Port Adelaide - Ships and Shipping

Shipbuilding

Docks and Slips

Statistics on local shipbuilding from the time of the foundation of the colony are in the Observer,
3 July 1858, page 5g.
Information on early shipbuilding and "The First Ship in the Port Creek" is in the Register,
20 November 1886, pages 6a.

"Old Memories [of Boat Building]" is in the Register,
7 May 1919, page 8f.

The launching of the steamer Leichardt is reported in the Observer,
10 March 1855, page 5g.

A feature article entitled "A Visit to the Opposite River Bank" is in the Register,
31 March 1863, page 2g,
while another headed "An Hour Among the Shipwrights" located "across the River from Port Adelaide [and] a part of the colony but little visited by strangers..." is in the Register,
13 November 1866, page 2h.
"Shipwrights of the Port" is discussed on
21 March 1874, page 6e.

Boatbuilding is discussed in the Observer,
10 February 1866, page 7h.

A report on "Mr Fletcher's New Patent Slip" is in the Register on
8 May 1862, page 3a,
18 March 1867, page 2d; also see
19, 21 and 25 March 1867, pages 3h, 3h and 3f,
25 August 1870, page 5b,
7, 10 and 18 March 1885, pages 5c, 5a and 4h,
Observer,
1 October 1870, page 8a,
7 February 1874, page 12f,
1 January 1927, page 44e.
Register,
21 and 23 June 1928, pages 10 and 8g.
A picnic is reported in the Register,
31 December 1885, page 5d.
An obituary of H.C.F. Fletcher is in the Register,
24 January 1912, page 4g,
of T.A. Fletcher on
3 August 1914, page 7b,
of John Fletcher on
26 April 1928, page 8f,
of Harry Fletcher on
23 May 1928, page 12f.

A field naturalists' excursion to Fletcher's "new graving dock" is reported in the Register,
13 April 1886, page 6f.
An obituary of H.C. Fletcher is in the Observer,
27 January 1912, page 41a.

A fire at Mr McDonald's boat building yard is reported in the Register,
13 December 1870, page 5d.

A description and history of Fletcher's Slip is in the Register,
31 January 1874, page 6b; also see
16 April 1885, page 5a for information on the graving dock.

Information on the "Dunniker Slip" is in the Register,
25 March 1867, page 3f.

A history of the dockyard appears in the Register,
30 June 1898, page 6c. Also see
24 August 1899, page 6d,
9 August 1900, page 6d,
24 September 1902, page 7c,
29 November 1902, page 3g,
19 August 1905,
1 and 18 August 1906, pages 7d and 6h.

"Fletcher's Dock Bill" is discussed in the Register,
25 August 1886, page 4e,
"Fletcher's Slip - Old Memories Revived" on
3 May 1917, page 8d,
"Fletcher's Slip - Port Adelaide's First Shipping - Delays and Difficulties" on
28 December 1926, page 11f; also see
21 and 23 June 1928, pages 10a and 8g.
A sketch is in the Pictorial Australian in
November 1886, page 165.

"The Government Yard" is in the Observer,
3 February 1872, page 11b,
Express,
9 January 1874, page 3c.

Mr Bucknall's "SA Boat Co" is reported upon in the Register on
18 July 1868, page 4f,
26 October 1868, page 2g.
Boat building is discussed in the Express,
25 July 1868, page 2f,
7 December 1891, page 2f.

An article on the dockyard is in the Register,
26 February 1873, page 6c,
"The Government Yard" is in the Advertiser,
9 January 1874, page 2g,
"The Dockyard" in the Express,
26 February 1873, page 3d,
"Shipyards" in the Chronicle,
5 April 1873, page 6g.

The government dockyards are described in the Register,
6 April 1876, page 5b; also see
Observer,
28 May 1881, page 950b,
5 January 1884, page 8b,
25 April 1885, page 7c,
Register,
31 December 1883, page 7d,
20 April 1885, page 5c,
30 June 1898, page 6c.
"The Dockyard - How 300 Men Are Employed" is in the Chronicle,
2 July 1898, page 17e.

A dockyard employees picnic is reported in the Express,
30 December 1886, page 4b.
A history of the government dockyard is in the Register,
20 May 1881, page 7b; also see
3 October 1888, page 5a,
30 June 1898, page 6c.

Shipwrights are discussed in the Register,
31 March 1873, page 6c.
"Shipwrights at Port Adelaide" is in the Observer,
24 January 1874, page 6a.

"Shipbuilding at the Port" is in the Observer,
7 and 14 November 1874, pages 5d-7a and 10a-13d,
"Shipbuilding Yards at Port Adelaide" on
27 March 1875, page 12f.
"Ships and Shipyards at Port Adelaide" is in the Advertiser,
12 August 1880, page 6c.

The shipbuilding yards are described in the Chronicle,
20 March 1875, page 13b,
Register,
15 March 1875, page 6c and
6 September 1876, page 3g,
12 August 1880, page 6f,
27 July 1899, page 4g.

The excavation for a new dock is reported in the Register,
23 July 1879, page 5b; also see
25 November 1879, page 4g for a progress report;
its opening is in the Express,
21 September 1880, page 3d.

"On the River Bank" is an article in the Register of 11 August 1879 (supp.), page 1d and describes the western bank of the Port River.

