Marine Life Society of South Australia Inc.

Newsletter

May 2008   No. 354

understanding, enjoying & caring for our oceans”

 

Next Meeting

The next Meeting will be the Annual General Meeting of MLSSA. The meeting will be held Tuesday the 20th May. 

 

This will be held at the Adventure Blue clubrooms on the Patawalonga frontage at 8.00pm.

 

After the AGM and a short break Alex Gaut will update us as to what marine based initiatives the Conservation Council is presently engaged in. You might like to suggest other projects or causes for their consideration.

 

Committee Nominations

 

POSITION          NAME                 NOMINATED BY

President                       Philip Hall                     Self

Secretary                       Neville Skinner              Self

Treasurer                      Phill McPeake                Self

Committee                    David Muirhead            Self

Committee                    Chris Hall                      Self

 

 

CONTENTS

Committee Reports

The Dredge South Australian & The Glenelg Barge (Steve Reynolds)

Calendar covers

 

NEW MEMBER

A welcome to Hazel Lindsay who joined in March. I hope everyone will make her feel at home at our meetings.

President’s Report – Philip Hall

 

I said last year that my report would be very similar to that given for the previous year – this applies again.

2007/8 has been another good year for MLSSA. I have been able to give several talks to Service and other community groups. They have been individualized for each talk by judicious use of the Photo Index and calendar pictures. The Digital Projector and laptop have performed well and has been invaluable for use by speakers at our own meetings.

We became the lead group in the attempt to get full protection for the Western Blue Groper and the Harlequin Fish. Letters were sent to the Fisheries and Environment Ministers. We received replies not only from them but one of support from the Premier. We subsequently wrote to the Fisheries minister challenging some statements so the dialogue will continue.

Unfortunately attendance at our own meetings has been the only downside to the year. Generally only a regular few turn up in spite of having mostly excellent speakers on interesting topics. This problem was considered at the March General Meeting. It was decided to change the day of our meetings to the third Tuesday in the month and this unfortunately meant the CCSA was unable to accommodate us. Adventure Blue Clubrooms at Glenelg will be our new home. We will also lessen meetings by having a short Committee Meeting at 7.30pm before the General Meeting which will start at 8.00pm. Other ways to increase interest in the Society will be implemented.

The 2008 calendar has been a great success with us selling all 1200 copies. We have made a small profit to be added to that of previous years. These funds are intended for the production of the Beachwash Guide. The 2009 calendar is well under way due mainly to the effort put in by Phill McPeake.

Several requests for help from the public have been received and these have either been answered directly or they have been referred to the appropriate organisation.

The website was totally destroyed during March but fortunately I had a backup of the site. This was made in December 2006 so I had to upload a considerable amount of missing material to the new server. Ralph is to generate a backup every few months and we are considering purchasing a new system with increased redundancy features.

A big thank you must go to the CCSA staff for allowing us to use their premises for meetings in the past and as a continuing post box.

 

Treasurer’s Report - Phill McPeake

 

This will be presented at the AGM.

 

Secretary’s Report –Neville Skinner

 

It’s hard to believe another year has passed, and it has been as busy as ever.  Yes, I know I say that every year, but these days I type the minutes and read my emails during my lunch-break at work, because I have packed so much into my other activities including Cave-diving, dry-caving, the occasional Reef Watch dive, and other regular meetings to attend, that on occasion I struggle to find time to prepare my meals.

With regard to the General meetings, Philip has managed some excellent speakers that I have enjoyed immensely, and that have made our 2-hour meetings exceptionally good value.

This year we have learnt about Desalination plants, diving in the Port River, the conservation of Wombats, saving the “City of Adelaide” sailing ship, and the removal & control of Caulerpa Taxifolia; to name a few that immediately come to mind.

Thank you Philip.

I have also enjoyed the companionship of your Committee: Philip and Margaret Hall, Phill McPeake, Chris Hall and David Muirhead.  During the Committee meetings we have not only discussed the issues as shown in the minutes, but also looked at slides and photos of the marine world and discussed digital cameras, etc after the close of the meeting.  And I should sneak in mention of the wine and supper…

Thanks David and Chris for looking after us in that area.

On reflection, I think it is all the more the pity we don’t see more members involved in our meetings, as we have shown that it isn’t all work; there is a very important element of fellowship with the enjoyment of each other’s company, and the opportunity to learn new things.

 

Committee Member Report - Chris Hall

 

2007/2008 has seen MLSSA produce & sell another outstanding calendar. Thanks to all those involved in the publication & selling of the 2008 calendar. 2009 calendar is underway & as usual there will a number of great photographs, so many thanks to the photographers for their time & considerable effort not to mention the personal cost to them.

We have had some brilliant guest speakers this year but what a pity that only a few members have attended our meetings especially as the topics cover such a variety of subjects from wombats to climate change. We have had two guest speakers whose topic has been on climate change but vastly different in their content. It is an area that concerns us all & may greatly affect our unique marine life if something is done to alleviate the problems of climate change.

