Showing 8 items matching "indian harbour"
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Returned Nurses RSL Sub-branchNewspaper - Newspaper clipping, Eastern Standard, Off the peg with Peg Morgan: Nurse to the world, July 17 1984
... ...Indian Harbour...Blackburn Labrador Memories Innaminka New Guinea Nurse Thursday Island Nurse Hawthorn Dora Elizabeth Burchill South Australia Queensland New South Wales Burke and Wills London West London Hospital Wilfred Grenfell USA Indian Harbour Queen Mary Australian Imperial Force Middle East Radio 3SR Shepparton Sepik district New Guinea High School Certificate Box Hill TAFE Maroondah Singers Alan Marshall Army Education Spectrum Melbourne 'NC7' [blue ink, top right] A newspaper clipping of a title, four columns of text and two black and white photos. ...The life of Elizabeth Burchill has produced five books. Her most recent book, 'The paths I've trod' brings together her previous four books, providing a remarkable insight, not only into a lifetime of nursing, but the entire period from the 19020's to the 1970's. When Elisabeth first trained in Melbourne, leeches were still part of accepted medical practice. She volunteered to serve with the Australian Inland Mission at Innaminka in her twenties. When she returned to Melbourne she undertook further specialised training at the Tweddle Baby Hospital, Footscray. After her outback adventure she developed 'itchy feet syndrome' and decided to test the saying that nursing was the best passport to travel. She became a registered nurse in six countries. Elizabeth volunteered for service caring for refugee children in Spain towards the end of the Civil War there. When she returned to Australia she enlisted in the first Victorian contingent if nurses with the second AIF.. She travelled to the Middle East, with her time in Nazareth being especially interesting. After the war she tried her hand at radio announcing before retuning to nursing. In the 1970's Elizabeth became a mature age student, gained her HSC and went on to graduate as a Bachelor of Arts in 1981 at Monash University. Currently she is studying for her Bachelor of Literature at Melbourne University. Donating $10,000 to Monash saw the 'Burchill Room' named. It is a repository for Australiana, including memorbilia from Elizabeth herself.A newspaper clipping of a title, four columns of text and two black and white photos. The large photo is of an older woman holding several books. The smaller photo is of three women wearing nurse's uniforms.'NC7' [blue ink, top right]blackburn, labrador memories, innaminka, new guinea nurse, thursday island nurse, hawthorn, dora elizabeth burchill, south australia, queensland, new south wales, burke and wills, london, west london hospital, wilfred grenfell, usa, indian harbour, queen mary, australian imperial force, middle east, radio 3sr shepparton, sepik district, new guinea, high school certificate, box hill, tafe, maroondah singers, alan marshall, army education, spectrum melbourne -
Bendigo Military MuseumPhotograph - PHOTOGRAPHS, NAVY WW2, c.WWII
... Harbour .9) HMS Exeter .10) On the approach of the island. Note twin Lewis guns .11) HMS Ajax bombarding Bardia .12) A native boat used along coasts and Indian Ocean .13) RMS Georgie refoated at Pt? ...Harbour .9) HMS Exeter .10) On the approach of the island. Note twin Lewis guns .11) HMS Ajax bombarding Bardia .12) A native boat used along coasts and Indian Ocean .13) RMS Georgie refoated at Pt? ...Photographs collected by Earnest Albert Simmons W/2129 Royal Australian Navy. Enlisted 30 June 1941 and discharged 14 October 1946 with the rank of Leading Stoker. Posting at discharge was HMAS Lonsdale..1) Ship .2) Submarine conning tower .3) Ship .4) Hospital ship .5) Ship at anchor .6) Launch at ships side .7) Ships at anchor .8) Sunken ship .9) Ship .10) Group on launch .11) Ship firing a broadside .12) Wooden sailing vessel .13) Ship .14) Ship .15) Pilot station .16) Ship .17) Ship .18) Ship.s deck and biplane .19) Partially sunken ship .20) Two ships .21) Ship .22) Ship - damaged .23) Ship .24) Statue and colonade .25) Searchlights .26) Ships deck at sea .27) Aircraft .28) Ship .29) Ship .30) Troop ship .31) Swimmers at ships side .32) Ship .33) Ship .34) Ship deck at sea .35) Ship .36) Submarine .37) Ship .38) Ship .39) Ship .40) Two ships at sea .41) Ship .42) Aircraft carrier .43) Ships symbol .44) Sketch of Berbera .45) Sketch of biplanes .46) Boat at pier .47) Tug boat .48) Ship .49) Ship at wharf .50) Ships at wharf .51) Aircraft carrier .52) Ship .53) Ship at wharf .54) Ships at wharf .55) Ship .56) Two ships .57) Tug boat .58) Diagram comparing the size of two ships .59) Ship sailing past lighthouse .60) Postcard HMAS "Stuart". .1) Hobart and Glascow at Colombo .2) British submarine returning to Alexandria after claiming a victory - note Skull and X Bones .3) HMS Glascow at Colombo .4) Ex Italian hospital ship taken over by British. RAMB II .5) HMS Exeter .6) The landing party returning .7) Part fleet at Colombo .8) British ammunition ship sunk by sabotage in Alex Harbour .9) HMS Exeter .10) On the approach of the island. Note twin Lewis guns .11) HMS Ajax bombarding Bardia .12) A native boat used along coasts and Indian Ocean .13) RMS Georgie refoated at Pt? 1941 .14) HMS Carthage .15) Pilot station at Colombo .16) Aquitania .17) Ajax on patrol with Hobart and battle fleet .18) Hobart rolling in the Bight .19) HMS Gnat (river gun boat) hit by torpedo at Tobruk .20) - .21) Mauritania .22) Italian cruiser sunk by HMAS Sydney .23) Greek destroyer .24) Memorial of Mohomed Pasha Alexandria. Presented by Musso .25) Searchlight at Alexandria .26) Hobart pile driving in heavy weather .27) Lockheed Hudson dive bombing .28) - .29) HMS Galatea? x 1 turret at stern .30) Troops on Aquitania .31) Boys swimming in the middle lakes at Ismalia in the centre of Sues Canal .32) A water NG ? .33) - .34) Hobart striking heavy weather .35) HMS Jupiter .36) British submarine entering Alex .37) Queen Mary .38) Queen Elizabeth .39) Nieuw Amsterdam .40) - .41) Achilles .42) HMS Aircraft carrier - Illustrious .43) Symbol of Hobart's Pom-Pom .44) - .45) - .46) - .47) - .48) Mohoja and Oronties .49) Mohoja .50) - .51) - .52) HMAS Murchison 1954 .53) Strathmore .54) - .55) - .56 - .57 - .58) HMAS Vendetta .59) HMAS Cowra .60) - photographs, ran, hmas -
Bendigo Military MuseumPhotograph - PHOTOGRAPH, FRAMED, HMAS MANOORA, Post 1945
... Battle Honours, Indian Ocean 1941-42, Pacific 1942-45, New Guinea 1944, Leyte Gulf 1944, Lingayen Gulf 1945, Borneo 1945. photography hmas ran Marked on rear of frame, "L. SCHILLING" On front states HMAS MANOORA, armed merchant cruiser. 1939 - 1945. Framed photo of "H.M.A.S. Manoora" Black and white photo of full length of ship. Sydney Harbour ...Requisitioned by the RAN on 11.10.39 and outfitted as an Armed Merchant Cruiser. Commissioned 12.12.39 and Decommissioned 6.12.47 and refitted back to original use. Battle Honours, Indian Ocean 1941-42, Pacific 1942-45, New Guinea 1944, Leyte Gulf 1944, Lingayen Gulf 1945, Borneo 1945. Framed photo of "H.M.A.S. Manoora" Black and white photo of full length of ship. Sydney Harbour Bridge is in the background. The frame has stylised branch and leaves. Heavily printed over with cream paint.Marked on rear of frame, "L. SCHILLING" On front states HMAS MANOORA, armed merchant cruiser. 1939 - 1945.photography, hmas ran -
Monbulk RSL Sub BranchBook, Random House, First victory : 1914 : HMAS Sydney's hunt for the German raider Emden, 2013
... Harbour in October 1913, a young nation was at peace. Under a year later Australia had gone to war in what was seen as a noble fight for king, country and Empire. Thousands of young men joined up for the adventure of having 'a crack at the Kaiser'. And indeed the German threat to Australia was real, and very near - in the Pacific islands to our north, and in the Indian ...HMAS Sydney's hunt for the German raider, Emden. When the ships of the new Royal Australian Navy made their grand entry into Sydney Harbour in October 1913, a young nation was at peace. Under a year later Australia had gone to war in what was seen as a noble fight for king, country and Empire. Thousands of young men joined up for the adventure of having 'a crack at the Kaiser'. And indeed the German threat to Australia was real, and very near - in the Pacific islands to our north, and in the Indian Ocean. In the opening months of the war, a German raider, Emden, wreaked havoc on the maritime trade of the British Empire. Its battle against the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney, when it finally came, was short and bloody - an emphatic first victory at sea for the fledgling Royal Australian Navy. This is the stirring story of the perilous opening months of the Great War and the bloody sea battle that destroyed the Emden in a triumph for Australia that resounded around the world. In the century since, many writers have been there before Mike Carlton. Most were German, some of them survivors of the battle, others later historians, and they have generally told the story well. British accounts vary in quality, from good to nonsense, and there have been some patchwork American attempts as well. Curiously, there has been very little written from an Australian point of view. This book is - in part - an attempt to remedy that, with new facts and perspectives brought into the light of day.Index, bib, ill, maps, p.476.non-fictionHMAS Sydney's hunt for the German raider, Emden. When the ships of the new Royal Australian Navy made their grand entry into Sydney Harbour in October 1913, a young nation was at peace. Under a year later Australia had gone to war in what was seen as a noble fight for king, country and Empire. Thousands of young men joined up for the adventure of having 'a crack at the Kaiser'. And indeed the German threat to Australia was real, and very near - in the Pacific islands to our north, and in the Indian Ocean. In the opening months of the war, a German raider, Emden, wreaked havoc on the maritime trade of the British Empire. Its battle against the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney, when it finally came, was short and bloody - an emphatic first victory at sea for the fledgling Royal Australian Navy. This is the stirring story of the perilous opening months of the Great War and the bloody sea battle that destroyed the Emden in a triumph for Australia that resounded around the world. In the century since, many writers have been there before Mike Carlton. Most were German, some of them survivors of the battle, others later historians, and they have generally told the story well. British accounts vary in quality, from good to nonsense, and there have been some patchwork American attempts as well. Curiously, there has been very little written from an Australian point of view. This book is - in part - an attempt to remedy that, with new facts and perspectives brought into the light of day.world war 1939 – 1945 – naval operations - australia, world war 1939 – 1945 –naval operations - germany -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural CollectionPhotograph - Photographs - Vessels Portland Harbour, n.d
... SS Indianic. Photograph Photographs - Vessels Portland Harbour Unknown ...Port of Portland CollectionFront: Portland (upper left) Victoria (upper right)/ The Victorian Wheatgrowers Corporation (upper centre) 1. M. V. Geisha; 2. SS. Peebles; 3. SS. Queen Margaret; 4. SS Barwon Polwarth; 5. SS Anstral Port; 6. SS H. H. Asquith; 7. M.S. Canada; 8. SS Unden; 9. Portland Bay 1922; 10. SS Aussa; 11. SS Ootmarsum; 12. SS Shelley; 13. SS Dumfries; 14. SS Baltico; 15. SS Indianic/ Season 1921-22 (lower centre)/ Total Wheat Slapped - 3,499, 402 bus - 93,734 Tons (lower centre)(white print) Back: (no inscriptions)port of portland archives, portland harbour, vessel, victorian wheat corporation -
Ringwood and District Historical SocietyBiography, He heard Dickens, Disraeli, 21-Jul-44
... Indian Wars. Was on the China - London tea run.; Pioneered the coastal trade of Tasmania.; was warden of Hobart marine Board, Member for Glamorgan in the Tasmanian House of Assembly for 12 years and also a minister before Federation.; In 1905 got Concession from Siam to form the Tongkah Harbour Tin Dredging Company, which later won 2,000,000 pounds worth of Tin. ...Indian Wars. Was on the China - London tea run.; Pioneered the coastal trade of Tasmania.; was warden of Hobart marine Board, Member for Glamorgan in the Tasmanian House of Assembly for 12 years and also a minister before Federation.; In 1905 got Concession from Siam to form the Tongkah Harbour Tin Dredging Company, which later won 2,000,000 pounds worth of Tin. ...Handwritten article about Captain Edward Thomas Miles 21-Jul-1944, copied from a newspaper.This is a handwritten copy from an unnamed newspaper. Refer also to the Australian Dictionary of Biography.; 21-Jul-1944 - Newspaper.; He heard Dickens, Disraeli; Captain Edward Thomas Miles who died recently at Ringwood where he had lived in retirement for many years, was born in Hobart 1849 and gained Master Mariners Certificate at 21 and his first command two years later. Served in the China, South African and Indian Wars. Was on the China - London tea run.; Pioneered the coastal trade of Tasmania.; was warden of Hobart marine Board, Member for Glamorgan in the Tasmanian House of Assembly for 12 years and also a minister before Federation.; In 1905 got Concession from Siam to form the Tongkah Harbour Tin Dredging Company, which later won 2,000,000 pounds worth of Tin. Sons and Grandsons managed the original company until present war, and one son and three grandsons remained to become prisioners of war.; Met Cecil Rhodes when he went to the Cape with his first sample of diamonds from the Kimberley.; With all other ship's officers was called out as special policeman to quell the Fenian riots in London.; Heard on several occasions Charles Dickens reading his own works. Listened to Disraeli and Gladstone speaking in the House of Commons.; With his partners built the Zeehan to Strahan railway, Tasmania, 29 miles. Was shipwrecked 3 times.; His first memory was that of travelling with his parents to the gold diggings in Victoria by bullock cart in 1852 at the age of three years. +Additional Keywords: Miles, Captain Edward Thomas / Dickens, Charles / Disraeli / Rhodes / Gladstone -
Sunshine and District Historical Society IncorporatedPhotograph - Hellenic Prince Ship, Copy 27/01/2014 - (Original Post Card circa 1950)
... Harbour. Seaplanes continued to operate from the anchored ship. (Click on the Link 'HMAS Albatross (1)' situated above the Object Registration number to view pictures of the HMAS Albatross on the Navy web site). In 1938 the ship was recommissioned and transferred to the Royal Navy as part payment for the light cruiser Hobart. The ship then did military service for the Royal Navy during World War 2. It did patrol and escort duties in the southern Atlantic, and from mid 1942 in the Indian...Harbour. Seaplanes continued to operate from the anchored ship. (Click on the Link 'HMAS Albatross (1)' situated above the Object Registration number to view pictures of the HMAS Albatross on the Navy web site). In 1938 the ship was recommissioned and transferred to the Royal Navy as part payment for the light cruiser Hobart. The ship then did military service for the Royal Navy during World War 2. It did patrol and escort duties in the southern Atlantic, and from mid 1942 in the Indian ...In 1949 the HELLENIC PRINCE with its 3 hospitals, 2 cinemas, and air conditioned accommodation was chartered by the International Refugee Organisation to transport displaced persons from Europe to Australia. Its first trip was to Sydney where it arrived with 1000 passengers on 5 December 1949. On the third trip it left Naples on 23 March 1950, and arrived in Fremantle on 20 April 1950, and in Melbourne on 25 April 1950. The men and women were separated for the voyage with my father sleeping on a hammock in a large room with other men, while my mother, my brother, and I had bunks in a shared cabin. On board were displaced persons ex Bagnoli Camp Italy, some of whom later built their bungalows on the grassy and rocky paddocks near Sunshine Victoria, and began to establish a new life in a new country. A few of the families that arrived on the third trip and purchased land in the Dunkeld Ave - Sandford Ave area of North Sunshine (Birmingham Estate) were Janczak, Kolanowicz, Mroz, Pawlak, Rasztabiga, Skrobalak, Szydlowski, Witkowski, and Zielinski. Some friends settled elsewhere in Sunshine. The family Tabaka went to West Sunshine just over the Derby Rd Bridge, while the family Wojcik went to Ardeer. The ship first started service in 1929 for the Royal Australian Navy as the HMAS ALBATROSS. It had a standard displacement of 4,800 tons and was 443 feet 7 inches (135.2 metres) long, and its top speed during trials reached 22 knots (41 km/hr). It was built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard as Australia's first Aircraft Carrier (seaplanes), but the aircraft that it was designed for were retired just before the ship went into service. A new plane specifically designed to work with the Albatross began operations after the ship was decommissioned in 1933, and placed into reserve in Sydney Harbour. Seaplanes continued to operate from the anchored ship. (Click on the Link 'HMAS Albatross (1)' situated above the Object Registration number to view pictures of the HMAS Albatross on the Navy web site). In 1938 the ship was recommissioned and transferred to the Royal Navy as part payment for the light cruiser Hobart. The ship then did military service for the Royal Navy during World War 2. It did patrol and escort duties in the southern Atlantic, and from mid 1942 in the Indian Ocean. By early 1944 the ship was converted so that it could repair landing craft and other support vessels off Sword and Juno beaches. The ship managed to return 132 craft into service and to save 79 others from total loss. On 11 August 1944 Albatross was torpedoed with the loss of either 50 or 66 personnel, but was able to be towed back to Portsmouth. After repairs she did a short service as a minesweeper depot ship, and following that was placed into reserve on 3 August 1945. In August 1946 the ship was sold for commercial use but the plans to convert it into a luxury liner or a floating cabaret fell through. The ship was again sold on 14 November 1948 to the British-Greek Yannoulatos Group, who renamed it HELLENIC PRINCE in recognition of the birth of Prince Charles and his Greek heritage. After conversion into a passenger ship the Hellenic Prince made several trips to Australia transporting displaced persons, however apparently not all trips were pleasant for the passengers. In the on board newsletter 'Kangaroo' dated 5 January 1951, the ship's master P. C. King expressed his indignation about the behaviour of passengers and made accusations of mutiny. According to some immigrants the conditions were appalling and overcrowded with 1200 passengers. Passengers were supposedly required to work and were paid with Woodbine cigarettes. The drinking water ran out, the freezer broke down, and fresh food that was brought on board went to the crew. Sea sickness was rife because the ship was rarely level due to malfunctioning pumps. (The newsletter 'Kangaroo' can be viewed at the Museum Victoria web site by clicking the Link 'Newsletter - Kangaroo'). In 1953 during the Mau Mau uprising the Hellenic Prince was used to transport troops to Kenya, and in 1954 the ship came to an end in a scrap yard at Hong Kong. THE ABOVE INFORMATION WAS COMPILED FROM; (1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Albatross_(1928) (accessed 11/2/2013), (2) An article by Graeme Andrews found at http://www.afloat.com.au/afloat-magazine/2011/july-2011/The_boat_people_of_the _forties_and_fifties#.UuYY6ou4apo (accessed 27/1/14), (3) http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/273166/newsletter-kangaroo-hellenic-prince-5-jan-1951 (accessed 27/1/14), (4) National Archive search starting at; www.naa.gov.au/collection/search/index.aspx (accessed 27/1/14), (5) http://www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/3864781978 (accessed 29/1/14). Hellenic Prince has a significance to Sunshine Victoria because some of the displaced people from Europe, who arrived in Melbourne on Anzac Day 1950, were among the first people to settle in the grassy and rocky paddock areas of North Sunshine. These settlers established a residential suburban area out of the paddocks. In those early days there were no services and the planned roads were basically just drawings on a map. The ship is also significant because it was named in recognition of the birth of Prince Charles. In the ship's former life as the HMAS Albatross the significance is that it was built in Australia as our country's first Aircraft Carrier (seaplanes).New photograph made from a scanned copy of a circa 1950 Post Card featuring the ship on calm water.Hellenic Prince / Hong Konghellenic prince, migrant ship, displaced persons, refugees, international refugee organisation, bagnoli camp, hmas albatross, yannoulatos group -
City of Melbourne LibrariesPhotograph (item), Bull, Hugh Jones, 1897-1993, Unloading timber at Victoria Dock, 1933
... Indian oceans. Returned to the Australian Oriental Line in 1947, she underwent refitting and by mid-1948 was chartered to the Shanghai Shipping Company, and modified for greater passenger accommodation – approximately 500 passengers. In 1948/49 the Chinese Civil War took place. The Taiping departed Shanghai on 26 January 1949 as one of the final vessels evacuating civilians from to Keelung Harbour...Indian oceans. Returned to the Australian Oriental Line in 1947, she underwent refitting and by mid-1948 was chartered to the Shanghai Shipping Company, and modified for greater passenger accommodation – approximately 500 passengers. In 1948/49 the Chinese Civil War took place. The Taiping departed Shanghai on 26 January 1949 as one of the final vessels evacuating civilians from to Keelung Harbour ...Photographer notations on slide: "Unloading Timber at Wharves 1933 Age B5" Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- ), Tuesday 15 August 1933 MAHOGANY FROM MANILA. (1933, August 15). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 16, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204377024 Published title: MAHOGANY FROM MANILA Published Caption: Age Tue 15 Aug 1933 Caption: Unloading Mahogany Logs brought from Manila, Philippine Islands, by the steamer Taiping, which berthed yesterday at Victoria Dock. The vessel discharged twenty logs, each weighing three tons, the first shipment of this type of timber landed in Melbourne. Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: This photograph in many ways epitomises Melbourne in the 1930s. It is a time of enormous growth, development and change. But before delving into that, the photo itself is very powerful. The huge mahogany logs being unloaded appear to be so heavy that the ship itself seems to list to port as they are craned over the side. They are being levered into a cart to which two large and sturdy Clydesdale horses are hitched. In contrast to the traditional horses, the wharf is crisscrossed with modern railway tracks. Unloading is both mechanical and manual, and the scene is one of intense interest to a young boy bystander. The ship appears to be squat and solid, but the whole image also gives a feeling of movement and intensity. The mahogany being delivered to Melbourne would be intended for high quality furniture. In the 1930s Australia actually had a growing timber industry, but much of the eucalyptus wood was being utilised for mass produced furniture, and much of this furniture would then have had a veneer applied to it. The fact that it was economic to import this timber from the “Philippine Islands” – not a traditional trading market for Australia – reflects a Victorian economy that was strong enough to support a growing demand for good quality furniture Mahogany was described as a classic, strong hardwood, often used for dark opulent furniture. In the 1930s the importation of timber from Manila (Philippines) to Australia was a notable trade, particularly in Philippine Lauan (often referred to as Philippine Mahogany), which was used as a cheaper alternative to other hardwoods. 1930s furniture, dominated by the art deco style, used a mix of luxurious exotic woods like mahogany, macassar and ebony for high-end pieces, often veneered over less expensive woods such as walnut, birch and poplar, and with plywood, chrome and lacquer also popular for more practical, streamlined designs during the Depression era. By the mid 1930s timber mills were being relocated away from the immediate dock area, but the fact that these logs were being transported by horse-drawn cart implies that the load would not have had to be taken too far for milling. 1885 the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners had decided that land in or near the city was far too valuable to be used as timber yards. Furthermore, large stacks of timber posed a fire risk. The Trust asked the Victorian Government to reserve a site on the east side of the Yarra River opposite Yarraville and Spotswood. Here, in 1889, the Trust began building six jetties and a wharf specifically for the landing of timber. Clydesdale horses were initially brought to Victoria from Tasmania in the 1830s, and with the 1850s gold rush they were imported direct from Scotland. Melbourne was from its earliest years an important centre of horse-breeding from both imported and colonial-bred stock, providing the well-built draught horse for pulling heavily loaded wagons, the harness horse for delivery work and drawing coaches, and the saddle-horse used for riding. Stud breeding facilities were advertised from the early 1840s. By the 1870s the horse export trade was thriving, and the Port of Melbourne was the country's busiest exporter of horses to Indian, Asian and New Zealand markets. Kirk's Melbourne Horse and Carriage Bazaar in Bourke Street first advertised for business in 1840, and by the 1850s Bourke Street West was famed for its horse bazaars and saleyards. The Victorian Clydesdale Horse Society reports that Clydesdale working horses were a vital part of Melbourne's infrastructure and agricultural industry in the 1930s, when they reached the peak of their popularity despite the increasing competition from mechanization. Their main roles and usage at this time were: • City Delivery: Clydesdales were a common sight for metropolitan deliveries, particularly for breweries (such as Carlton & United Breweries), milk runs, and bread deliveries. • Industrial Work: They were heavily used for hauling cargo at the docks, in construction, and at specialized sites like the Truganina Explosives Reserve, where they pulled wagons. • Agriculture: In surrounding rural areas, they were the primary power source for ploughing and agricultural machinery. • Specialization: By the 1930s, the Clydesdale was smaller and more compact than the Shire or Percheron breeds, making them ideal for navigation in urban environments. After the 1930s their numbers decreased due to the onset of WWI and mechanisation. Wartime petrol rationing led to a brief revival for the working horse, as suburban tradesmen, now used to motor delivery, took their old jinkers out of mothballs. By 1947, however, only 1.5% of city traffic was horse-drawn. In 1952 the large horse cartage company A. Kellet Pty Ltd sold its 250 horses and converted its Richmond stables to storage. In the 1950s at Station and Princes piers, wharf labourers refused to work with the six draught horses still being used to haul trolleys and which were soon superseded by the fork lift, semi-trailer and mobile crane. Where carefully trained horses had once shunted trains in city goods yards, a few hundred a week were now being killed at the abattoirs for pet and human consumption. The last MCC dray horse was withdrawn from service in 1958, but some of the few remaining working animals are used by the mounted police for crowd control at demonstrations and football games. The death knell had also sounded for the associated trades of farrier, saddler and blacksmith. Our photo, therefore, showing the wharf with both the haulage Clydesdales and the rail lines, is a strong visual summary of the social and economic changes experienced in Victoria in the 1930s and on towards the 1950s. Our photo is located at Victoria Dock (also known as Victoria Harbour) which is still an active component of Melbourne’s port system. In 1892 the West Melbourne Dock (later Victoria Dock) was opened, downstream and immediately west of the Spencer Street railway shunting yards. It contained a swing basin for ships, replacing the one which had been provided on the south side of the river, later to be the Duke and Orr dry dock, west of the Charles Grimes Bridge. Further west was the South Wharf along the river bank. The history of Victoria Dock is extremely well described by Ashley Smith in his 2 March 2022 article in Docklands News, and its accompanying aerial photo of the Dock taken in 1934. He writes: "In the early 1930s Victoria Dock was one of the biggest sites for trade and export in Melbourne. A constant queue of ships sailed in, unloaded their cargo, recharged and reloaded, then left for the next port. Around the time this photo was taken (found in a 1934 photo book), the trapezium-shaped basin had been through some changes since its construction in the 1890s. The 497-metre-long Central Pier, finished in 1919, now featured six sheds to house the ever-increasing volume of cargo. The entrance had also been widened in the 1920s to allow better access. Some of the berths featured three-ton jib electric cranes to help with loading cargo and a rail network connected to the State Railway service. By the time construction was completed, the dock was 39 hectares and hailed as the second-largest dock in the world (behind Cavendish Dock, Barrow-in-Furness). To further save costs, excavations were dug to a more reasonable seven metres below low water, instead of British engineer Sir John Coode’s recommended 8.3 metres. Even then, the costs were still around £900,000. It was envisaged, with the extra wharfage, that around thirty 90-metre ships could berth inside. On March 22, 1892, Victoria Dock was opened by Victoria’s Governor, the Earl of Hopetoun (later Australia’s first Governor-General) who opened the sluice to let the Yarra in. It took six days to fill the basin with The Leader newspaper estimating that it would take another six months to completely fill (March 26, 1892). In the end, it took nearly a year before the first ship was allowed to enter on February 20, 1893, when the steamer Hubbuck sailed in to unload 1200 tonnes of cargo in 15 hours. The Argus (February 23, 1893) reported that the ship’s captain, J. R. Brodie, called the Yarra “better than the Thames”, and compared Victoria Dock favourably to the Albert Dock (Liverpool)." This would be a good time to move our focus on to the Taiping, which is the transporter of these giant mahogany logs. The Taiping was a steel-hulled, single-screw passenger-cargo Chinese steamer, which today has the dubious legacy of being involved in a collision headlined as “The Chinese Titanic”. It was constructed by the Hong Kong and Shampoa Dock Company at its facility in Hong Kong, with completion in 1926 for service under the Australia Oriental Line. Her gross register tonnage measured 4,324 tons, reflecting her design for inter-island and coastal trade routes, accommodating both passengers and freight. She operated routes connecting Australian ports with East Asian destinations. As World War II approached, Taiping continued predominantly working the trade routes between China and Australia, until December 1941, when she evacuated women and children from Hong Kong to Manila just before Japanese forces overran the region. She then safely reached Australia despite enemy air raids. Taiping was then requisitioned by the Royal Navy and repurposed as a victualling stores issuing ship for the Eastern Fleet, supporting logistical needs in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Returned to the Australian Oriental Line in 1947, she underwent refitting and by mid-1948 was chartered to the Shanghai Shipping Company, and modified for greater passenger accommodation – approximately 500 passengers. In 1948/49 the Chinese Civil War took place. The Taiping departed Shanghai on 26 January 1949 as one of the final vessels evacuating civilians from to Keelung Harbour in Taiwan. Reports indicate that the Taiping carried double the rated capacity of passengers i.e. 1000. The ship carried families, military personnel, civilians, carrying personal belongings, gold and valuables in hope of resettlement in Nationalist Taiwan. It also held heavy cargo in the form of silver and gold bullion loaded by the Central Bank of China. Because of the risk of patrols, and to conserve fuel, the Captain took the ship away from the usual open-sea passage, and instead navigated along the coast. He also extinguished navigation lights to avoid detection. Shortly after midnight on 27 January 1949 the Taiping collided with the smaller cargo steamer Chien Yuan in the East China Sea near the Zhoushan Archipelago. The Chien Yuan was also operating in darkness. The subsequent collision was catastrophic. The Chien Yuan sank with in 5 minutes, with the loss of 72 of its 74 crew. The Taiping sustained severe structural compromise from the broadside strike and initially remained afloat, then made a swift descent into the freezing water, with no attempt at an organised evacuation. No formal recovery process was instigated, however a distress signal went out. 32 survivors were picked up by the Australian destroyer HMAS Warramunga (on patrol nearby), a passing US vessel found 2 more, and local Zhoushan fishermen retrieved others. In the end, only 37 people survived. The event is remembered as a poignant moment in the mass migration to Taiwan, with families tragically separated. A memorial to the disaster exists at the Keelung Harbour naval base on Taiwan. With its total of over 1,500 deaths, it constituted one of the worst peacetime maritime losses. It is sometimes referred to as the “Oriental Titanic” because of the similarly large loss of life and speed of demise with the RMS Titanic in 1912. A fictional depiction of this event appears in the John Woo movies “The Crossing (Part 1) (2014), and The Crossing II (2015), known in Chinese as “Taiping Wheel”. The narrative weaves a story around pre-disaster romances and wartime turmoil among passengers, culminating in the ship’s rapid sinking. “The production, a high-budget Sino-Taiwanese-Hong Kong co-effort, portrays the event as a microcosm of the 1940s Sino-Japanese and civil war legacies, though critics noted the melodramatic style prioritizing spectacle over historical precision.” In conclusion, it is nice to return to our photo, and observe the people involved in this moment. The dockworkers are, so typical of the 1930s, dressed in what looks to us like formal clothing – dark suits or coats, white shirts, and black hats. I am particularly drawn to the young boy, bare-headed, arms crossed, and so intent on the unloading process. He too is wearing a white shirt, black trousers and jacket, and black shoes. This is 1933 Melbourne – but the haircut he is sporting is now very “hipster” and modern in 2026 Melbourne. References: MAHOGANY FROM MANILA. (1933, August 15). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 30, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204377024 Wikipedia, Taiping steamer, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_(steamer) Wikipedia, Victoria Dock, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Dock_(Melbourne) Docklands News, Ashley Smith, 2 Mar 2022, https://www.docklandsnews.com.au/victoria-dock/ Living Histories: Heritage Council of Victoria, Jill Barnard, 2008, Jetties and Piers, https://livinghistories.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Jetties-ONL-intro_Part-1.pdf eMelbourne, Wharves and Docks, https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM01612b.htm Australian Academy of Technological Sciences – Harvesting Wood, https://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/225.html Old Treasury Building, On the Water – The Docks, https://tinyurl.com/3wkbk66m Old Treasury Building, On The Road, https://tinyurl.com/dw44yr3t Port of Melbourne, Victorian Places, https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/port-of-melbourne Docklands Heritage Study - Environmental History, https://mvga-prod-files.s3.ap-southeast-4.amazonaws.com/public/2024-05/docklands-heritage-review-thematic-environmental-history-1991.pdf eMelbourne, Horses, https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00723b.htm Victorian Clydesdale Horse Society, https://www.clydesdalesvic.org.au/history The Crossing, https://letterboxd.com/film/the-crossing-i/Photographer notations on slide: "Unloading Timber at Wharves 1933 Age B5"ships, shipping, timber industry, shipwrecks, horses, docks, wharves, 1930-1939, wars, docklands
