Marine Life Society of South Australia Inc.

Newsletter

March 2005   No. 319

“understanding, enjoying & caring for our oceans”

 

Next Meeting

Our meeting  will be held at the Conservation Centre, 120 Wakefield Street, Adelaide  on Wednesday  16^th March  commencing at 7.30pm.

 

Our speaker will be Patricia Von Baumgarten who will be explaining the new draft Estuarine Policy for South Australia.

 

 

Contents

Razorfish (Steve Reynolds)                                

Dive At Second Valley (Steve Reynolds)                            

Two Riverboats That Sank In SA’s Gulfs (Steve Reynolds)          

Leafy Seadragon Festival                                                        

                                                                             

 

        Newsletter Contributions   

 

As you can see from this Newsletter Steve is the only MLSSA member presently sending me articles.

I like to publish a wide variety of articles from as many people as possible as this gives a broader view of our watery world.

 

SO

 

Please help me by sending/emailing articles asap.

 

 

This Newsletter

The hardcopy of the Newsletter is in black and white as usual. If members prefer a colour PDF version then please email me.

 

Razorfish

 

In September we received the following email enquiry from Adam Browne: -

 

“Hi - I hope you don't mind general enquiries; I'm looking for information on razorfish, which I'm told are a kind of shellfish that lives in South Australian waters. I was wondering if there's anything you could tell me about their distribution around the Australian coast, especially here in Victoria, and whether they are an endangered species or are allowed to be fished.

Thank you,

Adam Browne”

 

We sent the following email reply to Adam: -

“Dear Adam

You are correct about razorfish being a kind of shellfish that lives in South Australian waters. It seems that they occur across southern Australia from WA to NSW, usually in seagrass beds or sand flats in bays and estuaries. They are not considered to be an endangered species and they are allowed to be fished in SA. There are, however, bag limits for the species Pinna bicolor in SA waters. The department responsible for SA’s fishing regulations, Primary Industries and Resources SA (PIRSA), currently applies a bag limit of 50 for this species and a boat limit of 150. Check with your own State’s authorities for fishing regulations in Victoria. Below are some more details about razorfish: -

Razorfish are marine bivalve molluscs from the family Pinnidae. They are also known as Pinna, Razor-shells, Pen Shells and Fan Shells. A simple description of razorfish can be found in “Seashells of the World” (A Golden Guide). This little book says that they are “large and fragile, live in soft sand anchored by a silky byssus”. A byssus is a tuft of dark brown threads*.

A more complicated description about them is found in “Molluscs” by JE Morton. This book says that “They have long and wedge-shaped equal valves, and are unique in being embedded upright in the sand and secured there by a byssus. Each byssus thread is attached to a sand particle, and the whole structure gives great stability in a soft substrate. The fan shell is immobile and the foot and anterior end are greatly reduced. The posterior or uppermost part of the shell is broad and triangular, composed of horny conchiolin, only thinly calcified. There is a wide mantle gape at the broad end, with thickened lips, and, . . . there are efficient ciliary and mucous tracts for cleansing the mantle cavity of sediment. The greater part of the mantle in Pinna is free of attachment to the shell, and its edges can be deeply withdrawn and protected from injury by special pallial retractor muscles”.

The book “Australian Seashores” by Isobel Bennett says that the Pinna are known as razor-shell because of their sharp (ventral) edges. When these sharp edges are all that protrudes from sand they can cause serious injury to bare feet.

*The original version of “Australian Seashores” by WJ Dakin gives more information about razorfish and quite some details about the byssus. It refers to the byssus as “a curious bunch of anchoring threads”. It goes on to say that “The production of this byssus is a function of the foot found only in bivalve molluscs. The byssal threads are secreted by a gland in the foot, which thus becomes an organ for attachment”.

 

We hope that this information helps.

Yours sincerely

Steve Reynolds

Secretary

Marine Life Society of SA”

 

 

Pinna sp.   Picture taken by   Philip Hall

 

Dive At Second Valley

by Steve Reynolds

 

After our dive on the Hobart on 30^th October Dennis Hutson took us for a dive from his boat at Second Valley. We dived close to shore just south of the ‘caves’ area. This time Dennis, Judith and I dived together since Geoff declined this second dive. We were anchored in 8-9m of water, over a patchy seagrass area. We headed towards the shore and found a few low rocky spots along the way. There were a few fish around to see but not very many. Dennis found a medium-sized Swimming (Wandering?) Anemone, Phlyctenactis tuberculosa which he photographed.