Unfortunately I haven’t done as much diving as I would have liked but was involved with Janine Baker in her rare fish surveys. The most enjoyable was diving previously undived sites for me on Kangaroo Island. I would urge anybody that has an interest in these surveys to contact Janine as it is all voluntary & she needs all the help she can get.

I would like to thank the committee for all their support & tireless efforts to keep MLSSA going especially Philip & Margaret who are great ambassadors for the organization.

I hope 2008/2009 is as good as previous years & that when we move to CCSA in Franklin Street that our patronage to MLSSA meetings increases.

 

Committee Member Report - David Muirhead

 

Time waits for no diver, no not even you.

You thought you’d seen it all before, you really thought you knew...

Yes indeed, all the old things are returning. The proof should you need it is there for all to see in the above paraphrasing of an old

Moody Blues classic titled ‘Driftwood’: the older we get the more we keep recycling old favourites!

Losing track of time, as one does as one ages, I’m finding it hard to recall whether it was in my last committee report or the one before that where I mentioned that I might soon be going digital.

Until now I confess I have been seriously dragging my feet in this regard, but my hand may have been forced on the very last dive that I did before writing this report.

My trusty and gutsy old Ikelite 200 strobe chose the halfway point in a most enchanting dive at what I these days affectionately refer to as the Normy hotspot to finally give up the ghost.

Having just finished taking some hopefully nice macro shots of a female wide-body pipefish together with a male, presumably it’s partner, I was lining up on the first grass clingfish that I’d seen here for a while, when I realised I’d probably been taking natural light exposures inadvertently for at least the last few minutes.

I may be able to muddle through the next few dives with my backup Nikonos rig, that is to say I won’t be totally camera-less without this strobe but it was my most critical light source, matching beautifully with the old housed Nikon F2 that took most of the images that I've contributed to the MLSSA PI.  Nor can I justify spending up big to replace what is now an outmoded strobe, unsuited as it is to use with digital cameras.  So when I outlay dollars on a new strobe it’s going to have to be digital compatible, meaning in turn I will have no excuses left for further procrastination concerning the getting of an expensive digital housing for my, as yet untried underwater, new digital camera.

Another not terribly relevant nor very inclusive report by this committee member,  nevertheless a landmark to me.

Once again I’m sure that president Philip Hall, fellow committee member Chris Hall, and secretary Neville Skinner will more than make up for my report’s deficiencies in their annual reports: after all what is MLSSA if not, first and foremost, a team, all be it at this juncture rather a small one.

And, seriously folks, I like the rest of us am  as keen as ever to see us survive and prosper as a motley band of enthusiasts dedicated to the observation and conservation of all marine life in our unique southern seas.

I’m certainly not going to let my underwater photographic efforts founder for lack of decent equipment!

 

Editor’s Report – Philip Hall

 

The Newsletters and 2007 Journal have been maintained at a high level and two editions (March and May) have had full colour centerfolds in the hard copies. But I have found great difficulty with motivating a variety of contributors for the Newsletters. We do need members to send in articles on a regular basis to give a variety of views and opinions.

It has continued to be sent to members requesting it as a PDF file. This enables full colour pictures to be received and avoids the need to download from the website.

 

Library Officer - Steve Reynolds

 

 

OUR library continues to be useful for responses to enquiries from the general public.  It is also a great resource for OUR Photo Index.  Don’t forget, however, that the main purpose of the library is to provide a resource for our members. If I am re-appointed to the position of Library Officer at our AGM, please let me know whenever you would like to borrow an item from the library and I will arrange its delivery to you.

 

Photo Index Officer - Steve Reynolds

 

The Photo Index continues to provide images for our annual calendars and publications. It also assists with responses to enquiries from government agencies and the general public.

 

Assistant SDF Officer - Steve Reynolds

 

Neville and I have both continued to represent our Society at SDF meetings over the past twelve months. I, myself, hope to continue as the Secretary of the SDF as it enables me to pass much information on to our members. Once again, the next AGM of the SDF will be held in July. Please let either Neville or myself know of any issues that you feel the SDF should take up on your behalf.

 

The Dredge South Australian & The Glenelg Barge

by Steve Reynolds

 

The South Australian was a self-propelled cutter suction steam dredge of 395 gross tons. In 1911, AF Smulders of Schiedamn, Holland built her of steel for South Australian Harbors Board. She measured 41.9m in length, 29.6m in breadth and 3.5m in depth. She steamed under her own power from Holland to Port Adelaide where she was then used to dredge the Port Adelaide River and Outer Harbor.

A photo of the South Australian in 1911 (prior to her arrival at Port Adelaide)

Source: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/ships_graveyards/pdfs/south_australian.pdf

 

She arrived at Port Adelaide to join the dredging fleet there in 1912. The Port Adelaide dredging fleet, with the South Australian now included, became one of the most up-to-date dredging fleets in the Commonwealth. The fleet now comprised of a bucket dredge called the Adelaide, a steam tug called the Tandanya, two steel dumb hopper barges (number 3 & 5?) and the suction dredge South Australian.

