PS ‘Tommy Norton’ towing Schooners over the Bar at Lakes Entrance

Gain an appreciation of the significance of the Screw Steamers (SS) – the original term for propeller driven steamers, and the Paddle Steamers (PS) and that traversed the lakes and rivers of Gippsland, Victoria during the 19th and early 20th centuries.  The challenges they faced . . .  the many vessels that fell victim to the ever-changing entrance to the lakes system . . .

Steamers were the first relatively efficient form of transport – opening Gippsland to early explorers, settlers, miners, and later tourists – traversing the 400 square kilometres of waterways – as well as shipping to and from Melbourne, Tasmania, Sydney and so forth.

Up until the early 19th Century, sail was the only form of propulsion for shipping – traversing the water highways of the world.

With the advent of the steam engine, began the transformation to a faster, more consistent means of driving the ships.

However, the first steam ships were so inefficient, they were not able store enough fuel to travel any distance – let alone cargo and passengers.

Hence the initial combination of Sail and Steam . . .

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Enter the Paddle Steamer . . .

The first of the strategies adopted to propel ships by steam, was by paddles.

The design of the Paddle Steamer (PS) meant that the mechanisms and penetration of the hull lay above the water line – thereby averting the challenge of water leaks.

Harnessing the power generated by the steam engine from above the engine was relatively easily adapted to directly drive the shafts – which would, in turn, drive the paddles.

Although paddles proved effectual in ideal conditions, their efficiency when the water level of the steamer varied (e.g. if it were heavily laden), varied dramatically.

Paddle Steamers (PS) were well adapted to bar work as they did not draw much water.  If they were to get stuck on a sand bar, they would keep the engines running and the paddle wheels turning → which would in turn, shift enough sand to open a channel to pass through.  Paddle steamers were often used as tugs to tow the schooners and ketches over the sand bar that separated the Gippsland Lakes from Bass Strait – before The Entrance was completed in 1889.

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The Screw Steamer (SS) Evolves . . .

As technology conquered the challenges of:

– penetrating the hull below the water line, and;

– delivering the power of the steam engine to a position below the cylinders (and hence directly to the drive shaft)

– the future of the propeller driven steamer, first referred to as the Screw Steamer (SS), was secured . . .

Though the Paddle Steamer remained a very effective tug boat across shallow bars and so forth, it was the introduction of the Screw Steamer (SS) that provided the means for a faster, more efficient Steamer.

As Paddle Steamers were phased out, the terminology for ‘SS’ meaning ‘Screw Steamer’ transformed to ‘SS’ meaning ‘Steam Ship’.

It is interesting to note that the Screw Steamers (SS) had quite a different action than that of a Paddle Steamer (PS) when crossing the dreaded bars that always lurk at the entrance of inland waterways to the sea.  If the propeller kept turning once it was caught on a sand bar, the thrust would drive the sand in a circular motion, causing the sand to build up on one side of the vessel → thereby exacerbating the problem . . .

This timeline provides an overview of how busy the water highways really were, and, of the engineering ingenuity and accomplishments that built the infrastructure that is still in use today . . .

Author: POI-Australia!