 

 

Dennis’s photo of the Swimming Anemone,

Phlyctenactis tuberculosa

 

We continued swimming towards the shore with me leading a little to the left. I stumbled across a channel of sorts. I hope to think of the word that would describe it best in a moment. As I approached the channel I could see that it was teeming with fish of all kinds, like a giant aquarium. I saw a large school of Long-finned Pike surrounded by lots of Senator Fish, Old Wives, Moonlighters, Bullseyes, Leatherjackets and Trachinops. It was great just wandering around amongst all of the fish. Dennis wasn’t satisfied though. He kept busy checking out many of the holes beneath the algal canopy. He found several Blue Devils there. This was to be only a short ½ hour dive so we soon had to turn back and retrace our way back towards the boat. Back at the anchor line Dennis took this photo of myself ascending.

 

Dennis’s photo of Steve

ascending after the dive.

 

It had been a nice relaxing dive and well worth a second look in the near future.

 

Two Riverboats That Sank In SA’s Gulfs

by Steve Reynolds

 

According to “Paddlesteamers and Riverboats of the Murray River” by Peter Christopher, riverboats that left the river to work in SA’s gulfs include the Avoca, the Moorara and the Ulonga.

The Avoca was built at Milang in 1877. It was moved to Port Adelaide in 1891 so that it could be used to tow barges in the Port River and SA’s gulfs. She was also used to carry grain from jetties to sailing ships which had to stand offshore. She returned to the Murray River in 1922 and was converted from steam to diesel electric. She then operated as a tourist vessel out of Murray Bridge. In 1976 she moved to Mildura and became a floating restaurant called the Showboat Avoca.

As for the Ulonga, she sank off Carrickalinga Beach, near Normanville in 1976. Her exact whereabouts were unknown for some two decades until a group of divers discovered the site in the mid-1990s. They managed to keep the location a secret for a few years but word of the spot slowly got out. By 2003 it seemed that everyone wanted to dive on the wreck, said to be laying flat on her keel at a depth of 38metres.

The Ulonga was first built as a paddle steamer for work on the Murray River so how did she come to be wrecked in Gulf St Vincent?

She was sailing up the gulf from American River on Kangaroo Island in 1976 when she dipped her bow and sank about 6pm on 6^th July. Her wheelhouse and hull were said to be still very much intact in 2003. Numerous fishing lines and anchor ropes were streaming off of the wreck though.

Peter Christopher’s book “South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base 1802-1989” says that the sinking was reported in the next day’s Advertiser (7/7/76). It also says that the Ulonga was a 119-ton composite power schooner with three masts. It gives her cargo as gypsum and possibly one car.

There were no casualties as the captain and all of her crew escaped in a raft. They were then picked up and taken safely to port. Some cattle are said to have drowned though.

 “Ketches of South Australia – A record of small sailing ships on the coast of South Australia – 1836-1970” by Ronald Parsons says that the Ulonga was built as an iron-hulled paddle steamer in 1910. She was known as the PS Ulonga at the time, PS standing for Paddle Steamer.

She had been built by Permewan, Wright & Co. Ltd at Moama, New South Wales. Moama is on the Murray River near Echuca. Her tonnage at the time was 87 net tons and 127 gross tons.

She was rebuilt in 1948 as a three-masted schooner with auxiliary twin screws. That is why she is now known as the AV Ulonga, AV standing for Auxiliary Vessel. Her new tonnage became 99 net tons and 119 gross tons. At that time she measured 110.7 feet in length, 22 feet in breadth and 6 1/2 feet in depth.

She was then registered at Port Adelaide in January 1949. Her owners were Ulonga Shipping Ltd and R.Fricker were the managers of her.

According to Parsons, when the Ulonga sank she was under offer to a buyer who intended returning her to the Murray River. Her Captain on her final voyage was an Albert Cutler.

“Redgum & Paddlewheels – Australia’s inland river trade” by Peter J Phillips says that in 1976 plans were made to take the Ulonga back into the Murray River and convert her back to a passenger steamer. The full plans had already been drawn up by a naval architect when she sank near Normanville.

