Referring to the remarks which, at the opening of this Journal, have
been directed to the circumstance of the navigation of the Murray having
been left so long unserviceable, in spite of the early exploration of
the river, I am gratified to find myself supported in my conclusions by
the high authority of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, whose
opinions, extracted from a letter to a Mr. Hull, a gentleman at that
time interested in forming a company to purchase land in the vicinity of
the River Murray, are thus declared:
Writing from Government House, June 29, 1852, Sir Henry Young
observes:--
"That this extensive navigability of the River Murray should have
remained so long unserviceable to the Continent of Australia, and
especially to South Australia, within whose territory flow so many
hundred miles of its course to its final exit on the Southern Ocean,
requires some explanation to persons ignorant, perhaps, of the first
and present condition of this infant Colony; and figuring only to
their own imagination how the labour, wealth, art, science, and
enterprise, teeming in Great Britain, would, without loss of time,
have been engaged in improving this gigantic 'water privilege.' The
memorable and important discovery of the River Murray by Sturt, and
the arduous and courageous exploration of it, which his enterprise
first carried to the ocean, and his fortitude retraced, despite the
uncertainty of ever safely returning through a wilderness peopled with
unknown tribes, no doubt gave a powerful incitement to the subsequent
colonization of South Australia.
"In the early days, however, of the plantation of this Colony, the
impracticability of the sea-mouth of the River Murray--its shifting
and narrow channel--its fearful surf and heavy rollers--its
unmitigated exposure to the swell of the Great Southern Ocean--the
disappointments and fatal accidents which attended all attempts, save
one, to enter it from the sea--the ignorance then felt of the power
and disposition of the aborigines on its banks--the supposed
insufficient depth of water through Lake Alexandrina--the absence in
those days of steamers of light draught of water, adapted to the
navigation of rivers--the then scanty number of Colonists, who found
for their immediate purposes a more than sufficient extent of
agricultural and grazing land adjacent to Port Adelaide, Gulf St.
Vincent; all these causes sufficed to render the solitary instance of
the success of Captain Pullen, in 1841 (in entering the river from the
sea, in a little cutter of thirty tons, which has never made its exit
again), unproductive of further efforts in South Australia at that
time, to penetrate the interior of New Holland from the sea by the
navigation of the Murray. Nor was this great object, whilst left
unachieved for all practical purposes by enterprise from hence, likely
to engage the attention of the less-interested Colonists of New South
Wales. Indeed, the squatters on the Australian Continent--those useful
pioneers of colonization--were otherwise profitably employed. The
occupation of new country, which led to the settlement of Port
Phillip, in 1837, and of Twofold Bay, in 1839, had been carried, in
1840, 300 miles to the north, beyond and behind Moreton Bay--whilst to
the south and west, sheep and cattle stations extended beyond Port
Phillip to the very confines of South Australia; thus, colonization
and the attendant investment of commercial speculation were chiefly
directed to these outlets to the sea, alongside the eastern side of
the ridge of mountains parallel to the Pacific, between the 26° and
32° of latitude.
"An inspection of the map of New Holland will show that the streams
which rise from the eastern side of this mountain ridge (aback of
Sydney) have but comparatively a short course to the sea; moreover,
from this side of the ridge the descent to the sea is steep and
difficult. The ports north of Sydney are Moreton Bay, the Clarence
River, and Port Macquarrie; south of Sydney, Bateman's Bay, Twofold
Bay, Port Phillip, and Portland Bay. Whilst, therefore, the remote
interior, on the opposite or western side of this mountain ridge, can
have no other exit to the sea, eastward than the above-mentioned
ports, accessible only by a long, expensive, and difficult
land-carriage, it is obvious that the export of wool could not, beyond
certain limits of distance, be continued with profit, because of the
difficulty and cost of transport to its places of shipment: and this
limit to the wool-producing region becomes practically the terminus of
the squatter's enterprise--the boundary of the location of
Europeans--the end of the war on the wilderness; because the beginning
of a solitude untenanted by civilised man. But, when we again revert
to the map, and view the western side of this mountain ridge, it is at
once perceived that there is a remedy for this arrest of the progress
of settlement. The waters of the Darling River, after a long
circuitous course, unite themselves with the River Murray, and,
reinforced with other tributaries, maintain continuous course to the
Southern Ocean, near Port Elliot. The great trade, then, which is
likely to result from the steam navigation of the River Murray,
comprises all that present and future pastoral produce on the western
side of the mountain ridge, aback of Sydney, which it will be
difficult and costly to send for shipment to the enumerated ports on
the coast line of New South Wales and Port Phillip."
