aquilareen
Port Adelaide New Dock
The iron barque “Primera” in New Dock adjacent to the new Elders wool & grain store during the ship’s visit 1881. [Photo from State Library of SA: PRG 1373/8/84 (1880-83)]
“New Dock” opened 20 Sep 1880, designed by C. L. Gardiner, able to berth up to 15 ships, by 1930s it was too small to berth more than 2 modern steamers, filled in 1936. Elders foundation stone 20 Sep 1880 by Chief Secretary, W Morgan, architect W Beattie, opened as wool & grain store opposite the new Port Adelaide Dock, closed, now storage.
“The barque Matthieu, Capt. Young, has earned the distinction of being the first vessel to enter the new dock.” [Port Adelaide News 14 Feb 1880]
“to the surprise of every one a vessel made its appearance in the dock and took up a berth there. This was the barque Matthieu, which went in under a misunderstanding. She seemed to experience no difficulty in making an entrance and slewed round quite comfortably. . . The successful entrance of this barque created great confidence in the works. The dock is completely encircled by lines of rails, which join the city rails at the Port Station. On the wharfs eight donkey engines have been placed with the necessary cranes. A large goods-shed has been erected on the Port side of the dock, and offices will shortly be added.” [Express & Telegraph 21 Sep 1880]
“Three years ago the spot which the new dock now occupies was little better than a swamp, with more or less water in it all the year round, according to the seasons. Stretching from the Port river half a mile eastward, and from the South Australian Company's basin northward, there was a large tract of low marshy land, miserable to look upon, and still worse to walk over, leading to nowhere in particular, and apparently useful for no purpose. . . The first sod was turned about the middle of November, 1878, and a large staff of workmen was shortly afterwards put on.. . . Every inch of the labor was done by hand — pick, shovel, wheelbarrow, and carts assisting. . . By the end of July the full depth of 20 feet had been obtained in many places, and 200,000 yards of earth had been taken out. . . By the end of November the piles, which are of jarrah, were driven all round the enclosure, and preparations were commenced for letting the water in.” [Advertiser 21 Sep 1880]
“Monday, September 20, 1880, was a great day at Port Adelaide, for in the afternoon of that day there was witnessed the consummation of one of the most important works ever undertaken there by a private Company, namely, the opening of the new Port Dock, which has cost about £95,000, and will provide wharfage accommodation for about fifteen ships. . . The new dock covers about nine acres of ground, has 2,000 feet of wharfage accommodation, and a depth of 20 feet of water near to the wharfs at low water. It is situated about two hundred yards to the eastward of the Railway Station, and the entrance to it from the Port Stream is through the South Australian Company's Basin by a channel eighty feet wide and sixteen feet deep at low water. Just at the entrance to the new dock the channel is spanned by an American swing bridge, which is in a line with St. Vincent-street.” [Evening Journal 21 Sep 1880]
“Vessels in Port. . . Primera, barque (Br ), 597 tons, W. Sherwen, from London. D. and J. Fowler, agents, City and Port. Port Dock.” [Advertiser 20 Jul 1881]
“Port Adelaide Dock.— Dock to be reclaimed, and new road built at east end of Basin to replace Fisher Bridge.” [Advertiser 1 Nov 1933]
‘’The Port Adelaide City Council is continuing its campaign to preserve the New Dock, which under the Harbors Board's present reconstruction scheme is to be filled in. The board does not favor the scheme that it should be converted into a graving dock, contending that it would not return interest and working expenses. . . it seemed a retrograde step to fill in the dock and create a barren expanse of land.” [News 9 Aug 1934]
“The building of a new bridge and the reconstruction of New Dock. . . The dock was built in the ’80s, and is already well beyond the estimated life of a timber wharf. . . The board is of the opinion that the money would be spent to better advantage on the river front proper. It is very inadequate for present requirements, and as only one modern steamer could be berthed on each side of it, the spending of £100,000 to keep the dock in commission is not warranted.” [Advertiser 11 Aug 1934]
“Honors of being the last overseas ship were divided between the sailer Archibald Russell, which arrived in January, 1930, and the American schooner Dorothy H. Sterling, which lay there for a long time before being broken up. . . New Dock had to be filled in. But shovels and picks were not used for this task. Suction dredges were anchored in T. Head Dock, and poured through large pipes silt and other solids dredged from various parts of the Port River. The dredges have taken 13½ months to fill in what has played a remarkable part in the development of a waste area into profitable land. Robinson Bridge was demolished before the dredges had finished their work, and was sold as scrap iron to Japan. Only a few more months passed before Fisher Bridge also followed its companion to the scrapheap. It took only three days to demolish this 200 ton structure.” [News 22 Feb 1936]
“The ‘New Dock’, as it was named in 1879, is already unknown to many, and will soon be entirely forgotten. In the 70's a company was formed, called the Port Adelaide Dock Co., to construct a dock for vessels visiting this Port. On a site of 9 acres opposite Elder, Smith and Co's. premises it was excavated by the ‘dry’ method — pick and shovel work — the spoil being removed by horses and drays to low lying areas. It provided a first-class dock with 2,000 feet of wharf and a depth of 20 feet at low water. The natural soakage was kept down by several pumps. . . Subsequently hundreds of fine sailing ships berthed, and discharged there. . . Later the steamers and timber ships from the Baltic, Canada and Puget Sound discharged there. In 1935, the S.A. Harbours Board (which had acquired all the wharves) filled up the Dock and removed the bridge.” [Messenger, Port Adelaide 22 Apr 1954]
Port Adelaide New Dock
The iron barque “Primera” in New Dock adjacent to the new Elders wool & grain store during the ship’s visit 1881. [Photo from State Library of SA: PRG 1373/8/84 (1880-83)]
“New Dock” opened 20 Sep 1880, designed by C. L. Gardiner, able to berth up to 15 ships, by 1930s it was too small to berth more than 2 modern steamers, filled in 1936. Elders foundation stone 20 Sep 1880 by Chief Secretary, W Morgan, architect W Beattie, opened as wool & grain store opposite the new Port Adelaide Dock, closed, now storage.
