TWO matriarchs of the River Murray will mark milestone occasions this weekend at a joint celebration in Wentworth, NSW.
Restored paddle steamer Marion has made the 13-day trip from its base in Mannum to join sister paddle steamer Ruby to mark 120 years for Marion and 110 for Ruby.
Mannum Dock Museum chair Rob Bowring was onboard the PS Marion, assisting Captain Frank Tucker, on the trip up the river.
Rob has a special connection to the PS Marion, with his great-grandfather William Bowring previously owning the steamer as part of his department store, WM Bowring & Co, based in Mildura, Vic. He said this piqued his interest in the vessel, having heard stories while growing up in Mildura.
“(William) bought the barge as a hawker vessel and used it up and down the (River) Darling,” Rob said.
“I often looked at the Marion sitting in dock. The best way to keep it for future generations is to restore it and operate it – then you have to keep maintaining it.”
Rob got involved in the PS Marion’s restoration in 1989 and his interest has grown.
The team at Mannum Dock Museum has also restored the PS Mayflower and is in the process of working on the PS Canally at Morgan.
“It’s a fair effort as all the people who work on Marion and Ruby, they’re all volunteers,” Rob said. “I think people like to see something from the past kept in an order where this and future generations can appreciate it.”
He said these vessels served an important part in regional Australia’s history.
“When (riverboat pioneer) William Randall first started off, paddle steamers were the only highway to the stations and the outback people for years until railway and roads were built,” he said. “They really opened up the area.”
Rob said he was proud to be able to make this trip to Wentworth on the PS Marion, alongside a fully-booked group of passengers.
He said the trip was a rare event, with water levels in the River Murray often making such trips difficult.
“When I started looking back, I also found that Ruby was leased by my great-grandfather, so there is quite a connection between the two boats,” he said.
- Details: Celebration dinner on November 4; entertainment and river cruises on November 5. Book at Mannum Dock Museum on 08 8569 2733 and psmarion.com or Wentworth Visitor Information Centre on 03 5027 5080.