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SHIPBUILDING IN PORT CAPE HAWKE (1870 -1950s)

People express surprise when confronted with the fact that over 90 major sea-going vessels were constructed and launched in the Port of Cape Hawke, which was the official name of the estuary of the Wallamba River.

Prior to the official survey of the Minimibah (Forster) area in 1869 there were families in the area, only one to our knowledge being permanent, that of George Godwin and family whose dwelling is shown on the first survey.

Movement became quite rigid over the next year or so, for with Breckenridge and his mill hand and associated families the village came into being. This brought shipping into the port but there is no record of any vessel being built here prior to 1870.

FIRST VESSEL LAUNCHED 1879

The first vessel constructed was launched on November 6, 1879 - a Brigantine of 151 gross tons, l05.6 feet in length, 22.2 feet in beams with a hold depth of 9.0 feet. She was the "Fanny Campbell", built in Cape Hawke (and that term referred to all that area between the Cape and Nabiac in those days) by William Peat.

WILLIAM PEAT

William Peat was indeed one of the Peats of Peat's Crossing where today a number of bridges cross the Hawkesbury River. William was one of the sons of Charles Peat who came out on the fleet with Governor Phillip.

Charles was a man of good conduct and was appointed one of the first twelve watchmen of the colony, and chief of them. In 1796, he was granted land and there he raised two sons, George and William.

Early in the 1800's, Charles was called back to England in reference to some legal matter. He left his two children in charge of Governor King. Charles was never heard of again. King raised the children, and apprenticed them - George to shipbuilding and William to the sea, where he eventually became a captain.

George took up land at Peat's Crossing on the Hawkesbury River and had three sons, the second of whom, William was probably our local shipbuilder.

Shipbuilding in those days meant being near good timber, with the necessary tools and men. Getting the men to the timber stands was easier than shipping the timber to the city. Thus builders came out into the timber stands and set up slips where they built and launched their vessels.

Over the next four years, William Peat launched two further ships in the Cape Hawke area. The third vessel had also the expertise of Donald Cosgrove, a member of the Cosgrove (Balmain) shipbuilding family.

HUGH LESLIE

In Freshwater Creek on the west of the lake, Hugh Leslie had set up a timber mill in the early l870's. He had also built a 43 ton ketch "Confidence" in 1872. He was joined by German emigrant Leonard Steinmetz, and over the following years - 1875 to l883 - Leonard launched four ships, the "Whaup", "Jessie Matilda", "Petrel" and "Annie".

RICHARD PHEAGAN

Richard Phegan, well known shipping man of Brisbane Waters and Balmain, came into the area in the early 1870's, bringing with him George Ravel, a shipwright. They constructed seven vessels between l872 and 1877, included in these were the "Rachel", "Radical", "Eva Maude", "Hoolet" and "Emily T".

BRECKENRIDGE FAMILY

John Breckenridge (Snr.), built two vessels, first the cutter "Forster" which was used as a tow, and the original "Hoolet".

His brother William, who worked in the mill at Wyralba on the Richmond Road, constructed a ship, the 39 tons cutter "Free Trade" at Forster.

Later, on the Wallamba north of Tuncurry, John Breckenridge, son of the original John who established Failford, built "Commonwealth" and "Jap" of l68 and 246 tons respectively.

MILES FAMILY

The Miles family took over the Breckenridge holdings at Forster in l884 and from the yard came "Toogooloo" (1898), "Wooton" (1900), "Lady Smith" (1912), "Blenheim" (1905), "Astral" (1908), "Kiola" (1913), "Forster" (1915), "Henry Miles" (1939), and "Bosca" (1911).

The last four of these were tugs which, manned the port entrances to most North Coast Rivers.

WRIGHT FAMILY

John Wright began construction of vessels after 1877 and continued through into the 1950's as the mill and slips passed down the family from the original John to his sons under Ernest Wright, then to Ernest's son, John.

There were fifteen major vessels built from the 47 ton cutter "Marion Mayfield" in 1883 to the 603 ton "Uralla", largest wooden vessel built in the southern hemisphere to that time (1942).

OTHER BOAT BUILDERS

Single vessels were built over this period by a number of people:-

TOTAL NUMBER OF VESSELS BUILT

Thus sixty one vessels were launched and registered but we must add to that the project undertaken by Wright and Company in the war years, when it is believed that thirty two vessels were launched for the U.S.A. Small Ships section of the American Army.