“The barque Matthieu, Capt. Young, has earned the distinction of being the first vessel to enter the new dock.” [Port Adelaide News 14 Feb 1880]
“to the surprise of every one a vessel made its appearance in the dock and took up a berth there. This was the barque Matthieu, which went in under a misunderstanding. She seemed to experience no difficulty in making an entrance and slewed round quite comfortably. . . The successful entrance of this barque created great confidence in the works. The dock is completely encircled by lines of rails, which join the city rails at the Port Station. On the wharfs eight donkey engines have been placed with the necessary cranes. A large goods-shed has been erected on the Port side of the dock, and offices will shortly be added.” [Express & Telegraph 21 Sep 1880]
“Three years ago the spot which the new dock now occupies was little better than a swamp, with more or less water in it all the year round, according to the seasons. Stretching from the Port river half a mile eastward, and from the South Australian Company's basin northward, there was a large tract of low marshy land, miserable to look upon, and still worse to walk over, leading to nowhere in particular, and apparently useful for no purpose. . . The first sod was turned about the middle of November, 1878, and a large staff of workmen was shortly afterwards put on.. . . Every inch of the labor was done by hand — pick, shovel, wheelbarrow, and carts assisting. . . By the end of July the full depth of 20 feet had been obtained in many places, and 200,000 yards of earth had been taken out. . . By the end of November the piles, which are of jarrah, were driven all round the enclosure, and preparations were commenced for letting the water in.” [Advertiser 21 Sep 1880]
“Monday, September 20, 1880, was a great day at Port Adelaide, for in the afternoon of that day there was witnessed the consummation of one of the most important works ever undertaken there by a private Company, namely, the opening of the new Port Dock, which has cost about £95,000, and will provide wharfage accommodation for about fifteen ships. . . The new dock covers about nine acres of ground, has 2,000 feet of wharfage accommodation, and a depth of 20 feet of water near to the wharfs at low water. It is situated about two hundred yards to the eastward of the Railway Station, and the entrance to it from the Port Stream is through the South Australian Company's Basin by a channel eighty feet wide and sixteen feet deep at low water. Just at the entrance to the new dock the channel is spanned by an American swing bridge, which is in a line with St. Vincent-street.” [Evening Journal 21 Sep 1880]
“Vessels in Port. . . Primera, barque (Br ), 597 tons, W. Sherwen, from London. D. and J. Fowler, agents, City and Port. Port Dock.” [Advertiser 20 Jul 1881]
“Port Adelaide Dock.— Dock to be reclaimed, and new road built at east end of Basin to replace Fisher Bridge.” [Advertiser 1 Nov 1933]
‘’The Port Adelaide City Council is continuing its campaign to preserve the New Dock, which under the Harbors Board's present reconstruction scheme is to be filled in. The board does not favor the scheme that it should be converted into a graving dock, contending that it would not return interest and working expenses. . . it seemed a retrograde step to fill in the dock and create a barren expanse of land.” [News 9 Aug 1934]
“The building of a new bridge and the reconstruction of New Dock. . . The dock was built in the ’80s, and is already well beyond the estimated life of a timber wharf. . . The board is of the opinion that the money would be spent to better advantage on the river front proper. It is very inadequate for present requirements, and as only one modern steamer could be berthed on each side of it, the spending of £100,000 to keep the dock in commission is not warranted.” [Advertiser 11 Aug 1934]
“Honors of being the last overseas ship were divided between the sailer Archibald Russell, which arrived in January, 1930, and the American schooner Dorothy H. Sterling, which lay there for a long time before being broken up. . . New Dock had to be filled in. But shovels and picks were not used for this task. Suction dredges were anchored in T. Head Dock, and poured through large pipes silt and other solids dredged from various parts of the Port River. The dredges have taken 13½ months to fill in what has played a remarkable part in the development of a waste area into profitable land. Robinson Bridge was demolished before the dredges had finished their work, and was sold as scrap iron to Japan. Only a few more months passed before Fisher Bridge also followed its companion to the scrapheap. It took only three days to demolish this 200 ton structure.” [News 22 Feb 1936]
“The ‘New Dock’, as it was named in 1879, is already unknown to many, and will soon be entirely forgotten. In the 70's a company was formed, called the Port Adelaide Dock Co., to construct a dock for vessels visiting this Port. On a site of 9 acres opposite Elder, Smith and Co's. premises it was excavated by the ‘dry’ method — pick and shovel work — the spoil being removed by horses and drays to low lying areas. It provided a first-class dock with 2,000 feet of wharf and a depth of 20 feet at low water. The natural soakage was kept down by several pumps. . . Subsequently hundreds of fine sailing ships berthed, and discharged there. . . Later the steamers and timber ships from the Baltic, Canada and Puget Sound discharged there. In 1935, the S.A. Harbours Board (which had acquired all the wharves) filled up the Dock and removed the bridge.” [Messenger, Port Adelaide 22 Apr 1954]