The South Australian Ketch Fleet in Adelaide, South Australia | Museum

The South Australian Ketch Fleet

Locality: Adelaide, South Australia

Phone: +61 417 082 917

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25.01.2022 HMAS Falie played an important role on WW2. Lest we forget.

24.01.2022 Drawing by an unknown artist of the Falie under sail, between 1950 and 1957, as she has her forecastle and wheelhouse, but is still gaff rigged. The upper triatic stay is set from short radio topmasts, and carries the aerial for the ships radio. The space under the wheelhouse has not yet been filled in to make the larger galley. This was done in the 50s. The house flag of R. Fricker & Co, her owners, can be seen flying from the lower triatic stay, suggesting that the drawing was commissioned by the owners. Chris Frizell Collection.

24.01.2022 Another awesome photo of the Jillian Crouch on the Melbourne Harbour Trust Slipway, taken in 1958.

23.01.2022 I had only been on the ketches for three months when the news came out that the ketches were not going to carry general cargo anymore. It was a blessing in disguise, as general was extremely time consuming, the sheep and cattle messy, and the awkward cargos of timber, pallets of bricks, crates of bottled drinks, kegs of beer, and crates of perishables were a pain to load and unload. It did teach us how to stow and secure awkward cargos though, but we didnt miss the splinters, squashed fingers, and wire rope cuts and stabbings that accompanied it. Of course, we didnt know what protective gloves were either, nor did we care.

23.01.2022 Photo of the Milford Crouch taken not long after her conversion from the Leillateah, Port River. Malcolm Dippy Photo.

22.01.2022 Stunning Photo of the Gerard setting sail off the NSW Coast in the early 1960's.

21.01.2022 An interesting chapter at the end of the grain trade was the acid trade to Port Lincoln. There were a number of ketches laid up in Port Adelaide in the 1960s and early 1970s, as bulk handling and storage of grain and road transport improvements had effectively put an end to the carriage of bagged grain by ketch. R.M. Crouch and Co had a number of larger vessels in their fleet, and it was decided to fit out two of them, Claire Crouch, and Jillian Crouch, with bulk tanks and equipment for the bulk carriage of sulphuric acid. This post from the Port Lincoln History Group shows some of the infrastructure put in place for this trade.

21.01.2022 Some recent photo’s of the Lady Jillian, ex Jillian Crouch, in her berth in Launceston, TAS, submitted by one of our members, Ted Sherrin. Thanks Ted, very sad to see the decline of this once fine ship.

21.01.2022 Something from Port Lincoln now. This photo was sent to us by Melissa Haldane, via Rob Haldane, a well known family in fishing and boat building circles. Melissa wrote, The newly restored 24ft lighter, built in 1936 by Jack McFarlane, at Port Lincoln, for the Ketch Harold. Housed at Axel Stenross Museum, Port Lincoln. From Rob Haldane. What a wonderful restoration, another part of our maritime history preserved for future generations. Thanks Melissa. The lighter, or c...argo boat, was used by some of the larger ketches to lift cargo, usually bags of grain, from small outports that either didnt have a jetty or wharf, or were not deep enough for the ketch to go alongside. Bags of grain were loaded aboard the cargo boat, and made up into slings of 6 bags. The cargo boat would then motor out to the anchored ketch, where the ketches cargo gear would lift the slings aboard, where the crew would then stow them. It was slow, hard, laborious work. The Harold could carry about 120 tons, or about 1400 bags, so it would take a while to fill her hold. The Axel Stenross Museum is well worth a visit, they have the only restored South Australian built ketch, the Hecla, among other fascinating vessels and artifacts.

20.01.2022 Some more fascinating history from across the border. A lot of the larger ketches in our local trade were also in the Bass Strait and coastal trade, Fricker’s ketch Falie, schooner Coomonderry, and the schooner Gerard were predominantly in the coastal trade, the Falie from 1923 until she went into the Kangaroo Island trade in 1965.

