Mike Macdonald's Transport History Pages

e-mail: macdonald.mike@planetinternet.be

I'd like to make contact with anyone interested in the 19th century origins of Australian and New Zealand coastal shipping companies. The subject of my research is their Scottish founders and the business relationships they formed with shipbuilders in Scotland; some of these relationships lasted until the 1960s. For further information: e-mail: macdonald.mike@planetinternet.be See further:

19 April 1908. Letter from Alexander Blackwood (Chief Engineer of Wyreema, Australasian United Steam Navigation Co.) to Alexander Stephen, re-Wyreema’s delivery voyage. Refers to "damage" received at Suez (See also Letter 10 May 1908).

"All sanitary discharge pipes from sanitary pumps are thin and weak ... I don’t think any of them will last twelve months ... "

"We have to alter the steering gear on the Bridge. I told Mr. Dobbie when I joined the ship in Glasgow it would never do where it was in the Chart Room ... We are placing it forward of the Social Hall skylight so as the Man at the wheel can see the bow of the ship ... We have so many narrow channels to navigate at night while on the Queensland Coast ... also the Brisbane River for 18 miles ... " (Correspondence files, Alexander Stephen & Sons records in Glasgow University Archives: http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/ ).

1929: Port Waikato: "No. 113: This vessel was purchased from the Dublin Dockyard (sic) Co. in 1928. Contract price £16,344, of which £4,000 on signing, £5,000 when delivered afloat ... £4,600 payable in two equal instalments, 6 and 12 months after delivery".

9 April 1930: This reports the mv Port Waikato as new order for Captain A.F.Watchlin. "Mr. Robb informed the Meeting of our present position with Captain Watchlin, and intimated that the balance due on the installation work had not yet been paid, in view of the Captain’s cablegrams (?). The first Bill is due to be met in Leith on 23 May next (??)".

29 May 1930: Report that a letter had been received from Navigators & General Insurance to the effect that the insurance on the Port Waikato (had) expired on 12 May 1930. Captain Watchlin had agreed to renew the insurance.

"In view of the delay, and the rather unsatisfactory replies to cables, it was considered in the interests of all concerned to delay the matter for a few days, pending further news from Captain Watchlin ... " (Henry Robb Ltd. Board Minutes in the National Archives of Scotland http://www.nas.gov.uk/the_collections.htm e-mail: wsr@nas.gov.uk ).

e-mail: macdonald.mike@planetinternet.be

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