PADDLE STEAMER "BUNYIP"`

Observer 2 May 1857 - 3g.
GROWTH OF MURRAY ENTERPRISE - The navigation of the River Murray in 1857 is likely to demonstrate a greatly increased appreciation of the capabilities of that noble stream and its numerous tributaries. Among the anticipated additions to the steam force on the river is the new twin steamer Bunyip, now in course of construction at Mannum, by Captain W.R. Randell, and expected to be ready for launching in six weeks. The Bunyip may be classed with the Gemini, but is much larger, the extreme length being 106 feet, and extreme breadth 36 feet. The new twin boats are each 100 feet long with 12 feet beam, united and covered by one deck with a central opening for a single paddle wheel of about 18 feet diameter and 6 feet breast, which will be operated upon by two direct-acting engines, each of 25 horsepower. On the deck is placed a large and secure cargo-house with a flat roof, and capacity for the stowage of 500 bales of wool. The draft of water is not likely to exceed 3 feet with 80 tons of dead-weight cargo. Each of the hulls is divided into nine watertight compartments, but they are not intended for cargo. The rudder will be placed midway between the two stern-posts, and the turning of the vessel will be occasionally assisted by a paddle apparatus invented by Captain Randell, and placed between the two stems, at right angles therewith, which will be worked by a small engine of three horsepower, intended also for other useful purposes, such as assisting in the discharge of cargo and various mechanical operations. It is scarcely necessary to intimate that the small engine will be applied to the displacement of the turning apparatus and otherwise in case of accident. On the roof of the cargo-house is a capacious saloon for passengers, who may be comfortably accommodated in considerable numbers below when the space is not occupied by bulky commodities. Between the cargo-house and the gunwales is a walk, protected by a continuous rail, which will enable those on board to perambulate the vessel in safety, or to ascend from either side and obtain a more extensive view of the river scenery from the flat roof, two external staircases being among the conveniences provided. The model, which is now before us, presents a very judicious and spirited combination, and the principle of construction which has been found to answer so well in the Gemini is likely to prove still more successful and remunerative in the Bunyip.

Observer 19 September 1857 - Supplement 1d.
COLONIAL MANUFACTURES. - Mr George Wyatt of the Adelaide Foundry, North-terrace, has just turned out of hand in the short space of three months, a pair of high-pressure oscillating marine engines, of 20 horsepower each, for the Murray River steamer Bunyip, the property of the Messrs Randell. The workmanship and general finish of these engines are highly creditable to the foundry, and it is a gratifying circumstance that such work can be produced in the colony. The boiler, which is to be made in Sydney, and which was ordered some time before the engines, has not arrived yet.

Observer 14 November 1857 - 8c.
THE MURRAY - Bunyip rapidly approaching completion ... two cylinders, one in each boat [hull] ... oscillating, working paddle wheel in the centre ... resembles more a large floating store room than a boat ... novelty: saloon forward in bow with comforts and some style including a ladies' cabin ... paddle wheel between bows for steering.

Although, in the early days, Randell had many dangers to contend with, the only serious accident was the loss of the steamer Bunyip.

Randell's original P. S. Mary Ann was too small to be a commercially viable Murray River trader. Randell's choice of replacement was a twin hull design with the paddlewheel centrally positioned between the hulls, ostensibly to keep it out of reach of the troublesome snags that littered the inland river system. The P. S. Bunyip, built in 1857, was the second such vessel built by Randell. ... However, the design proved troublesome in tight bends.

In 1862, the hulls of Randell's steamers Gemini and Bunyip, were both in a poor state, and they were slipped at Mannum for repair.

Riverboats; Ian Mudie - 1963, Pg.201.. -
The Bunyip was not so much repaired as rebuilt ... Randell had her twin hulls brought together ... The new shape did away with the central paddle-wheel, and she was converted to a stern-wheeler.
William now took over command of the Bunyip again ... on 8 December 1863, on the way down from the Murrumbidgee, he called at Wentworth where E. B. Scott boarded the steamer. Just below the junction of the Murray and the Darling, they picked up two barges that were being drifted down river by their crews. One of the barges was the Goolwa ... The other the Symmetry ... With a barge chained on each side ... Randell steamed on down over the South Australian border. In what is still known as Bunyip Reach, his steamer was destroyed. It was one of only four or five river disasters, in which more than one life was lost.

At Chowilla, on the night of the tragedy, Randell wrote a report, viz; -
"I grieve to inform you that the steamer Bunyip and two barges, with five hundred bales of wool, all for Adelaide, were completely destroyed by fire, except for the iron hulls of the barges. The accident happened about seven miles (by land) above the station. One passenger and a child perished in the flames, and two, I fear three, of the crew either drowned or burnt. Mr E B Scott contrived to get into the ship's boat with three female passengers. One of them, however, broke her leg in tumbling in, and another is dangerously burnt. I have set the poor woman's leg as best I could, and they are now under cover, but their sufferings are very great.
You will, doubtless, be very surprised that so many lives were lost in so small a river as the Murray and why the boat was not run on shore. I will try to explain. There was a strong hot wind blowing up the river. We were seated at dinner when I heard the cry of fire. Mr Scott and I rushed on deck instantly, and I saw flames issuing from about the boiler and the cook's galley forward. Buckets of water were instantly thrown on the fire, but seeing it gain with fearful rapidity, I ran to the wheel to put the helm aport to bring the vessel's head upstream and run ashore if possible, hoping that as the wind would be from aft to forward the flames would be kept in the forward part of the vessel, thus giving opportunity for the passengers to escape in the ship's boat. - But before the steamer was half way round - indeed, I had just time to heave round the wheel, the whole roof and wheel were one mass of flames, and I was in great danger of being burnt to death. I ran through the fire and succeeded on getting down on the deck forward, where several men were preparing to jump overboard. I could not get away in any direction, as all was one mass of living fire. - I then jumped overboard, and had a narrow escape of being drowned, as one of the barges passed over me, and I was under water some length of time. When I rose to the surface I saw several men swimming ashore, and Mr Scott nearly ashore with some of the female passengers. - The effect of the wheel being put down and I being driven from it, was that the vessel described a large circle in the river as the engines could not be stopped, and the vessel slowly drifted to the bank, where a few of the men, who were hanging overboard by the chains, got ashore. - To give you some idea of the fearful rapidity of the flames it is sufficient to tell you that not one of the crew or the passengers saved one iota of anything except what they went overboard with. All I have described took place in about five minutes. Thank God I left my wife and family at Wentworth. I am much distressed in mind, and I return to the wreck in the morning."

Passenger Mr. E B Scott, later, gave a sworn declaration of evidence before a Justice of the Peace at the Goolwa, viz: - "Captain Randell ran to the boiler or steam-chest, and I followed close behind him. Saw Captain Randell throw water on the flames, which only seemed to augment their fury. I remained with him a second or perhaps more. Seeing no hope of saving the steamer I returned to the cabin. The flames were rushing after me and the cabin was full of smoke. Being unable to enter the cabin, I rushed to the upper deck, and there found the four women passengers huddled together. Calling on them to follow, I jumped seven feet down to the guards near the stern. When only three of them jumped, I tried to climb back for the fourth -a Mrs Fraser who had one of her children with her. The flames, however, were too fierce and I was driven back, and did not see her again." - While Scott was helping the other women down, to two of the crew who'd scrambled into the boat, one of them fell and broke her leg, the clothing of another was on fire and Scott drenched her with water to extinguish the flames. The two crewmen rowed him and the women ashore, then returned to pick up some of the men who were in the water.

Most of the male passengers and crew were forced to the bow or stern of the boat, until the heat forced them to jump overboard. Some managed to grab hold of the towing chains and others tried to swim to the bank, but the acting-mate and a fireman drowned before reaching it. The engineer managed to push himself ashore on a plank. Randell, who had survived the barge passing over him, then used the dinghy to rescue others who were still in the water; The steam pipes on the Bunyip shortly burst, and Randell was able to row up to the burning wreckage, and take aboard a man who was hanging under the stern. He then began to administer what first-aid he could to the injured; A cook was very severely burned (unclear if she was the ship's cook or a passenger - but may be the reason why Randell wrote "I fear three" in his report); - The Bunyip and barges, meantime, had grounded on the west bank, where they continued to burn down to the waterline.
On the day after the fire, Randell, with help from some locals and some aborigines, searched for the dead, and tried to salvage what cargo he could. They found, what was believed to be, the badly incinerated remains of Mrs Fraser and child, but there was nothing left of any cargo. One barge had separated about the same time the steam pipes ruptured, but its cargo was, likewise, totally destroyed. Among the wreckage, glass and metal objects such as brass candlesticks and telescopes were found, fused into grotesque shapes by the heat. It was also reported that, during the blaze, canisters of gunpowder exploded, one-by-one.

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Register 26 December 1863 - reported; - "BUNYIP and two barges were completely destroyed by fire, except for the iron hulls of the barges, about 7 miles by land above Chowilla station. There were about 20 persons and a cargo of 500 bales of wool on board at the time. Nothing was saved and none of the vessels were insured. The vessel was destroyed within 5 minutes. - It was valued at 6,000-pound."