20.01.2022 Interesting bit of history regarding one of the larger ketches.

20.01.2022 The wooden ketch Dashing Wave, built by James McLaren and Thomas Inches built in 1865 at Shipwrights Point on the Huon River, Tasmania, is this week’s #shipwrec...kfriday. On Christmas Eve in 1926 Dashing Wave departed Port Pirie with a load of timber, joinery and furniture for delivery to Messrs Geddes and Co. in Port Lincoln. Within a short distance of Port Lincoln the ketch was becalmed and the master anchored to await favourable winds to reach Point Kirton jetty. The next morning, Christmas Day, a strong gale arose and the ketch lost its anchors and sails, which the crew had raised to try and run for safety. Rendered helpless, the ketch drifted for the rest of the day, driven by south westerly winds and came ashore at about 8 pm in a sandy cove at the northern end of Louth Bay, north of Port Lincoln. The vessel broke up with seas washing in and over it, ruining the cargo of furniture. The master and three crew managed to get ashore to safety. This wreck is not formally listed as ‘found’, although relics are located at the Axel Stenross Maritime Museum suggesting that it may be known to local people around Port Lincoln. If you have any information on the vessel’s actual location, we would love to hear from you at [email protected]. (Please remember: the site is protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981; it is an offence to damage, destroy, interfere with, or remove any part of the shipwreck or its associated relics.) #heritagesa #maritimesa #UnderwaterCulturalHeritage #shipwrecks #seeSouthAustralia #visitSouthAustralia #southaustralia Axel Stenross Maritime Museum Shark Cage Diving - Calypso Star Charters City of Port Lincoln Council South Australian Tourism Commission

20.01.2022 From our friends in Tasmania, this view of the Lady Jillian at Partridge Island in the early ‘70’s. Cheers to Chris Tiedemann for the heads up.

19.01.2022 Port Adelaide News (SA :1913 - 1933), Friday 10 April 1931, page 1 KETCH IN PERIL. Mast Snaps in Squall. Reginald M. limps Into Port....Continue reading

19.01.2022 A wonderful photo from Libraries Tasmania, showing the Trading Vessels Race at the 1896 Royal Hobart Regatta. We have the trading ketches and schooners jockying for position, and some still in the process of setting their massive jackyard topsails. Many of the trading ketches had a special set of racing sails, just for the annual event. They would be slipped prior to the event and the hull cleaned and polished. The race was taken very seriously, and vigorous betting on who would win would take place. Some say the Ketch Race was the highlight of the day, and one can see why.

19.01.2022 From the collection of Alan Travers, amd borrowed with permission from the Australian Maritime History Facebook Page is this great photo of the Nelcebee being loaded with 2 tonne bulker bags of super phosphate bound for Kangaroo Island farms. It was taken from the Birkinhead Bridge on 24 April, 1972. Thanks to Russell Priest for allowing the Ketch Page to use it.

19.01.2022 Amazing what pops up. The vessel at the Lipson Cove Jetty is the Falie. Sans half her bowsprit and topmasts this would put the date between 1928 amd 1939.

18.01.2022 Due to the current situation the date has been pushed out to the 16th of September. Hope to see some of you there.

18.01.2022 A snippet from our new DVD, Mosquito Fleet 2, The Last Days of the Kangaroo Island trade. Details in the pinned post at the top of the page.

18.01.2022 The wreck of the ketch Mary Ellis. State Library of SA.

18.01.2022 Jillian Crouch on the Williamstown Slip, 1950s, for survey and repairs. Photo courtesy Williamstown Maritime and Ports History Museum.

