Rose Hill Packet
Encyclopedia
The Rose Hill Packet named after the little packet (or mail) boats
, was a marine craft built in Australia, launched in Sydney Cove
in September and commissioned on the 5 October 1789, intended for running the first Parramatta River
trade ferry
, passenger, cargo, and mail service between the Cove and the Rose Hill (Parramatta) settlements. She was the first purpose-built vessel constructed in Australia.
Governor Phillip
appointed a Midshipman, Henry Brewer, as a temporary superintendent of building works in the colony seven years before in 1796 Governor Hunter would establish a government shipyard
in Sydney Town. The craft was laid down on 30 December 1788 on King's Slipway
, later the James Underwood yards on the east side of Sydney Cove
, somewhere near the site of the present Customs House
, by convicts
under supervision of Robinson Reid, the carpenter from the HMAT Supply. Reid called the craft a 20-ton
(about 15.9m3) launch
which would produce a 38-42 foot craft, certainly larger than any fleet ships could have carried on board to the new colony. However, it was variously reported to be 10 or 12 ton, or alternatively the size of a small hoy
decked boat, sloop-rigged, designed for inshore work. She carried a single mast, and was also provided with oars, reportedly requiring occasional use of poles due to her heaviness, though no images of her survive. Reports suggest she could carry up to 30 passengers, and perhaps the lesser tonnage refers to her cargo hold capacity
, while the carpenter referred to her displacement
.
Unfortunately the quality of local timber left few options for the construction, and "From the quantity of wood used, she appeared to be a 'mere bed of timber' and, when launched, was named by the convicts, the Rose Hill Packet, but afterwards, was more appropriately known by the name of 'the lump'." This was not however due to the lack of construction skills, but because the expedition had brought with it practically no specialised shipbuilding tools, and many of the carpentry tools intended for use in the cutting and shaping of the European timbers turned out to be unsuitable for the task mainly due to the density of the local hardwood timber. Although there were 16 ship's carpenter's in the colony, of the convicts used in the building of the packet only twelve were trained as carpenters. All these factors forced excessive use of timber, and hence the unflattering reference for the little craft.
The difficulties in constructing the Rose Hill Packet lay with the type of timber readily available in the Sydney area, the Sydney red gum
. Some trees were 23 or more metres high with no lateral branches until 15 metres. Their girth could measure in excess of eight metres in diameter, but the trunks were hollow and rotten in 11 out of a dozen felled trees. Cox and Freeland describe the species as, "almost without exception, they rot out at the heart before they are any useful size leaving a mere shell of living sound wood.". It was found that no matter in what way it was sawn or how well it was dried, that when placed in water "it sinks to the bottom like a stone". Members of the First Fleet soon realised that, "despite their amazing size the trees were scarcely worth cutting down." Several years later, George Thompson summed up Australian timber as "of little use - not fit for building either houses or boats."H.R.N.S.W. (Historical Records of New South Wales). [1893] . Lansdown Slattery & Company. Sydney. (1978) Volume 1, p.128 & volume 2, p.799. It wasn't until later that Australian settlers found that the most useful timbers for boat and ship building were the Eucalypts species: iron bark
, stringy bark
, box
and the blackbutt
, the bluegum, and turpentine. Consequently the axes, saws and chisels used by carpenters broke or became blunt with the unfamiliar timber which only much later was discovered to have a density three times that of the European Oak To add to their voes, the red gum began to split and warp almost as soon as it was cut, making the usual seasoning impossible, and forcing the use of green timber. However, the same timber after being seasoned for 15 years was reportedly very strong and suitable by the time the colony's first three-masted ship King George
was being built.
Because of the timber used, the craft's performance was considered sluggish, and she was an awkward looking row-and-sail boat. As much as the service was useful to the settlers, the craft lacked durability due to use of green timber, and was difficult in operating, sometimes requiring even the passengers to row. Other lighter sailing craft and rowing boats were soon brought into service as ferries across the Harbour and up and down the river. The packet service was discontinued by 1800.
Packet boat
Packet boats were small boats designed for domestic mail, passenger and freight transportation in Europe and its colonies, including North American rivers and canals...
, was a marine craft built in Australia, launched in Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson , on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia....
in September and commissioned on the 5 October 1789, intended for running the first Parramatta River
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
trade ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, passenger, cargo, and mail service between the Cove and the Rose Hill (Parramatta) settlements. She was the first purpose-built vessel constructed in Australia.
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
appointed a Midshipman, Henry Brewer, as a temporary superintendent of building works in the colony seven years before in 1796 Governor Hunter would establish a government shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
in Sydney Town. The craft was laid down on 30 December 1788 on King's Slipway
Slipway
A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers and flying boats on their undercarriage. The...
, later the James Underwood yards on the east side of Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson , on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia....
, somewhere near the site of the present Customs House
Customs House, Sydney
The Customs House is an historic Sydney landmark located in the city's Circular Quay area. Constructed initially in 1844-1845, the building served as the headquarters of the Customs Service until 1990. Ownership was then transferred from the Commonwealth Government of Australia to the City of...
, by convicts
Convicts in Australia
During the late 18th and 19th centuries, large numbers of convicts were transported to the various Australian penal colonies by the British government. One of the primary reasons for the British settlement of Australia was the establishment of a penal colony to alleviate pressure on their...
under supervision of Robinson Reid, the carpenter from the HMAT Supply. Reid called the craft a 20-ton
Tun (unit)
The tun is an old English unit of wine cask volume, holding about 954 litres, almost a cubic metre. Etymologically it is identical to the ton, a unit of mass or weight and constituted approximately 2,048 pints or pounds. Originally, it was a genuine unit of volume and measured 256 gallons ,...
