measured 93ft on the keel and 22ft beam, and 10ft 6in depth of hold. Made from local hardwoods, she was a fine looking ship. William Macaulay’s yard was situated right next to the Dents yard. The christening ceremony was performed by Miss S. Parnell,  many people came from all over the district to witness the launch. Like many other launchings it was a time of great celebration,  months of work had finally ended in triumph,  the ships builder and his skilled workmen would breath a sigh of relief as their hard toil was finally floating safely in the cool element she was made for. Much work would still have to be done  before she was ready for the open sea.  Secured to her mooring,  over the next few days she would be made ready for her first voyage. The night of the launch a ball had been arranged to celebrate the successful launch. She traded between  various ports in Australia and the South Sea Islands,  carrying all manner of cargo saw her on regular trips between New Zealand and Australia carrying Kauri Pine and other cargos.. Like all sailing vessels of the time,  her passage was determined by the conditions,  travelling vast distances over open ocean she would encounter fierce storms and sometimes have light winds and be calmed for days,   constantly having to adjust and re-adjust for changing wind direction to reach her goal.

When good fortune is on your side.

1891 - She had a lucky escape on a voyage between Tairo to Australia,  two weeks of light winds ahead the whole distance, and a heavy rolling sea made the voyage  tediously slow.  Reaching Brighton  after dark, they sighted a small craft in shore,  convinced it was the pilot craft the captain ordered she be hauled to the wind to get near her,  coming grounded on a sandy beach.  An anchor was carried out and strain hove on the cable,  but she was hard and fast, with a strong list to starboard. The next morning's tide a tug was in attendance,  and towed the vessel to harbour. 1891 - During a trip from Noumea to Australia in ballast, while in command of Captain Donald,  she battled heavy weather.    In sight of Port Stevens she met a strong south - south west gale which carried her off the land, requiring her to hove to for three days weathering the heavy conditions,  The conditions finally moderated and she was able to beat into land,  arriving safely. 1892 - After leaving port for New Zealand she encountered heavy going and was fortunate to be able to put into Port Stephens. Those who feared that the vessel would have a bad time of it will be pleased to learn of her safety. 1892 - Leaving Kaipara for Australia with 125, 000 ft of Kauri timber she ran into contrary winds that gradually increased to gale force and large seas.  For ten days she battled a succession of heavy gales,  swing from north east to north,  around to south- west and back again to north.    the weather finally moderated and she arrived in port at Newcastle.

When your luck finally runs out.

1893 - The wreck of the Darcy Pratt On a dark and hazy night the Darcy Pratt's luck finally run out,  In command was Captain Thomas Cogar,  leaving Rockhampton, bound to Auckland, New Zealand. with a cargo of 220 tons of bone and bone dust,  About ten pm on Friday in heavy rain and haze the Darcy Platt set a course to bear up for Cape Capricorn:  about half past one o'clock on Saturday morning she struck on a reef. The sea started to breech over the ship,  the captain made the decision to get all hands into the boat and leave the ship. After leaving the ship the life boat grounded on the reef:  When the boat floated again they steered for Cape Capricorn,  arriving there about 6 o'clock. The boat had no water,  no sail,  three or four biscuits, and a bit of soft bread,  no mast or sail and no compass. Because of the dangerous, difficult position they found themselves in trying to leave the stricken ship,  there wasn't time to load any more provisions. At the time of the grounding the sea was described as being heavy and confused with a stiff wind blowing. The captain thought  by his reckonings he would clear all reefs by 8 miles. The captain and crew left the ship around 30 minutes after she struck,  by his description some of the bulwarks were gone on the port side,  and the decks appeared to have risen a little amidships:  the hatches were battened and wedged down,  at the time of leaving the captain didn't think she would come off on the next tide,  he thought there would be a rick to life by remaining any longer on the ship.

After two days of the enquiry,  where witnesses were tested on their evidence by (Chairman) Captain A. E. Sykes and Mr. F. J. Byerley, the findings came down hard on Captain  Thomas Cogar and his mate,  John Davis. The decision was carried on 7 points that ended with the captain being censured for using inadequate charts. (1) Not allowing enough distance between the vessel and the reefs, (2) That the captain hadn't provided adequate lookouts,  which more that likely would have avoided the tragedy. (3) Not taking soundings with lead to ascertain their depth,  which would have given the captain a clearer picture of his position. (4) From the position of the steering compass,  it was utterly impossible to obtain anything more than approximate position. (5)The master was guilty of negligence in not using the spare compass for this purpose. (6) That cross bearings should have been taken before dark to fix the position at the time. (7) The master instead of being doubly vigilant,  knowing that he was navigating a dangerous part of the coast with a practically useless chart for coastal navigation,  navigated his ship carelessly and negligently,  and to this cause we attribute the loss of the vessel. Conclusion - We therefore censure the master Thomas Cogar for neglecting to procure the proper charts, and subsequently carelessly navigating his vessel.  The enquiry ordered the master to defray the expenses of the enquiry.  one hundred and twenty nine pounds. We also consider the mate,  John Davis gave his evidence in an evasive and unsatisfactory manner. Captain Cogar made no statement.

Owner: Captain A. Gibbs of Auckland Cargo" 220 tons of bones and bone dust. - Insured Described as being 16 years old,  made of hardwood and well found,  making very little water up until the time she struck the reef. Crew 8 hands including the Master.

Walter Hood

The final resting place

In a previous post about the Walter Hood I mentioned the stone memorial that was built over the remains of the poor souls that drowned during this tragic event.  It had been many years since I last saw the memorial,  A few days ago i took the opportunity to revisit the site.   Not much has changed,  the track is still a little rough and overgrown,  recent rain had left areas muddy and damp,  signage is limited and the memorial would be easy to miss if you didn’t take the time to investigate properly,  the only real change was the wire fence erected around the grave to protect the memorial.

You get mixed feelings standing in front of the grave site reading the names engraved on the white marble plaque,  it’s in a beautiful setting,  surrounded by forest, adjacent to a long sweeping beach and rocky headland,   the only sounds coming from the ocean and the birds flitting about the bush. Do you think they lay in peace?, so close to the place that took their lives,  does the relentless sound of the sea make them restless,  a constant reminder of that life changing event. Who will ever know?,  It’s a sad sort of memorial, -  dark stone, covered in lichen and moss, slowly amalgamating into the elements from which it was made,  standing just a few hundred yards away from the small bay where the decaying remains of the beautiful ship that carried them on their last journey rests. Continue Reading: