The West Australian, 19 March, 1900
THE -NOR'-WEST TRADE.
ACTION BY THE ADELAIDE S.S. CO.
BULLARRA PLACED ON THE ROUTE.
To residents of the North and Nor'-West
portions of the colony the steamer Albany
had become an institution, so long had she
plied between Fremantle and the northern
ports. Now, however, to meet the demands
of trade the Albany has had to give way to
the much larger steamer Bullarra, which
on Wednesday will leave Fremantle for
Wyndham and other ports. To celebrate
the opening of the new service the Adelaide
Steamship Company on Saturday
afternoon gave a luncheon on board the
Bullarra, lying at the South Quay, Fremantle.
Between 40 and 50 gentlemen
were present.
Mr. W. E. Moxon, manager for the Adelaide Steam.
ship Company in Western Australia, occupied the
chair.
Mr. M. L. Moss proposed "The Mercantile
Interests of Western Australia" In doing so,
he said that he desired to heartily congratulate
the Adelaide Steamship Company upon their
enterprise in placing such a magnificent steamer
as the Bullarra on the Nor'-West trade, and he
also desired to congratulate Captain O. Odman
(formerly of the Albany) upon his succession to the
new command. It went without saying that the people
of the Nor'-West would cordially appreciate what the
Adelaide Steamship Company had done for them.
Similar words were to ring out 9 years later when the magnificent Koombana joined the Nor'-West run and Bullarra was referred to as the 'old bull'.
It was during the last seven or eight years
that the mercantile interests of Western
Australia had so materially advanced, and
it must be confessed that the mercantile
men of the colony had been fully equal to
the occasion. Those in power, too had
done much to push ahead the mercantile
interests of the colony.
In response, after congratulating the Adelaide SS,
Company upon the enterprise they were
showing in connection with the North-west
trade, said that he agreed that the body
controlling the harbour works should be
located at Fremantle,
He was Intimately connected with the trade
of the northern portion of the colony and
expressed the firm opinion that great as
had been the progress of that trade, it
was nothing to what it's future would be,
In this connection he desired to point out
that while our government placed restrictions
on vessels which were engaged in carrying cattle
from the north to the south of Western
Australia, those vessels could go freely to
the other colonies, where no embargo was
placed upon them, It seemed strange to
him that the fear of spreading sore foot
or disease should lead the Government to
hamper vessels trading between our own
ports, while those vessels, when they went
elsewhere, were made welcome.
The Adelaide Steamship Company had
advanced by great strides with
the prosperity of the colony, and such of
the success of the company had been
due to the efforts of their manager, Mr,
Moxon,
The fact that the Adelaide Steamship Company
is placing upon the northern coast that fine
steamer the Bullarra--he might call her a
magnificent steamer, considering the trade
in which she is engaged - instead of the
old Albany (which had been very useful
ship in her time), showed that the Nor'
West trade of the colony had progressed
as to deserve something better at the
hands of the company than they had
hitherto given to it.
Almost the same approach employed to describe Koombana taking over the mantle of flagship from Bullarra, 9 years later. Clearly Mr. Moxon was more than effective, efficient manager, he was a Nor'-West marketeer to boot.
But he was pleased to think that he had decided to
allow the bringing of our own cattle to our own
markets for consumption by our own people down
here, who were absolutely longing for them..
...and patriotic!
He agreed with Mr. Holmes that we had a good country,
which had splendid prospects, and that advantage had
been taken of those prospects. But he had known cases
where even with a good business and good prospects,
it was even then quite possible to make a mess of things.
A word of warning from the great man to whom; the competition?....
Although we had great resources, and were In a good
position, he still thought that good management had
had something to do with their prosperity. He considered
that the good management of the Government had had
something to do with placing the colony in the proud
position it held that day.
..oh, to the Government...
He wished to tell doubters, to tell the croakers,
that the colony was still progressing, if not rapidly, very
satisfactorily. The revenue was increasing, and everyone
-if he excepted the agitators for separation on the goldfields -
seemed to be fairly contented! The Government had plenty of
money even for the great Coolgardie water scheme. We had,
as they would have seen, a loan on the market. Our credit
was good, as we were in a thoroughly solvent condition, and
he predicted he could confidently assure them that the loan
would be a great success.
Government's business and money was indeed in the right hands.
We had great assets, and those who would lend us money
were well aware of that, Again, he, as manager of the public
business, still thought that a little credit was due to the
management for the condition of the colony.
And finally a pat on the back..
It was pleasing to see such a fine steamer as the
Bullarra safely moored within the harbour, but agreed that
the work was not yet completed, It had been suggested that
there should be local control, such as a harbour board. He
for one would be glad to see a harbour board established.
Boards were handy things for governments, as they acted
as government buffers between the Government and the
people. In his opinion, however, boards did not always do
as well as was expected of them. Very often they were an
irresponsible lot.
Is there an element of arrogance or am I imagining it? No doubt part of the success of a harbour board was its favourable relationship with the shipowners.
In again congratulating the Adelaide
Steamship Company on resolving to
place such a fine steamer as the Bullarra
on the Nor'-West trade, he would say that
the company in its capacity of mail contractor
had always given satisfaction.
Little or no cause of complaint had arisen,
and the greatest good feeling had always
existed between the company and the
Government.
He certainly wanted the arrangement to continue!
.. and it gave him much pleasure to
testily to the most fair and generous manner
in which the company had always treated its
customers and employees.
Further self-congratulatory pats on the back. We are forming an impression of the man who would be confronted by the greatest maritime disaster to strike the developing Nor'-West coast, 9 years later.
Speaking of the Nor'-West, he expressed the
firm opinion that although Kimberley had not yet
justified the hopes that had been formed
about its gold-producing capabilities, it
would yet become one of the greatest gold
mining centres in Australia.
'Western Australia produced over 50% ($69.5 billion) of all Australian mineral and petroleum sales, which made up 88% of the state's merchandise exports in 2015-16. In 2015-16, gold was ranked third in the list of resources exported by Western Australia with regard to value.' (wikipedia)
Mr. Moxon was certainly a visionary!
Again, if Kimberley did have tick or disease there,
which idea he combatted, it could always
produce the best of cattle in large quantities,
and thus the southern parts of the
colony could procure from within our own
borders that which it required meat to
feed the masses. The Nor'-West had
always been modest in its demands upon
the Government, and it might not now be
out of place to suggest to the Premier
that there was no railway communication
there. (Laughter.)
Illustrating that the Nor'-West was most certainly a work in progress.
A railway from Port Hedland to Marble Bar
would, the speaker added, prove of great
benefit, and in time it could be made to
connect with Geraldton, and so open the
fine Nor'-West portions of the colony. The
placing of the Bullarra on the trade was an
era in the commercial progress of the north,
The company would have no reason to regret
their action.
If from humane views alone, it would be
gratifying to know that on the service was
a magnificent steamer which would call at
the ports where facilities prevailed for the
proper shipping of stock and that care would
be taken in the handling of the beasts. Only
the other day at Port Hedland, out of a
shipment of bullocks, no less than 16 died
soon after they had been hoisted up by the
horns on to the steamer's deck. He gave the
Adelaide Company and their manager every
credit for their able and painstaking efforts,
so far as the mail service was concerned,
as that was under his more immediate
control. Captain Odman had had to navigate
a difficult coast in the past, and had
managed successfully, and he (Mr. Randell)
hoped that equal success would attend
him in the future.
The Adelaide Steamship Company was the future and more importantly, humane!
Mr. W. E. Moxon responded. He said
that the mail service to the North-West
of Western Autralia was the most arduous
mail contract in Australia. This would be
understood when he stated that the old
mail liner Albany, which had grown old
with the colony and in her service, had
under mail contract for many years past
journeyed 2014, say 3000 miles, Derby
and back every 20 days, and called at 18
ports during the time, waited at them,
landed and loaded cargoes: and the next
trip in 26 days had travelled 4000 miles to
Wyndham and back, and called at 19
different ports, subject to delay by tides
whose velocity was a mill race, delays
through dangerous reefs on a practically
unlighted coast, injuries by cyclones
which carried away and demolished towns,
altered navigable channels and destroyed
leading marks, while the steamer groped
along a dark coast day or night, fine or
thick calling at ports, roadsteads, where
work was sometimes impossible and delays
were frequent yet a zealous State official
expected the ship to leave on her next trip
up to time, Such had been the work of
the Albany, and such was to be the work
of the Bullarra, for which she received a
very modest subsidy as a small auxiliary
to her earning power as a cargo and
passenger boat.
under mail contract for many years past
journeyed 2014, say 3000 miles, Derby
and back every 20 days, and called at 18
ports during the time, waited at them,
landed and loaded cargoes: and the next
trip in 26 days had travelled 4000 miles to
Wyndham and back, and called at 19
different ports, subject to delay by tides
whose velocity was a mill race, delays
through dangerous reefs on a practically
unlighted coast, injuries by cyclones
which carried away and demolished towns,
altered navigable channels and destroyed
leading marks, while the steamer groped
along a dark coast day or night, fine or
thick calling at ports, roadsteads, where
work was sometimes impossible and delays
were frequent yet a zealous State official
expected the ship to leave on her next trip
up to time, Such had been the work of
the Albany, and such was to be the work
of the Bullarra, for which she received a
very modest subsidy as a small auxiliary
to her earning power as a cargo and
passenger boat.
This is an important description of a challenging schedule and route. 9 years later Koombana had her work cut out for her. The point is very well made by Mr. Moxon that 'zealous state officials expected the ship to leave on her next trip up to time'. No wonder Captain Allen felt pressurized to depart Port Hedland on schedule that fateful March morning. This, in my opinion, confirms the State's hand in the circumstances leading up to the Koombana disaster.
The decision of the Adelaide Steamship
Company, Ltd., to introduce the Bullarra to the
Nor'-West trade and mail service was entirely
due to the expansion of that trade, no assistance
having been obtained from the State, and her
retention in the trade was equally dependent upon
the growth and maintenance of the same
conditions. The steamer had been fitted
up especially for the work in which she was
to be engaged in the future, which itself
spoke for the opinion of the directors of
the Adelaide Steamship Company of the
promising future of this colony.
She was fitted as a first-class passenger boat,
and could take 120 passengers in both classes
without crowding. She had had between decks
fitted throughout, and on deck and below she
could accommodate large shipments of stock
in fittings which could be erected or dismantled
at will.
Two powerful steam rotary fans made a
forced indraught, which was intended to
withdraw from the holds all hot air and
fumes from the stock, while for the
traveller in the tropics a powerful "Hercules"
engine manufactured ice, producing
"Jack Frost" in a 20ft. space, for preserving
the ship's stores and keeping her liquid
refreshments cool. All these fittings had
cost much money, and the owners looked
to the trade of Western Australia, and that
alone, to reimburse them and give them a
profitable revenue.
Adequate ventilation for stock was humane and good business sense.
The home coasting trade of a colony was
one of its prime industries, and it paid the
seaports to get as much as they could of
that class of business, leaving as it did so
much money at their doors. The Ballarra's
terminal and home port was Fremantle,
where she paid her wages, took her stores,
loaded the bulk of her cargoes, and repaired
any damages or made renewals and alterations,
and victualled the ship, trip by trip (13 in a year).
For the information of those present he
might state that a steamer like the
Bullarra paid fully £4,000 every year in
Fremantle in wages to her crew, left
£1,000 per annum with the wharf
labourers coaling her bunkers and in
handling her coal alone, besides further
thousands in labour to the lumpers and
wharf hands handling her cargoes, and
other trade expenses of various sorts. He
was well within the mark in saying that
independently of the cost of her coal a
steamer like the Bullarra would pay into
circulation at Fremantle fully £7,000 every
year, This was good evidence of the
importance to the colony of the
home coast trade of Western Australia,
and in our interests as well as of
these who lived by labour and trade in
Fremantle the company claims the
attention for it that it deserves. There seemed
to be an idea prevalent that steamships
earned enormous profits, He might tell
them that a steamer costing so low a
figure to run as £2 per hour was a very
much inferior vessel to the Bullarra, and
while they lunched or while they slept the
expense of a ship still went on. The
profitable running of steamships was
closely regulated by competition, and
owners were ever allowed by their
friends in the same trade to make
unusually large profits.
Mr. Moxon was both intelligent and shrewd denying huge profits and promoting his company as an integral part of the development of the Nor'-West, contributing heavily to the economy of her home port, Fremantle = INDISPENSABLE.
"well at least until 1913 when the State Steamship Service usurped his crown'.
courtesy Trove.
courtesy Trove.
