COVID-19 ADVICE

COVID-19 ADVICE: The following links provide official advice and information about the virus known as COVID-19.
Australia's state and federal governments are taking action to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Use the links above to source the latest advice about what you can do to protect yourself and others. Washing your hands for 20 seconds is one of the most effective forms of infection control. Do this after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; after close physical contact with anyone who is unwell; after using the toilet; before and after eating; before, during and after preparing food; and after feeding or touching a pet.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Remembering the Marana

ANOTHER piece of Derwent Valley history as turned up on eBay - the online auction site. A photo of the river steamer Marana (left) today sold for $33.78 after being listed by a seller in Brisbane. The seller estimated the real-photo postcard to have been made in the 1920s. The image shows passengers disembarking at New Norfolk's Black Jetty.

SS Marana was purpose-built in 1908 for the New Norfolk passenger and cargo trade. Her hull was built at Purden and Featherstone's Battery Point shipyard for Whitehouse Bros. The keel and frame were made of Tasmanian bluegum and the decking was kauri. A newspaper report at the time said Marana was a "Tasmanian native" name meaning war. Her maiden voyage was in October 1908.

After operating the Hobart-New Norfolk run for nearly 20 years without incident, she suffered a number of mishaps starting in January 1928 when her propellor shaft broke just after leaving Sorell Creek. In November 1930 a disaster was narrowly avoided when the swing-bridge at Bridgewater unexpectedly slammed shut while Marana was passing through. In February 1938 a deckhand fell overboard and drowned near Old Beach.

In March 1954 it was Marana to the rescue after the Cartela famously ran aground during a charter cruise for the New Norfolk District Football Club. About 100 men and women boarded the Cartela at New Norfolk at 8pm for a three-hour cruise which came to a sudden stop when the Cartela ran aground about 800 metres shy of the Lime Kilns. And there they stayed until they were transferred to the Marana at 6.30 the next morning - reaching New Norfolk about an hour later.

A classic view of the SS Marana at New Norfolk
Posted by: at

2 comments:

  1. Jarvo_325March 7, 2011 at 12:05 PM

    Its such a shame that the grand stand type structure is no longer there, in that last photo.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 11, 2011 at 10:46 AM

    The structure that you mentioned was situated just 3 metres from the now Devil Jet building. Over the years it lost the Grand Stand atop but the lower half served the Regatta Assoc for many years.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)