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New Wharves For Brisbane

Brisbane, Wednesday. – The Harbors and Marine Department is building new wharf accommodation on the Hamilton reach of the river to facilitate the landing of southern steel cargoes.

The Treasurer (Mr. J. Larcombe) said to-day that in October, 1946, the Government had brought from the Navy Department three berths contructed for navy purposes during the war.

The Harbors and Marine Department was converting the berths, which are downstream from the Hamilton cold stores, to commercial purposes.

One of the berths, when ready for commercial lease, would be released to Broken Hill Pty. Ltd. and the Nixon Smith Shipping and Wool Dumping Co. Pty. Ltd.

Broken Hill Co. plans to use the wharf as its terminal for steel shipments from its southern works. Two six-ton cranes, similar to the type used in the Normandy invasion, are already on the wharf to handle steel cargoes from ship to

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Shipping At South Brisbane

The South Brisbane reach of the river presented a very busy scene yesterday, no fewer than seven oversea and coastal steamers being berthed at the wharves, discharging and loading cargo. The shipping represented an aggregate tonnage of over 31,000. Several of the vessels in port will load wool, sold at the sales now being held in Brisbane for ports in the United Kingdom and on the continent.

The large steamer Hessen, 5,098 tons, which recently arrived from Bremen via ports, was berthed at the Short-street wharf, discharging a general cargo, while anchored in the stream was the Clan Mackay, 2,600 tons, which is to load wool for the continent and Yorkshire centres. At the Stanley wharf, the Adelaide Steamship Company’s coastal boats, the Grantala, 4,000 tons, en route from Cairns to Melbourne, and the Wollowra, 2.631 tons, Melbourne to Cairns, both of

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Hamilton Cold Stores.

The construction of the buildings to be used as State cold stores at Hamilton is in the hands of the Works Department; the wharf is being built under the supervision of the Harbours and Rivers Department. It was ascertained from the Under Secretary for Works and Government Architect (Mr. A. . Brady) yesterday that his department had completed the fencing of the stores site.

Eighty-one piles for the compressor house had been cast and were maturing, and a pile-driving frame was in course of erection. The brickwork of the office block had been built to about 10ft., the door and window frames had been fixed, and the roof principals were ready for fixing. The materials on hand included 1400 bags of cement, 200 tons of steel reinforcement, 40 tons of structural steel, a pile-driving engine, and the timber for the office block.

About

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Overseas Passenger Ships For Brisbane?

Brisbane may win back this year the visits by major British tourist liners.

Orient Line’s 23,700-ton Orion may call at Brisbane on a Pacific cruise before the end of this year, and one of the P. & O. Co’s “Straths” is a likely caller also.

This would ease Brisbane’s fears that the withdrawal of the P. & O. liners Mooltan and Maloja last year would end the trade in big ships to Brisbane.

The Orient Line withdrew the liner Ormonde from the Brisbane rune in October. 1952, and so far has not announced any replacement.

Big liners to-day must make four trips from Britain to Australia to pay. If they go to Brisbane they could only make three.

But Brisbane has claimed that Queensland has a cargo and passenger right to see the bigger, better ships.

Its port facilities have improved, its river is deeper (because of

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Deepen River To Take Big Ships

When the Brisbane River main channel, from the Pile Light to Hamilton, is dredged to 31ft., the largest ships trading to Australia will be able to visit Brisbane.

The Acting Treasurer (Mr. Walsh) announced on Monday that overseas tenders would be called to deepen the river between Pile Light and Brett’s Wharf, Hamilton.

Experts said yesterday that about 5 million tons of mud and clay would have to be dredged. The job would take two years.

It is understood that British, Norwegian, German, and Dutch firms have examined Brisbane River silt problems and that each will submit quotations when tenders are called, probably early next year.

A start on the big project is possible about June, 1952. At present the State dredge fleet clears 2,500,000 tons of mud from the river each year.

The Harbours and Marine Department Chief Engineer (Mr. E. C. Fison) said

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Wharf Delay Holds Up Ship In Bay

Because not enough wharf labourers have been assigned to unloading a ship in the Brisbane River, another ship will be held up for at least six days in Moreton Bay.

Mr. A. M. Wilson, Queensland manager of H. C. Sleigh and Co., said that yesterday.

He said his company’s 5000-ton Norwegian freighter Hoegh Silvercloud had been anchored since Thursday night near the old Pile Light because only one wharf gang was unloading a log cargo from the freighter Dalia.

No berth would be vacant for the Hoegh Silvercloud until Wednesday or Thursday next week.

The delay would cost the ship’s owners at least £2000 Mr. A.M Wilson added.

…

Because of the hold-up to the Hoegh Silvercloud, passengers were offered air transport to Sydney at the company’s expense.

A specially chartered launch yesterday made a 30-mile round trip to the ship to bring back passengers who

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Down River Wharves For Brisbane

The decision of the Government to fill in the big inlet behind the Hamilton wall, about three miles downstream, to create greater room for industries, is the final blow to any hope of the creation of a great system of wharves for Brisbane, writes our Brisbane correspondent.

The late Mr. Cullen, engineer for harbours and rivers, suggested a scheme many years ago for the development of the river down-stream. He advocated the building of the wharves at Hamilton, and suggested the creation of a wet dock in the big inlet between the river and Pinkenbah-road to cater for 20 ships. This scheme would have provided the city with a system of wharfage which would have catered for almost any future need, but it is to be discarded. Instead, the inlet is to be reclaimed, and the built-up area added to the other

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Survey Of Northern Harbours

Brisbane, March 21, – A Harbours and Marine Department survey vessel will undertake a survey of two northern sugar ports within three weeks.

The surveys are of the important ports of Mourilyan Harbour and Lucinda Point. The Department’s chief engineer, Mr. E. C. Fison, said tonight that the latest sounding equipment would be used. The Mourilyan work would be the first complete survey since 1877.

The survey launch Ferret would carry the echo sounding equipment. Mr. Fison said preliminary work would be carried out by a shore party. The Ferret would later go to Lucinda Point to establish whether there is a suitable ship channel in to the harbour, which would make a shorter route than the present channel.

Description source:
Townsville Daily Bulletin, 22 March 1954

View the original image at the Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 4969

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Tenders for the New Dredge.

The Government has authorised the Agent-General to call tenders in Great Britain for the new dredge for work in the Brisbane River. The vessel, as already stated in the “Courier,” will be a twin-screw combined suction and grab dredge, with one trailing suction pipe and four grabs. It will be 214 feet long, 38 feet broad, and 17 feet 6 inches deep, and will have a speed of 10 knots an hour.

The capacity of the hoppers will be 27,000 cubic feet, which is equal to that of three ordinary barges. The dredging depth of the new vessel will be 40 feet. A number of British firms are expected to tender. Although there are patents to be used in the dredge, it is stated that several firms have the license to use these patents, and that therefore some competition may be

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