16.01.2022 North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times (Tas. : 1899 - 1919), Wednesday 4 September 1918, page 2 THE CORINGLE. The ketch Coringle is daily due from Wynyard to be converted into a three masted fore and aft schooner. ... Her present dimensions are 76ft. 4in. in length, 23ft. 8in. beam, and 7ft. depth, with a net tonnage of 88 tons. She was built at Berry Bay (N.S.W.) in 1909 for the Orbost Shipping Co., and, was sold first to Huddart Parker, then to Messrs. Holyman Bros., and lastly to the present owners Messrs. Rosenfeld, Hillas and Co., Pty. Ltd. This company owns the SS Wallsend, which trades between Adelaide and New Zealand, and calls here for coal. The company has not been long in the shipping business, but has seven vessels now running in the timber trade between the Pacific Coast and Australia and between Tasmania and the mainland. It has offices at Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, and au agency at Devonport, Mr. E. J. Norris being the local representative. The Coringle will be increased in length to lO6ft. 4in., and in carrying capacity by 40 tons. She will be thoroughly overhauled, re-lined, caulked and painted, and have a new keel, a second hatch, and another mast, which she now has on board. The masts will be very tall, and rigged on the same principle as is applied to the fast schooners on the American coast. The work will be carried out at Mr. H. Woods slip.

16.01.2022 Merchant Navy Day. RIP.

16.01.2022 Double ended ketch "Reginald M", built by Jack and Reg Murch in Port Adelaide in 1921. Still more or less afloat at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warnambool. Preservation state unknown.

15.01.2022 Some wonderful photos of the Moshulu in Australian waters. Nelcebee lightered grain to her in Port Victoria in 1939 at least, when Eric Newby was aboard the windjammer, and the book he wrote about the voyage, and the photographs he took have become legend. If you haven’t read The Last Grain Race, by Eric Newby, grab yourself a copy, it is still in print. Accounts of his time in SA especially are fascinating. I used to read it aboard the ketches on stormy nights at sea, the ship would be rolling and plunging and the wind and rain deafening, and I would be tucked into my bunk imagining I was aboard Moshulu, on my way to Cape Horn. The illusion would soon be broken once called for my watch and reality set in. The connection was real though, both the ships and men I worked with were there in the old days.

15.01.2022 One of the Ketch Fleets readers, Mori Flapan, came across this great reference to the Nelcebee as a steam tug towing the barque James Craig into Port Pirie, almost 100 years ago. Both of these ships are still with us, the James Craig is the jewell in the crown of the Sydney Heritage Fleet, still sailing as a living Museum Ship. The Nelcebee lies on dry land at Port Adelaide, hoping for a better future. One could dream that the James Craig could come to Port Adelaide one day, and be re-united with her old tug. Thanks Mori.

13.01.2022 Another fabulous photo courtesy of Russell Priest. Ulonga in all her glory, at North Parade in the mid 60s. She still has her schooner rig, although not for much longer. The main was removed not long after this for easier cargo handling, and a pair of new Perkins V8s fitted. This happened in June 1965 so this would date the photo between 1963 and June 1965.

12.01.2022 An interesting photo posted today, showing the remains of the Reliance, at the bottom of the photo, once a Murray Barge, but perhaps better known as a three mast schooner and member of the Mosquito Fleet in SA. Reliance was converted early last century for the Port Price salt trade, where she did sterling service for over 40 years. She went back up the river in the mid 60s, and now lies at Bruces Bend, slowly returning to the elements.

11.01.2022 More history about HMAS Falie and the submarine incident.

11.01.2022 From the collection of Chris Finney, we see the three mast Dutch built schooner "Argosy Lemal", which later became the "Claire Crouch", motoring up the Port River to her berth at Birkinhead Wharf. A Blue Star refrigerated ship is in the background. The vessel would eventually be sunk in Darwin Harbour in 1974 during cyclone tracey. Her name then was "Booya". The wreck was finally found a number of years ago. The photo was taken by Chriss father.