Speaking of Port Elliot, in the enclosure to the same Despatch (No. 77),
his Excellency continues:--
"With respect to Port Elliot, the criticisms which have been passed,
in doubt of its capaciousness and safety, are such only as new and
untried ports frequently receive until they become better known. Until
this experience shall have been gained, it is satisfactory to know
that Captain Lipson, R.N., the Naval Officer of the Province, after
frequent visits to it, and enquiries respecting its character, reports
two vessels of from 500 to 1,000 tons may lie at the existing
moorings, which are in six and four fathoms of water respectively,
sufficiently sheltered by the breakwater to be considered in a safe
anchorage; that, after the port is better known, five or six large
ships may anchor there; and that it would probably prove safe to
extend the anchorage, for large ships, much farther out. A remarkable
verification of this last-expressed opinion has recently been
furnished to Captain Lipson in the case of the Ameer, a vessel of 400
tons, which in a gale of wind, blowing in on the shore, came to anchor
outside the moorings, and beyond the shelter of the breakwater, where
she remained safely, although greatly underhanded, both as to the
number and the efficiency of the crew. Ever since the Colony has been
founded, coasters have been in the habit of going in and out of Port
Elliot, at all seasons of the year, whenever freights have offered,
and no accident has ever happened, or has any vessel ever been driven
on shore, although furnished, as they generally are, with very
inferior ground tackle. The holding ground, then, being thus proved to
be so good, even outside of the moorings, it is only necessary to
place additional moorings beyond the site of the present ones,
whenever the exigencies of commerce may require this accommodation.
The trade of Port Elliot will, however, probably for a long while, in
connection with the River Murray, not require more tonnage than can,
at any one time, at present safely find anchorage there. Of the
readiness with which mails may be landed at Port Elliot, as compared
with mails to be landed (especially in winter time) in Gulf St.
Vincent, and of the great use, to vessels bound to Port Elliot, of the
Sturt Light, on Cape Willoughby, Kangaroo Island, it is only necessary
that I should refer you to Captain Lipson's report, published in the
Government Gazette of the 10th February last:"--
_Extracts from the Report of Captain Lipson on Port Elliot._
"Harbour Master's Office, Port Elliot.
"I know, from long experience of this coast, that the strong winds,
which prevail during the winter, are from south-west, west, and
north-west, and that when the wind shifts to south it invariably
moderates; and being assured, by all the masters of whalers in that
district, that the south or south-east winds were only during the
summer months, and that the shelter from the Murray beach prevented
any fetch into Port Elliot, I feel assured that, after a time, it will
be found quite safe to extend the anchorage for large ships further
out. * * * * * * *
"Port Elliot lies in lat. 35° 32' 45" south, and long. 138° 43' 15"
east, and is about six miles from Rosetta Head. The new lighthouse on
Cape Willoughby, Kangaroo Island, is situated in lat. 35° 49' 20"
south, long. 138° 43' 15" east; and, with respect to it, Port Elliot
bears north 55 east, twenty-nine miles. I do not consider it necessary
to give any particular sailing directions for making this port, as
there is nothing remarkable with regard to headlands, &c., to point
out to the attention of mariners. As a port of refuge from south to
north-west, which are our usual winter winds, I have never met a
person who did not acknowledge the safety and ease of riding under the
island. In proof of this, ever since the Colony has been founded, our
coasters have been in the habit of going in and out at all seasons of
the year, whenever freights have offered, and no accident has ever
happened, or has any vessel ever been driven on shore, although
furnished, as they generally are, with very inferior ground tackle."
Referring to the eligibility of Port Elliot as a mail-station, Captain
Lipson's report thus concludes:--
"It must be well known to those who are in the habit of trading
between Adelaide and the different ports along the coast, that, now
there is a good light on Cape Willoughby, with the west and northwest
gales which blow so frequently during the winter season, they may go
into Port Elliot, and oftentimes back again, either to Van Diemen's
Land or Port Phillip, in less time than they could beat through
Backstairs Passage; besides the difficulty of returning down the Gulf
against the south-west gales. I have no hesitation in saying, that two
mails may easily be delivered at Port Elliot, for one at Port
Adelaide, during the winter months, &c.
"I have, &c.,
"THOS. LIPSON,
"Naval Officer and Harbour Master.
"Hon. the Colonial Secretary."