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.
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.
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.
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.
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.