"Flooding of Port Adelaide Dock" is in the Chronicle,
3 January 1880, page 10d.

"The Dockyards at Port Adelaide" is in the Register,
21 April 1880, page 6e.
"The Working of the Dockyard" is reported on
23 October 1885, page 6f; also see
30 October 1885, page 6d.
A history of the dockyard appears on
30 June 1898, page 6c. Also see
24 August 1899, page 6d,
9 August 1900, page 6d,
24 September 1902, page 7c,
29 November 1902, page 3g,
19 August 1905.

The launch of the dredge Kooringa is reported in the Register,
9 August 1884, page 5d.

A proposed graving dock is discussed in the Register,
3 June 1884, page 7h; also see
16 May 1891 for a report on the dock and
20 August 1895, page 6g,
17 October 1895, page 7d.
A proposed dry dock is discussed in the Register,
11 September 1885, page 4h.
Fletcher's graving dock is described on
11 September 1888, page 5b;
for a strike at the yard see Express,
2 August 1888, page 2c.

Land encroachment by slip-owners is reported in the Register,
2 April 1886, page 5b.

A sketch of a new dock is in the Pictorial Australian in
May 1888, page 76,
a photograph of a dock is in the Observer,
26 February 1910, page 29.

An obituary of John Fraser. boatbuilder, is in the Observer,
15 August 1896, page 29d,
of Thomas Beauchamp, shipbuilder, on
24 December 1927, page 49b.

"Coming of the Motor Launch - Building at Port Adelaide" is in the Register,
7 June 1907, page 8g.

"Our Oldest Boat Builder [Mr Chant]" is in the Register,
19 October 1910, page 8i;
an obituary is in the Register,
1 May 1917, page 4f; also see
3 July 1917, page 6h.

"Shipbuilding at Port Adelaide" is discussed in the Register,
14 June 1918, pages 6b-7b,
20, 24 and 27 July 1918, pages 6h, 4d and 4h,
4 July 1918, page 7d,
1 and 3 July 1920, pages 6g and 8f-10c,
20 April 1921, page 6e,
18 May 1922, page 6g,
22 August 1922, page 8d.

"Our First Ship [Eurimbla] - Launched at Port Adelaide" is in the Observer,
23 April 1921, page 29c.
Also see Place Names - Eurimbla

"The Osborne Yards Visited" is in the Observer,
26 November 1921, page 19e.

"Future of Shipbuilding Industry" is in the Observer,
20 May 1922, page 20a.

"Broken Ships Made Whole Again - Wonderful Work of Mr W.J. Russell" is in The Mail,
21 February 1925, page 1.

"Relics of the Shipyard" is in The News,
4 January 1936, page 4c.

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Shipbuilding

Miscellany

Iron shipbuilding at Fletcher's yard is reported in the Register,
9 February 1855, page 3b.

The launching of the iron steamer, Moolgewank, is reported in the Register,
25 March 1856, page 3f.

The launch of a "new steam dredge" is reported in the Register,
8 June 1857, page 2h,
Observer,
13 June 1857, page 6b; also see
1 May 1858, page 4h and
6 April 1872, page 7f.

The launch of the Settler is reported in the Observer,
29 June 1861, page 2d (supp.); also see
29 March 1862, page 8a.

The launching of a new steamer for the River Murray is reported on
10 November 1866, page 5b.
Also see Place Names - Murray River

Information on the SA Boat Company is in the Observer,
31 October 1868, page 13b.

A fire at McDonald's boat-building shed is reported in the Observer,
17 December 1870, page 3g.

The launching of a ketch is reported in the Observer,
7 December 1872, page 7e and
the Broughton on
11 October 1873, page 7d.

The building of a steam launch is reported in the Observer,
25 March 1871, page 6g.

The launching of the steamer Menindie is reported in the Observer,
17 July 1875, page 10f.

The launching of the "first iron steamer [Star of Hope] fitted together in this colony" is reported in the Register,
29 March 1877, page 4f; also see
28 July 1877, page 6e for the launching of a government steamer, Lady Diana.

The launching of a ship at Mr George Playfair's Yard is reported in the Register,
10 July 1876, page 7c.
Information on a fishing boat to be built at Mr Playfair's yard is in the Register,
12 April 1881, page 4f; also see
10 October 1881, page 6d.
John Playfair's obituary is in the Observer,
9 August 1924, page 38b,
Robert Playfair's in the Register,
18 August 1926, page 10h.

The launch of the government steamer, Lady Diana, is reported in the Observer,
4 August 1877, page 3d.

The launching of a new dredge is reported in the Register,
18 May 1878, page 5f.

A report on the testing of the American Swing Bridge at the New Dock is in the Register,
9 September 1880, page 7b - see
21 September 1880, page 6e for the opening of the dock.

Information on a fishing boat to be built at Mr Playfair's yard is in the Register,
12 April 1881, page 4f.

"Quiet Smuggling" is discussed in the Express,
22 November 1884, page 2c.

"Shipbuilding at Port Adelaide" is in the Register,
14 June 1918, pages 6b-7b,
Observer,
26 April 1919, page 29a; also see
10 July 1920, pages 19d-25 (photos)-28e.

"Sailmaking Not a Lost Art" is in The News,
13 August 1931, page 11a.

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