“Redgum & Paddlewheels” also says that the Ulonga was a sister ship to both the Pevensey and the Wanera. Both of these other ships were owned by the same company as the Ulonga (Permewan, Wright & Co.). The Pevensey herself was built on the Moama slipway in 1909. She was first a barge called the Mascot. She was then converted into a paddle steamer and was powered by a Marshall 20-horsepower two-cylinder engine.

She was very similar in appearance to the Ulonga and the Wanera, although she apparently had a bluffer bow. She also was a similar size to that of the Ulonga. Her length is given as 111 feet and her beam (breadth) 23 feet. She was 30 feet across the ‘sponsons’ (platforms projecting from the ship’s sides). Her paddlewheels were 14 feet in diameter and her paddlebox carried the large red circle (spot?) of the Permewan, Wright & Co. with her bluffer bow, the Pevensey was more difficult to control and it was hard work keeping her on course. A derrick crane was fitted on to her foredeck a few years after her construction.

“Redgum & Paddlewheels” gives a detailed account of the history of the Pevensey. It seems that she was named after a shearing shed. She was able to carry either 120 tons in her holds or 90 passengers.

Both “Redgum & Paddlewheels” and “Paddlesteamers and Riverboats of the Murray River” say that the Pevensey is now kept at the Echuca wharf. She featured in the film “All The Rivers Run” (based on the book by Nancy Cato) as the Philadelphia. There is a picture of her on page 63. The book gives her dimensions as 34m X 7m X 1.4m. She is described as having a composite hull, paddle wheels on the sides and a wood burning steam engine.

“Redgum & Paddlewheels” has a picture of the Ulonga on page 75 and the Pevensey on page 76. On page 82 is a picture of the Ulonga’s barge, the Echuca. Two pictures of the Ulonga (One with the Echuca) are featured on page 84. Another two pictures of the Ulonga are featured on page 132 (including one of the Moama slipway). There are another two pictures of the Pevensey on page 164.

In 1932 the Pevensey caught fire and burned near Morgan. Only the hull, the boiler and engines remained of her. She had to be rebuilt at the Morgan wharf. The PS Decoy was being dismantled at the time and her cabins were transferred to the top deck of the Pevensey. According to “Redgum & Paddlewheels”, the words ‘Decoy – Fremantle’ can still be seen on the rear-cabin front wall. This probably means that the Pevensey (that is now said to be kept at the Echuca wharf) doesn’t resemble the original PS Ulonga too closely.

A good history of the Ulonga is given on pages 132-3. She is described as one of the finest steamers in the wool trade. At the height of the trade she could carry (with her barge) 2230 bales of wool. That was 850 bales in the steamer’s holds and 1650 bales on the Echuca (five tiers high).

The Ulonga kept going long after the wool trade passed. She was then sold in 1948 and steamed towards Port Adelaide. She damaged her bow in a collision with a larger steel steamer. Her bow was later sheathed in metal. It was then that she was converted to a twin-screw auxiliary ketch with three masts. She then traded between the ports of Spencer Gulf.

 

 

An abandoned riverboat hull on the banks

 of the Murray River near Mildura –

taken by Steve & Noeleen Reynolds

 

 

 

“Redgums” says that it is possible that part of her gypsum cargo may have become moist, expanded and sprung her seams. In the July 2003 issue of Dive Log Australasia, Christopher Deane said in his “South Aussie Snippets” column that you can still see the plank that sprung loose in her bow, causing her demise. Chris also gave her location as S 35 25.433, E 138 03.760 (wgs 84 datum).

The Ulonga’s sister ship, the Wanera was apparently at Mildura for many years, taking passengers to Wentworth and up the Darling River.

The Moorara was wrecked at Wardang Island in 1975. It is a protected shipwreck under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981. It is also part of the Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail which was established in 1988. I had written about the marine life on the wreck in my article “Marine Life On Wardang Wrecks” in our January 1992 Newsletter (No.174). That article didn’t give any details of the history of the wreck at all. An accompanying map, however, featured a picture of the ship, saying that the 1975 wreck had been a 100-ton three-masted composite schooner/auxiliary motor vessel (similar to the Ulonga). My first knowledge of the Moorara came when Evan John wrote an article about her for our first Journal in October 1979 (MARIA Journal No.1).

Evan’s article, titled “Report on the Wreck Moorara”, said that she was a three-masted ketch and approximately 30m in length. The book “Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail” published by the State Heritage Branch of the Department of Environment and Planning, however, says that “The Moorara was originally built in 1909 as a composite barge at Echuca in Victoria by AJ Inches and used on the Murray River”.

