Methodist Overseas Mission Boats
Both boats [orientThe 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 Marree
"The 'Marree', a second-hand boat, was purchased next. On its first trip out from Darwin it was leaking so badly that it had to be return and be beached to fix up the leaks.....Later the 'Marree' was blown onto a reef during a squall in Darwin Harbour and was badly damaged while the captain was in the town playing billiards." [Ella pp44/45]
Lugger Marree on the Daly R, with load of peanuts NTL PH0171/0086
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Marree 1935 wreck 1936 - SLSA Shepherdson Col. PRG-933-13-259
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Marree at Darwin c1930 NTL PH0171/0084
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The Orient [106228]
'The 'Orient' , another small sailing boat owned by the Mission, plied between Goulburn Island and Darwin. Both boats served the Stations for many years till the Orient was sold in Darwin and the McBride wrecked.'[Ella p44]
ORIENT 30/1898 ON106228: ketch b.1899 Rock Davis [Blackwall] 12.50 tons 42.8 x 12.1 x 5.o ft. Owners: James Clark of New Farm Brisbane, pearler. Put under Dutch flag and Sydney register closed March 1906
The McBride 1922 - 1930
The John McBride
1922 – A.E. Jolly sells the lugger 'Picton' to the 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 – A.E. Jolly sells the lugger 'Picton' to the 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.
SLSA Shepherdson Col. NTL PRG-933-13-272 McBride wrecked 1932
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The John McBride c1930 Rolling Bay - NTL ​PH0386/0165
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PRG-933-13-95 McBride c1930 Shepherdson Col. SLSA
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PRG-933-13-261 McBride wreck 1932 - stern is wrong
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PRG-933-13-261 is not the McBride - maybe Kintore - Fantome???
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.
Larrpan I
Larrpan I launch 1938 - NGWright
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Larrpan I. NTL PH0049-0715 Milingimbi Cheater 1950
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PRG-933-13-329 Larrpan on the hard at Elcho c 1953
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Larrpan maintenance Gordon Sweeney
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Name recorded in error as Torres Herald on NGW archive
Saint Nicholas
Given to Methodist Mission by Donald Thomson - a yacht - viz St Nicholas Inlet
Aroetta
Aroetta AK 121 on patrol WW2
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Aroetta 1957 NTL PH0049/0586
Elcho football team off to Yirrkala 1950's
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Aroetta Ak 121
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“Now with five stations on the Coast it was decided we needed two new boats, so the “Aroetta” was sold and the “Larrpan II” and the “Warrawi” were acquired. “Larrpan II” was skippered by Danndjati, Wili’s son, who had an all Aboriginal crew. Later as more and more barges were put on the run out of Darwin and the John Burke Company sent large barges from Brisbane as far as Milingimbi, our Mission decided the boats were not necessary and sold them.” Half a Century in Arnhem Land P46.
Larrpan II
Larrpan II 1959 Stokes Hill Wharf Ellen Kettle
Larrpan II with wrong image on NGW website
Warawi
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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The Built Boats
PRG-933-13-406 George Urquhart launching 1930s
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PRG-933-13-373 'boat on river' George Urquhart
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River Song - Milingimbi fishing
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