(about 15.9m3) launch
Launch (boat)
A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
which would produce a 38-42 foot craft, certainly larger than any fleet ships could have carried on board to the new colony. However, it was variously reported to be 10 or 12 ton, or alternatively the size of a small hoy
Hoy (boat)
A hoy was a small sloop-rigged coasting ship or a heavy barge used for freight, usually displacing about 60 tons. The word derives from the Middle Dutch hoey. In 1495, one of the Paston Letters included the phrase, An hoye of Dorderycht , in such a way as to indicate that such contact was then...
decked boat, sloop-rigged, designed for inshore work. She carried a single mast, and was also provided with oars, reportedly requiring occasional use of poles due to her heaviness, though no images of her survive. Reports suggest she could carry up to 30 passengers, and perhaps the lesser tonnage refers to her cargo hold capacity
Deadweight tonnage
Deadweight tonnage is a measure of how much weight a ship is carrying or can safely carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew...
, while the carpenter referred to her displacement
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
.
Unfortunately the quality of local timber left few options for the construction, and "From the quantity of wood used, she appeared to be a 'mere bed of timber' and, when launched, was named by the convicts, the Rose Hill Packet, but afterwards, was more appropriately known by the name of 'the lump'." This was not however due to the lack of construction skills, but because the expedition had brought with it practically no specialised shipbuilding tools, and many of the carpentry tools intended for use in the cutting and shaping of the European timbers turned out to be unsuitable for the task mainly due to the density of the local hardwood timber. Although there were 16 ship's carpenter's in the colony, of the convicts used in the building of the packet only twelve were trained as carpenters. All these factors forced excessive use of timber, and hence the unflattering reference for the little craft.
The difficulties in constructing the Rose Hill Packet lay with the type of timber readily available in the Sydney area, the Sydney red gum
Angophora costata
Angophora costata is a common woodland and forest tree of Eastern Australia and is known by a variety of names including smooth-barked apple, rose gum, rose apple or Sydney red gum. It grows primarily on sandstone soils, usually on headlands, plateaus or other elevated areas. A...
. Some trees were 23 or more metres high with no lateral branches until 15 metres. Their girth could measure in excess of eight metres in diameter, but the trunks were hollow and rotten in 11 out of a dozen felled trees. Cox and Freeland describe the species as, "almost without exception, they rot out at the heart before they are any useful size leaving a mere shell of living sound wood.". It was found that no matter in what way it was sawn or how well it was dried, that when placed in water "it sinks to the bottom like a stone". Members of the First Fleet soon realised that, "despite their amazing size the trees were scarcely worth cutting down." Several years later, George Thompson summed up Australian timber as "of little use - not fit for building either houses or boats."H.R.N.S.W. (Historical Records of New South Wales). [1893] . Lansdown Slattery & Company. Sydney. (1978) Volume 1, p.128 & volume 2, p.799. It wasn't until later that Australian settlers found that the most useful timbers for boat and ship building were the Eucalypts species: iron bark
Eucalyptus paniculata
Eucalyptus paniculata is a common eucalyptus tree of eastern New South Wales, Australia. A dark trunked forest tree with grey furrowed bark. When in flower, the nectar is attractive to birds and insects, and is used in honey production.- Habitat :The natural range of distribution is high rainfall...
, stringy bark
Eucalyptus obliqua
Eucalyptus obliqua, commonly known as Australian Oak, Brown Top, Brown Top Stringbark, Messmate, Messmate Stringybark, Stringybark and Tasmanian Oak, is a hardwood tree native to south-eastern Australia....
, box
Eucalyptus bosistoana
Eucalyptus bosistoana, the Coast Grey Box is a eucalyptus of south eastern Australia. It is the largest of the box group of eucalyptus trees, growing up to 60 metres tall, and a stem diameter of at least 1.5 metres. Though it is mostly seen from 25 to 40 metres tall...
and the blackbutt
Eucalyptus pilularis
Eucalyptus pilularis, commonly known as Blackbutt, is a common and dominant tree of the myrtaceae family native to southeastern Australia. A large tree, it is identified by the stocking of rough bark, to about half way up the trunk, above this is white smooth bark. The leaves are a uniform glossy...
, the bluegum, and turpentine. Consequently the axes, saws and chisels used by carpenters broke or became blunt with the unfamiliar timber which only much later was discovered to have a density three times that of the European Oak To add to their voes, the red gum began to split and warp almost as soon as it was cut, making the usual seasoning impossible, and forcing the use of green timber. However, the same timber after being seasoned for 15 years was reportedly very strong and suitable by the time the colony's first three-masted ship King George
Colonial Ship King George
The Colonial Ship King George was the first ship, by virtue of having three masts, built in the colony of Sydney, New South Wales.The King George was described variously as a square-rigged ship and a three-masted schooner, known in America during the later 19th century as a "tern"...
was being built.
Because of the timber used, the craft's performance was considered sluggish, and she was an awkward looking row-and-sail boat. As much as the service was useful to the settlers, the craft lacked durability due to use of green timber, and was difficult in operating, sometimes requiring even the passengers to row. Other lighter sailing craft and rowing boats were soon brought into service as ferries across the Harbour and up and down the river. The packet service was discontinued by 1800.
Recommended reading
- Walker, M. 1978. Pioneer Crafts of Early Australia. The Macmillan Company of Australia Pty Ltd. Melbourne.