The Advertiser - Adelaide, May 3, (1903)..
INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM RICHARD RANDELL; - "About 30 years ago I was on a vessel of mine called the Bunyip. We were steaming slowly down the river, having just picked up a barge laden with wool, while we had another barge on the other side; - While we were at dinner, it was discovered that the wood stacked on either side of the boiler had caught alight. The fire got completely out of control and those on board had to seek refuge in the bow or the stern of the boat, and some were even forced by the heat to jump into the water, where they managed to secure hold of the towing chain. I stood at the wheel, and tried to run her ashore, but before I could do so I was compelled to run forward and jump overboard. The rudders on those stern-wheel boats are of the type known as ballastite, and when they are pushed over either way will not easily return to a straight position, the consequence was that the boat continued to go around in a circle. By the time that I jumped from the bow, the boat was travelling at a great speed, for her, and I could not jump clear of the barge. Consequently I had to let the barge pass over me, and I can tell you those were anxious moments for me. One woman and a child were burnt to death, and two persons drowned in trying to swim ashore, whilst most of us were more or less scalded. I saw a man hanging onto the sponson-beam at the stern, and called for volunteers to try to save him. We quickly rowed to the place, and watched our opportunity to get underneath him, and called to him to jump into the boat. Just at that moment the stern wheel struck the boat, and sent it flying some distance away, but happily did not injure it."

Riverboats; Ian Mudie - 1963, Pg.206..
After the loss of the Bunyip Randell took over the Bogan and started a fresh 'log' ... stopping to work on the wreck every time he came to Bunyip Reach; On 14 March (1864) he wrote 'succeeded in raising her and recovering engines. Boat very much burned'. The next day he made the remains of the Bunyip and one of the barges (Goolwa) fast to the Bogan and took them down to Mannum. He later installed the engine and boiler in the Bogan, in place of the old ones which had outlived their usefulness.

In July the hulk of the Bunyip broke away from it's moorings ... and floated downstream ... grounding on the reeds above Wellington. After it had been lying there for at least three years, it was bought by Capt Ned Creamer. He built the remains into a schooner, the Waterlily; In 1903 the Waterlily sank off Point Malcolm in Lake Alexandrina.

R Parsons "Ships of the Inland Rivers" 1996 -
One passenger (Mrs Fraser) and a child died, and 2 or 3 crew were drowned. Portion of the wrecked hull was raised and arrived back at Mannum in April 1864. It broke it's moorings in a flood in July 1864, and drifted to Wellington before getting aground.

As stated, this tragedy occurred at the bottom end of a stretch of river which later became know as Bunyip Reach, about 2Km above the site of Lock 6#; - Randell salvaged much of the wreckage, but remnants still remains, submerged under the waters held-back by the lock; Renmark historian, Mr Brian Glenie, believes the recovered steam engine was ultimately put to use at the Gumeracha Butter and Cheese Factory.

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Some time after this fatal inferno. In, what seems to be, the very early part of the 20th Century. A local myth developed among the inhabitants of the region surrounding the fatality site. It concerns a grave, or graves, which are know to exist on the high ground to the east of the Murray, within a kilometre or so of the inferno location: - As often happens when such myths and legends are passed down via word-of-mouth through succeeding generations. They do, in time, acquire the status of facts. Therefore, modern proponents of this myth, truly believe that the grave\s in question, contain the remains of one, or more, of the P S Bunyip fire victims: - Unfortunately, this myth, is a myth, and it is not factual! The graves in question contain the remains of a number of known, and unknown, individuals of both Aboriginal and European origin. These were people almost certainly associated directly or indirectly with the region's early grazing industry, which dates back to the 1840s, - OR - with the unsuccessful attempts to create the village settlement of Murtho around 1893\94;
One grave in particular, known locally as the "Bedstead Grave", has been the centre-point of this regional mythology. - The true story behind this particular grave has been lost in the passage of time. However, with modern computers now being able to scan many of the States' Births, Deaths and Marriage records. A tangible connection has been uncovered, linking this grave to the rather sad story of 1-year 9-month old Miss Jane Elizabeth SMITH: - The full story of what is known about the "Bedstead Grave", and the reasons for associating it with this young lass, are fully detailed in the Myths and Fallacies page of this web-site:

THE FULL TEXT OF THE "P S BUNYIP" RESEARCH DOCUMENT TITLED "Results of research relating to the 1863 burning of the Murray steamer P S Bunyip, - and it's legendry association with the grave known as The Bedstead Grave, on nearby Bunyip Reach Station" ; INCLUDES PICTURES OF THE GRAVE SITE, MAP, PERTINENT DOCUMENTS, CONCLUSIONS, and THE BIRTH CERTIFICATES OF VICTIMS ETC., ETC.; - IT MAY BE HAD BY E-MAILING THE RESEARCH OFFICER at pereilly@esc.net.au

© Peter J Reilly - 1998;

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