10.01.2022 There are still some spots available for my talk tonight at the Port Adelaide Caledonian Society, if you wish to pop along contact the Port Adelaide Historical Society, details below. Cheers, hope to see you there! https://facebook.com/events/s/chriss-top-10-ketch-stories/826681534498177/?ti=icl

10.01.2022 An interesting post from almost 97 years ago. Kangaroo Island Courier: Saturday, 13/10/1923.... M.S. Falie. (Contributed). The schooner Falie sailed away from the calm shelter of Nepean Bay on Sunday last at 5 p.m., after a prolonged stay of three weeks. Captain and Mrs Andreas Broun entertained several visitors sojourning at Kingscote on the schooner at luncheon on Sunday. Captain Broun and his wife were most hospitable hosts, and the Captain, besides being a jolly mariner, is also a gifted musician, and gave great pleasure to his visitors with selections upon his famous Strad. This man of the sea can claim the distinction of a record voyage from Norway, a distance of 60,000 miles in 120 days without any mishap whatsoever, despite the heavy gales which have prevailed, one might almost say, throughout the entire globe. It was only after leaving Port Adelaide, en route for Port Pirie, that engine trouble arose, which necessitated anchoring the Falie within the shelter of our harbour. Those who had the pleasure of meeting this jolly salt and his charming wife, regret that their stay was not longer. The schooner is now bound for Port Pirie, thence to Tasmania, after which the Captain hopes to take his much-needed and well earned vacation.

09.01.2022 Something to look forward to.

09.01.2022 My good mate and mentor Ian King, of American River, told me this story the other day about the three mast schooner Gerard. It revolves around a phone call he had with one of the Directors of R. Fricker and Co, Lyall Jonas, her owners. A bit of background first. The Gerard was built in Germany in 1921, and was quite a stylish vessel. At the time of her building she was an auxiliary three mast topsail schooner, meaning she had a small engine, and crossed three square yards on...Continue reading

09.01.2022 Back in the good old days. I was aboard her then, my mate Craig Eastwood standing in the wheelhouse entrance. On her way to Shell Co to load bulk fuel for Kangaroo Island.

09.01.2022 HMAS Falie was caught up in the middle of this, running over the top of one of the submarines and having it scrape the keel.

09.01.2022 Two lovely colour photos of the ketch Stormbird on her last visit to North Shields in 1965. After this she was laid up and sold to buyers in New Guinea. She was lost in 1968 with two crew.

08.01.2022 Some interesting photos of a lovely Tasmanian Ketch, the Terralinna. One of the fastest Derwent River ketches, sadly she is no longer with us after being abandoned near Hobart.

08.01.2022 Capella at the old American River T-Head Jetty in the early 1960s. Capella was a larger ketch which could carry about 100 tons. She was built in Tasmania in 1873. Photo taken by Peter Frizell.

07.01.2022 An interesting article from the Port Pirie Recorder, Thursday, Oct 20, 1938. FORMER TUG BACK AS SCHOONER Nelcebee on Light Inspection.... Those who were conversant with the waterfront a few years ago might have looked twice yesterday afternoon if they had spotted a vessel marked Nelcebee, Adelaide," coming up the channel. The name was as familiar as that of Port Germein, but the vessel may not have looked like the Nelcebee of yore. For all that it was the old vessel, even if more in spirit than appearance. The Nelcebee, which sailed out of Pirie in the past was a steam tug, and it came back yesterday as an auxiliary schooner. With two masts and a diminutive funnel abaft, the regenerated Nelcebee is for the moment on His Majestys service, inspecting navigational lights and beacons. She is making the annual inspection in place of the tug Morglay, which will be required to tow to Pirie the second dredge to be engaged here on the deepening programme. NOW PRIVATELY OWNED Now a privately owned vessel, the Nelcebee has been chartered by South Australian Harbors Board for her present trip. She arrived in Pirie afterhaving made an inspection along the West Coast and up the western side of Spencer Gulf as far north as Port Augusta. The Nelcebee has "knocked round since leaving Pirie. The boiler which once generated the steam that drew overseas passengers and cargo boats to their berths was condemned and removed. She now has a modest 100 horsepower semi-Diesel engine. The Nelcebee is at Barrier Wharf North and is expected to remain in port for three or four days. She has been on her present job since September 19, and has about three weeks work still ahead of her. She will sail from Pirie southward toward Wallaroo. Her chief employment now is as a carrier of wheat and barley. Capt. D. Bird, of the Morglay, and Mr. Tarrant are on board as Harbors Board representatives. The master of the little vessel is Capt.A.M.Simms.

07.01.2022 One of the auxiliary vessels that formed part of the ketch fleet was the Merilyn, owned at the end by R Fricker and C, of Port Adelaide. She was engaged in the same trade as the Falie and the Gerard, ie Port Adelaide and Melbourne to Tasmanian ports and return. When she went up on Goose Island with a load of expolosives they blew her up as it was deemed to dangerous to try and salvage her. As a related piece of history, when Frickers bought the Nelcebee from Crouch and Co in 1965 they registered her under the name of the Merilyn Shipping Company, one of their subsidiaries.

05.01.2022 Coringle in the Port River early 1960s. Loaded with Kangaroo Island Gypsum. Photo courtesy J Y Freeman. Shared from another page.

04.01.2022 Schooner Gerard drying sails in Ulverstone, Tasmania, mid to late 1950s. Photo from the local Ulverstone Facebook Group.

04.01.2022 The human side of the ketches is always interesting.

03.01.2022 Lovely paintings of the launch of the ketch Lizzie Taylor. Contrary to popular belief, many of the ketches were launched as complete vessels, some had sails bent on and were sailed away almost as soon as they got wet.

03.01.2022 In 1923, the newly formed Spencers Gulf Transport Company sent Captain Andreas Broun to Europe to find a suitable ship for the new Company. Captain Broun eventually came across the Schooner "Hollands Trouw", which at that time had been lying for about 3 years at the builders yard in Maassluis, Holland. She had been built as a speculation, and was still brand new. Captain Broun decided that she was perfect for the job, and duly purchased her on behalf of the Company. Captain B...roun was well known in Port Adelaide, and was a native of Norway. When he arrived at the yard, they had to make some modifications to the ship to bring her up to the standards expected in Australia. This included a larger galley, rubbing strakes or belting on the side of the hull, different anchors, electric lighting, and other things. Captain Broun named the new ship "Falie", after his wife, Mary Philimona (Falie) Broun, nee Garnaut. Falie arrived in Port Adelaide with some fanfare in 1923 after a voyage of 100 days, having called into the Captains birthplace of Skien, Norway, to load timber for the voyage. If you look on Google earth for Skien, you will discover that it was no mean feat to get Falie there in the first place, numerous in-fiord locks and canals would have made it a challenge. While walking the Cheltenham Cemetery the other day, I came across Falies grave. Not a lot of detail, and if anyone was searching for it on the web they may not find it, as there is very little detail. The transcript from the death notices on Trove from August 5, 1925, reads as so. "BROUN (nee Garnaut). On the 4th August, at private hospital, Mary Philimona (Falie), dearly beloved wife of Capt. Andreas Broun, and only daughter of the late Capt. Thomas and Mrs. Garnaut, of Sandwell street, Peter-head, aged 42 years." RIP Falie. This was only 2 years after the new schooner Falie had arrived in Port Adelaide. Capt Andreas Broun died in Dulacca, QLD, in Jan 1932, he was found dead in his paddock with a broken neck. Apparently he fell from a horse. He is buried in the Miles, QLD Cemetery.

02.01.2022 Interesting photos of the shipyard of Edward Higgs, builder of some well known Tasmanian Ketches, including one which came to SA, the J.C. Taylor, later renamed Priscilla, by the well known Bishop ketch family who had her lengthened. The shipyard was located in Devonport, and was located on the site of the current Spirit of Tasmania berth.