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Early Public Institutions

By Fitzroy

Customs and Harbour Services.

It was early in 1858, probably before the Canoona Rush, that Rockhampton was declared a port of entry by the New South Wales Government, and Mr Henry Lumadenn, afterwards Inspector of Distilleries in Sydney, was appointed the first sub-collector of customs, at the little township on the Fitzroy. In those early days change of officials were often rapid, which makes it all the more difficult to follow the movements with exactitude. It is almost certain that William John Brown was appointed Water Police Magistrate and Sub-Collector of Customs after the Canoona rush, and that he took up his duties with all dispatch. Frederick Kilner received the appointment of Shipping Master. He was promoted in a or teo and was followed by George F Sandrock, a genial old gentleman who after years was so well known in Rockhampton. Mr Sandock was later transferred to Bowen, but when he retired from the service came back to Rockhampton with his amiable wife, and after some years, died at the age of eighty-four years, beloved by it all who knew him. Another very pleasant old gentleman, Mr. J. T. W. Trotman, was the third officer.

It will be noted that there was usually plenty of officers appointed for the various duties of those early times, but possibly they all found something to two, though Rockhampton was such a small place. Most of those people who were at first appointed had to live in tents, for it was only after Queensland had been proclaimed a separate State, or colony as it was then turned, that building began in real earnest in Rockhampton. Mr J Brown, the Sub-Collector of customs, lived in a tent on the land where the business premises of Mr Reece R. and Sydney Jones now stands. Up to the time of his death, Mr Jones, who was Mr Brown's son-in-law, possessed Brown's camp bedstead that he used in those early days. This was what was supplied by the Government, but it is hoped there was also a mosquito net with the bed, for those little pests attacked new-comers, more particularly those from overseas, with a heartiness that was not appreciated.

With the gold rush the government recognised the need of a Pilot, for as previously stated, the navigation of the Fitzroy River and Keppel Bay was difficult and dangerous. Pilot Robertson was appointed to the positioned and came up to Rockhampton, or rather Keppel Bay, in November, 1858. He, of course, knew absolutely nothing of the Bay or the river, but he soon gained some information by seeing where the numerous craft were stuck in the mud or on sand pits.

When all this is considered and how it makes Captain Philip Hardy stand out as a navigator, for he had been up and down the Fitzroy a few times, and navigating it successfully, in the Albion before the rush was thought of, without the slightest guide as to currents or shallows.

A few years later pilot Robertson was succeeded by Pilot Bohsfield and that person by Pilot Simmons and Pilot Warner. Then it came that great authority on river and Bay, Pilot Haynes, who spent the rest of his life in the Central capital, dying at a great age after a most useful life.

In 1858 the first harbour master was appointed in captain Matthew Rundle, he was not only an experienced mariner, but he proved equal to the heavy duties of the harbour master, for he gave himself no rest till he had found out some of the intricacies of the current and shallows of the river, and end by begging or borrowing boards and pieces of timber from various persons, so laid out made about the river by beacons and oil-can bouys, that it could be navigated with comparative safety by all craft sailing it in those early times. In later days the vigorous little master mariner looked back with considerable pride to his efforts in making the navigation of the great river safe for commerce. Captain Randle was harbour master from 1858 to 1880, when he retired with a well-deserved pension, and was succeeded by a captain and A. E. Sykes., who still lives in Rockhampton, and actually arrived first in Rockhampton, with the in a few days of the arrival of Captain Rundle and Pilot Robertson. The Customs first boat crew must not be forgotten, as the five proved to be quite notable in later days. They were; J Brennan (coxswain), J Jaggard, Patrick Doheny, S Mills, end P Lowe. So far as the writer remembers they all lived to a venerable age, and J Jaggard and is still going strong.

W. J. Brown, who was so closely identified with the earliest days of Rockhampton, and was so widely admired and respected by all classes of the community, died suddenly at Emu Park, on March 4, 1872. His sudden demise came as a shock to the whole town and district. His two sons William and the Robert have been dead for some years, and the writer believes the daughters have also passed away, most of them dying somewhat suddenly, presumably from heart failure.

After the death of Mr Brown, Mr Kilner was recalled to Rockhampton as sub-collector and W. J. Connolly held the position of shipping master. Mr Kilner gave place to the original Barney Fahey in 1883, and he held the appointment till 1904, when J. M. Forbes took his position, Mr Fahey lived in Brisbane till his demise, a few years ago.

In recalling those days in the sixties, when the Fitzroy was practically the only avenue to and from the town, it seems as though traffic was far greater than in later years, when the population had greatly increased. This was partly due to the fact that all the steamers and craft were of small tonnage, and as they nearly all carried mails their visits had to be made as near as possible to fixed dates. The skippers of those early steamers gave themselves a considerable heirs when ashore, they dressed well, were received with open arms by the leading townsmen, and spent their cash with a freedom and jollity. They were always welcome and news of the outside world was listened to with the keenest interest.

All steamers in those days carried one all more cannon, and directly a steamer turned into the town reach a couple of shots would wake up townspeople if it was at night, or put them all on the alert if the arival was in the daytime. When the English mail was on board an extra gun was fired. All this cannonading was no doubt amusing to the master mariner, who probably among themselves regarded it as rather a joke. On one occasion, it was said a steamer-it might have been the Lady Young, delayed in firing her gun and the wad was sent through the window of the A. J. S. BANK. This is believed to have led to the discontinuance of the practice.

There were no cabs or cars in those days to dash to the wharves for passengers, and arrivals who had no friends with private buggies had to walk to their destination, and were lucky if there was a dray to take charge of their luggage.

One of the most annoying thinks about the navigation of the river in those early times was the getting across the Upper Flats. When the writer arrived in June, 1863, the Boomerang steamer, laid on and these flats with her back broken. This was a warning to others, and few skippers cared to venture to cross on an ebbing tide. There was therefore every effort made to get up in time to cross the flat as the tide was flowing. Very frequently the tide was missed, and an irritating delay occurred.

A little paddle-steamer, named the Williams, of about 250 tons, in 1864 made the trip from Brisbane wharf to the Rockhampton wharf in 30-five hours, not calling at any intervening ports of course. This was done through getting the tides in both rivers, and quite likely aided by a sail when the wind was fair. This was a practice with nearly all those little steamers. Not so many years ago this powerful little steamer was a tug in Hobson's Bay, and may still be doing duty there.

The Boomerang laid on the flats for over 12 months, and then she was got off by some means and taken to Sydney where she was cut in two, lengthend, and put into commission again as a much superior vessel, and was running on the coast for a number of years.

The rivalry between the A. S. N., and Queensland companies was very keen in those days and at one period the sterrage from Rockhampton to Brisbane and vice versa, was 13s. This was a drop from 15s. Needless to say those passengers were not fed very sumptuously, but the trip usually took three days, or even more. At that period wharf keepers were paid one shilling per hour. Times taken from when work began, and ended when work ceased. There was so much slack time that often the workers had a little beyond his boardboard money at the end of the week.