One of her first jobs around Port Adelaide was the dredging of the South Australian Company’s wharf.  In her early years, she side-discharged her spoil into barges. In later years, she was connected to a floating pipeline and pumped the spoil ashore where it was used for land reclamation.

Although she spent most of her working life in Port Adelaide and Outer Harbor, she was also used to dredge the swinging basin at Port Lincoln from 1958-61. She was laid up in 1971 to be refitted at Marine and Harbors’ Glanville dockyard. Her steam engine was replaced by four diesel engines, her original deckhouse was removed and a modern control room (with a centralised control system) replaced her wheelhouse. Her original steam engines, wheelhouse, deckhouse, control room and builder’s plates were preserved by Keith Le Leu’s Austbuilt Museum. These items were later donated to the SA Maritime Museum in Port Adelaide.

After another eleven years of dredging around Port Adelaide, it became apparent that the South Australian needed another extensive refit if she was to remain in commission. The cost of such a refit was decided against, so she was laid up in 1982, awaiting disposal. The decommissioned dredge was stripped of all her useful items in 1984 and given to the SA Department of Fisheries for their artificial reefs program.

She was scuttled off of Glenelg, South Australia on 16th January 1985 and is now often referred to as ‘The Dredge’, the ‘Glenelg Dredge’, or just the ‘Dredge’. She was towed to a position some 6.5km off of Glenelg to be scuttled. Her bulkheads were removed and her suction equipment was then used to fill her hull with water. She sank bow-first and settled upright in approximately 20m of water with her bow facing south.

 

A photo of the Dredge being scuttled off of Glenelg on 16th January 1985

Source: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/ships_graveyards/histories.html and http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/ships_graveyards/pdfs/south_australian.pdf

A photo of dredging equipment on the wreck of the South Australian

(Taken by Dennis Hutson - source:

http://home.iprimus.com.au/dghutson/ )

 

Her ‘sister’, the Barge (or Glenelg Barge) was the No. 3 dumb hopper barge used by the Department of Marine & Harbors to dump spoil from dredging operations in Port Adelaide and most major outports. She was sunk close to the South Australian, as another artificial reef, by the SA Department of Fisheries on 10th April 1984. It seems that she has no name of her own like the South Australian. Peter Christopher does not list her in his book “South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base 1802-1989”, it seems, for that reason. According to the web page found at http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/ships_graveyards/pdfs/no3_dumb_hopper.pdf , she had been built in 1911 by Pool(e) and Steel(e) of Sydney for the Marine Board of South Australia. She became surplus to requirements after the commissioning of two self-propelled barges in 1978. Six 30m-long steel pipes were placed inside the hoppers to add to the barge's effectiveness as an artificial reef. The Department of Fisheries believed that the layout of the barge and pipes would provide a suitable habitat for fish and an excellent site for divers.

She now lies just 80m from the South Australian. Although I don’t know the present condition of it, there is (said to be) a star-dropper trail between the two vessels to enable divers to navigate the 80-metre distance, when the current is safe.

A photo of No. 3 dumb hopper barge in service in 1957

Source: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/ships_graveyards/pdfs/no3_dumb_hopper.pdf

(Visit this same web page to see some photos of the barge being scuttled in April 1984. Visit the web page at http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/ships_graveyards/pdfs/no3_dumb_hopper_scans.pdf to see some sonar images (swath* bathymetry** and side-scan images) of the Barge (and the Dredge), courtesy of Flinders Ports.)

* (Swath = ‘mowing’ i.e. a path or strip (as cut by one course of mowing.)

** (Bathymetry = measurement of depth, esp. of the sea.)

 

No. 5 dumb hopper barge was deliberately scuttled off of Ardrossan, approximately 1nm south of the Zanoni wrecksite, on 11th April 1984.

Photo of No. 5 dumb hopper barge prior to scuttling off of Ardrossan in April 1984

Source: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/ships_graveyards/pdfs/no5_dumb_hopper.pdf .

Steve (the author) on his most recent dive on the South Australian

(Taken by Dennis Hutson - source: http://home.iprimus.com.au/dghutson/ )

 

MLSSA Calendars - Part 2

 

We published the rear covers of our 10 calendars in the March Newsletter. Phill then suggested I now put the front covers of all of our calendars together so everybody will be able to see the variety of creatures that have been used over the past 10 years.

 

The front cover is the most difficult to fill because it must be colourful, the creature/s easily identified by non divers, be very clear and sharp and positioned so as to allow the required writing.

 

This makes for a very difficult problem most years. Sometimes the appropriate picture is very evident and at other times we are nearly at the printing stage before agreement is reached.

 

Phill then has to create the writing in a style and format that is clear and stands out well.

 

We are very grateful to the photographers who have let us use their splendid work.

 

 

 

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