Methodist Mission Boats
The Methodist Mission boats at Milingimbi and Elcho Island were the McBride [1924] & Orient – Marree – in 1937 they had a power boat the George Urquhart & ordered 56’ Larrpan from Norman Wright – Thomson’s yacht St Nicholas & post war the mission acquired his NARU Army vessel AK121 Aroetta also a Wright’s build. By the late 1950s there were 5 missions needing to be regularly supplied (Half a Century p46) so the Aroetta was sold enabling Larrpan II & Warawi to be acquired - Ella Shepherdson does not elaborate upon their provenance.
The John McBride c1930 Rolling Bay - NTL ​PH0386/0165
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The John McBride
1922 – Jolly sells the lugger Picton to Missionary Society which renamed her the John McBride after the benefactor who funded the acquisition. (Ella p44)
Wrecked in Rolling Bay 60 Miles west Milingimbi in late 1929 or early 1930 – Ella says 1929 but they didn’t do the Darwin trip during the Wet & she says that it was her first trip after 3 months break so probably April 1930.
1922 – Jolly sells the lugger Picton to Missionary Society which renamed her the John McBride after the benefactor who funded the acquisition. (Ella p44)
Wrecked in Rolling Bay 60 Miles west Milingimbi in late 1929 or early 1930 – Ella says 1929 but they didn’t do the Darwin trip during the Wet & she says that it was her first trip after 3 months break so probably April 1930.
PH0386/0165 - http://hdl.handle.net/10070/52574
A.E. Jolly (Alfred Edward Jolly) pearling lugger with the name "J. M. McBride" on its bow.
This is the former Thursday Island pearling lugger PICTON, sold to the Methodist Missionary Society of Australasia in 1922, and renamed by them as the J.M.McBRIDE (often referred to as the JOHN McBRIDE) to service the missions at Goulburn Island and Milingimbi. It was wrecked in 1930. Additional information supplied by: Michael Gregg Maritime History Department WA Museum - Maritime
The McBride was purchased in 1922 & the missionary Watson spent a lot of time on her between Darwin and Thursday Island – so he is a possible source. His successor as Chairman was Jennison who wanted an industrial mission so he & party arrived at Elcho in May 1922 on the McBride & two other boats. They were going to grow cotton using cheap aboriginal labour – the miners arrived – Jennison who was a fellow of the Royal Society of SA was replaced by Watson whose original preference was for Milingimbi and so the mission was moved there in 1923 to begin operations in 1924.
In Adelaide, the most likely source of early mission images of East Arnhemland is Harold Shepherdson & wife Ella – they arrived at Milingimbi from Darwin via Goulburn Island in mid1928 on the McBride which was wrecked in Rolling Bay in 1929/30. The image shows her on a reef at Cape Don during one her many supply runs over the years but there is no date and it was not such a rare event as to warrant mention. Sheppy could have taken this image or perhaps the senior missionary Webb.
A.E. Jolly (Alfred Edward Jolly) pearling lugger with the name "J. M. McBride" on its bow.
This is the former Thursday Island pearling lugger PICTON, sold to the Methodist Missionary Society of Australasia in 1922, and renamed by them as the J.M.McBRIDE (often referred to as the JOHN McBRIDE) to service the missions at Goulburn Island and Milingimbi. It was wrecked in 1930. Additional information supplied by: Michael Gregg Maritime History Department WA Museum - Maritime
The McBride was purchased in 1922 & the missionary Watson spent a lot of time on her between Darwin and Thursday Island – so he is a possible source. His successor as Chairman was Jennison who wanted an industrial mission so he & party arrived at Elcho in May 1922 on the McBride & two other boats. They were going to grow cotton using cheap aboriginal labour – the miners arrived – Jennison who was a fellow of the Royal Society of SA was replaced by Watson whose original preference was for Milingimbi and so the mission was moved there in 1923 to begin operations in 1924.
In Adelaide, the most likely source of early mission images of East Arnhemland is Harold Shepherdson & wife Ella – they arrived at Milingimbi from Darwin via Goulburn Island in mid1928 on the McBride which was wrecked in Rolling Bay in 1929/30. The image shows her on a reef at Cape Don during one her many supply runs over the years but there is no date and it was not such a rare event as to warrant mention. Sheppy could have taken this image or perhaps the senior missionary Webb.
NTL PH0049-0585 Warawi in Darwin 1967 Fay Cheater Col.
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NTL PH0049-0584 Warawi 1st visit to Darwin 1960 - Cheater Col.
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