The book goes on to say that “in 1930 it was altered to a three-masted fore-and-aft rigged schooner with an auxiliary motor”. Its measurements are given as 33.8m (111 feet) in length, 6.4m (21 feet) in breadth and 1.6m (5.3 feet) in depth. Her displacement is given as 100 gross tons.

There is a picture of the Moorara as a barge on the river in the book “Redgum & Paddlewheels – Australia’s inland river trade” by Peter J Phillips. She is pictured carrying a record load. She is pictured on page 84 with the PS Oscar and PS Ulonga, and again on page 134 with the PS Decoy.

The converted AV Moorara was used as a local coaster and as a ‘lighter’ ferrying wheat from Port Victoria jetty to the larger vessels at the nearby anchorage. She was later used to carry water and supplies to nearby Wardang Island. It was whilst at anchor off of Wardang Island that she sank on 25^th August 1975. That is how she became part of the Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail. There is a picture of her on page 3 (5 page in) of the trail book.

I now see that the MacIntyre is also one of the Wardang wrecks that were previously a river barge built at Echuca (in 1877). Only the Monarch was built elsewhere in Australia (Queensland). The rest of the wrecks (five) were built overseas (in Europe).

“South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base 1802-1989” by Peter Christopher mentions that the masts from the Dorothy H Sterling were used on the Moorara. The Dorothy H Sterling had been a large (267 feet) wooden six-masted schooner built in Oregon, USA in 1920 (as the Oregon Fir?). She was abandoned in the Garden Island Ships’ Graveyard in the Port River about 1932. She has now become a ‘small island’ complete with her own mangrove tree.

The Garden Island Ships’ Graveyard is located on the southern side of Garden Island, in the North Arm of the Port River. It is the largest ship abandonment site in SA. There are more than twenty vessels there that were scuttled 60 or more years ago.

The Dorothy H Sterling is the first of the two vessels lying east of the main accumulation of wrecks (towards the Barker Inlet). These two vessels comprise the Dorothy H Sterling and the Santiago. The Santiago is the wreck furthest to the east and closest to Garden Island. The Dorothy H Sterling is the one wreck situated in the middle of the North Arm.

For more details about ships’ graveyards of SA, including the Garden Island Ships’ Graveyard, check out the website at www.shipsgraveyards.sa.gov.au . It gives details such as how the PS Jupiter was discarded at Mutton Cove, adjacent to the submarine base, in the Port River about 1945.

“South Australian Shipwrecks” by Christopher says that the tonnage of the Moorara was 98 tons. “Ketches of South Australia” by Ronald Parsons says that the tonnage of the Moorara was 98 tons when she was first built as a barge. It became 100 gross tons when she was converted to a three-masted fore-and-aft rigged auxiliary motor vessel in 1930.

She was sold to Mr G Price, the owner of Wardang Island, in the late 1960s. The SA Government later acquired the island and vested its control to the Aboriginal Lands Trust. The Trust was also given control of the Moorara but she was rarely used. She was anchored about 400m from the island, as usual, on 25^th August 1975 when she rolled over and sank during a blow. According to “Wardang Island – Graveyard of Ship” by the SUHR, she “sank on beam ends in about 7 metres of water”.

This book also gives the location of the Moorara as being at: - Latitude: 34° 28.8'S, Longitude: 137° 23.0'E.

Evan John’s article (Report on the Wreck Moorara) gives the following bearings (in degrees grid*): - From Bird Point to the wreck 7°, Lighthouse to the wreck 58.5°, Base of jetty to the wreck 139°.

* The article actually read “in degrees true” but this was in error.

John says that the Moorara (in 1979) was located on the side of the channel which borders the eastern edge of Wardang Island. He said that she had settled on the bottom, approximately 1km offshore, lying in an almost north-south direction with the bow pointing south. “Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail” suggests that it is more NE- SW.

According to “Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail”, “The remains of the Moorara consist of the hull still basically intact and sitting upright, but listing slightly to port. The masts and rigging have been salvaged. The remains are said to lie in only 4m of water, with the deck of the bow and stern being only 1-2m underwater.

John, however, says that the top deck is (was) laying 2-3m below the surface. He said that the Moorara had “settled in a groove worn into the limestone by its keel and, although it lists about 30° to port, it is firmly held by the groove in the substrate”.

ANY OTHER CONNECTIONS?

Apart from being riverboats that left the river to work in SA’s gulfs, are there any other things connecting the Moorara and the Ulonga? There may well be, although it may only be through the Ulonga’s sister ship, the Pevensey. The picture of the Moorara as a barge on the river with the PS Decoy on page 134 of the book “Redgum & Paddlewheels” is the clue. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the connection is between the Decoy and the Moorara but, as mentioned earlier, the Pevensey caught fire in 1932. She had to be rebuilt and the Decoy’s cabins were transferred to the top deck of the Pevensey.

 

REFERENCES:

“South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base 1802-1989” by Peter Christopher. Published by The Society for Underwater Historical Research, 1990.

ISBN 0 9588006 1 8.

 “Paddlesteamers and Riverboats of the Murray River” (second edition) by Peter Christopher (revised & enlarged edition 2001). Axiom Publishing. ISBN 1 86476 040 0.

“Ketches of South Australia – A record of small sailing ships on the coast of South Australia – 1836-1970” (third edition) by Ronald Parsons (completely revised & corrected). Printed & published by the author, July 1978. ISBN 0 9599387 9 6.

“Redgum & Paddlewheels – Australia’s inland river trade” by Peter J Phillips. Greenhouse Publications P/L, 1980. ISBN 909104 26 3.

“Wardang Island – Graveyard of Ship” by the SUHR (Society for Underwater Historical Research). ISBN 0 9597500 3 7.

“Marine Life On Wardang Wrecks” by Steve Reynolds, MLSSA Newsletter, January 1992 (No.174).

 “Report on the Wreck Moorara” by Evan John, MARIA Journal No.1, October 1979.

“Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail” published by the State Heritage Branch of the Department of Environment and Planning, 1991. ISBN  0 7243 8629 7.

July 2003 issue of Dive Log Australasia (Christopher Deane’s “South Aussie Snippets” column).

Ships’ graveyards of SA website at www.shipsgraveyards.sa.gov.au .

 

Leafy Seadragon Festival

 

The inaugural Leafy Seadragon Festival will take place on the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula from 13^th to 23^rd April 2005. The Festival will be a celebration of the arts and nature, and will draw attention to the marine environment and, in particular, the rare and endangered Leafy Seadragon found in the waters of Yankalilla Bay and Kangaroo Island.

There will be a wide range of activities occurring across the district.  The festival will include the following exhibitions, workshops, readings, music, competitions and demonstrations: -

An exhibition of facsimile drawings from the 1802 Baudin voyage entitled  “Early French Voyages to Australia”.

An exhibition of original Norman Mitchell cartoon drawings published in the news from 1950s to 1970s. (Both exhibitions are at the Links Lady Bay Hotel and Golf Club.)

Landscape as art (to be photographed from the air) including the creation of giant artwork such as a Leafy Seadragon made of multi-coloured thongs on the beach at Carrickalinga, artwork by a local artist and the students of Rapid Bay Primary School on the hillside at Rapid Bay and artwork on the hills of Cape Jervis by a professional artist working with the community.

A street party at Normanville with market stalls, a busking competition, food and a giant inflatable Leafy Seadragon.

An exhibition involving 3 dimensional art such as textile art, wood and stone sculpture, jewellery, etc.. (with a People's Choice Award).

A dragon (similar to those used at Chinese new year) made in the shape of a Leafy Sea Dragon.

An environmental and underwater photographic display (supported by MLSSA) at the Yankalilla Bay Visitor Information Centre.

Other activities include skateboarding demonstrations, a skateboard decorating competition, a quilting exhibition, a national short story competition (with a first prize of $1,000), kite decorating and flying demonstrations, a photographic exhibition at Second Valley, an art trail linking all the venues across the district, story telling, poetry readings and a best-dressed business competition.

The first three days of the festival coincide with National Youth Week and the last 3 days of the school term, enabling schools of the district to incorporate curriculum-based learning with the Leafy Seadragon Festival. It then continues through the first week of the school holidays with a number of activities to encourage participation of young people and families, making this an event for all ages.

 

Michelle Hales, Economic Development/Tourism Officer,

District Council of Yankalilla.

Ph: 8558 2999, Email: tourism@yankalilla.net.au .