'Manning Packet' (1851 - 1852) – 'Concord' (1855 - 1867)

The story of the Manning Packet starts with one Morgan Poole who commenced milling wheat into flour at Tinonee. He was promising farmers that he could convert their grain into "the finest silk dressed flour". But rust ruined the wheat industry along the Manning, so Morgan Poole turned to sugar milling to accommodate farmers experimenting in that line. But frost ruined the sugar cane crops and the mill was sold to timbermen.

Morgan wanted to ship his produce - first flour, then sugar - to Sydney. He was was one of the shareholders in a company of local farmers and businessmen who owned the Manning Packet in 1851. His mill at Tinonee was later taken over by William (Sawdust Bill) Smith and William Basham in 1886. Bill Smith is on the right of this picture; Bill Basham is on the left.

 

Details :

Official Number: ON - not available

Registered: Sydney 6th March 1852 (22/1852)

Type: Ketch

Length: 40 ft

Beam: 15 ft

Draft: 5 ft 4 in

Builder: Thomas Snowdon

Launched: 24 October 1851

Gross Register: 23 tons

Captain: William McLean/Davie Irvine

 

Shareholders:

In the early 1850’s, a group of farmers and timber cutters formed what is believed to the first co-operative effort on the Manning, to ship their produce to Sydney.

A meeting took place, resulting in shares of ₤3, purchased in the vessel built by Thomas Snowdon of Purfleet, and named the Manning Packet .

The principal shareholder was Mr. William McLean, who proposed to go to Sydney as a commission agent to act for the district shippers.

Other shareholders included, George Allen, Joseph Andrews, William Willmett, Henry Flett, Thomas Borland Finlay, John Henshaw, Angus McLeod, James Stace, Davie Irvine, and Morgan Poole (Tinonee sawmill owner).

 

Maiden voyage:

“The company, in short sleeved flannels and patch-work pants, stood on the river bank and cheered happily as she moved off on her first eventful voyage”

Loaded with 200 bushels of wheat, 900 bushels of corn, 540 staves, 45 cheeses and two casks of pork the Manning Packet arrived in Sydney on the 22nd February 1852. After experiencing a heavy gale of southerly winds for two days and two nights on the way down she proved herself as an excellent boat.

 

Stranded and abandoned :

Three more successful trips to Sydney were made in May, July and August of that year by the Manning Packet, after which Mr. David Irvine, of Dingo Creek, a retired sea-captain, was appointed her master. Captain Irvine was to assume charge in Sydney; but the trip by which Mr. McLean and his family and the new captain were to proceed to Sydney was fatal to the boat.

Outward bound from the Manning River to Sydney in October 1852 the ketch loaded with maize struck a sand bar at the entrance of the river near Harrington and became stuck fast.

A report that a vessel was stranded at Harrington, a group set off in an attempt to re-float the stricken vessel. Some empty casks were loaned by the publicans at Taree and Cundle, also anchors and chains from Captain Newton's yard at Pelican.

Arriving at the scene they found that she had sunken well down in the sand and after digging it away found that several planks were shattered in the bottom of the vessel.

Seeing that their efforts were unsuccessful, the Manning Packet was abandoned by the crew and owners, as well as her cargo which was ruined. Deemed a wreck, she lay stranded on the bar for over twelve months, enduring the elements of time, buffeted by the vicious seas of many storms.

 

“I went down with others, a mere lad, to see the wreck of the Manning Packet a ketch ' (built by Mr. Snowdon. at Tinonee), a good man, and a neighbor of mine. The Manning Packet was owned by the first co-operative company ever formed on the Manning and when refloated was named the Concord and was commanded by Captain Ringland.” (Captain Hector Gollan)

 

Ghost Ship:

It appeared that the short life of the little ketch had come to a sudden and abrupt ending until mother nature was to play a hand in giving her new hope.

After an extremely high tide the Manning Packet lifted herself from her supposedly watery grave and floated herself silently and un-manned up the river to her home port. Her jubilant owners subsequently had her repaired .

Records indicate that Mr George R. Tucker undertook the repairs with Mr William Ringland purchasing the vessel, naming and registering her as the Concord.

 

Repaired and launched as:The Concord

Official Number: ON 32623

Registered: Sydney 14th July 1855

Launched: 3rd July 1855

Builder: George R Tucker.

Owner: William Ringland.

Captain: Edward Bailey.

 

FOR SALE - 1855

For Sale, Freight or Charter, A new ketch 30 tons Burthen, called the Concord ready for sea in an hours notice.

For further particulars apply to William Ringland, on board Albatross, Victoria Wharf.

Sydney Morning Herald 21st August 1855

 

Damage Event: 1857

January 27th 1857. - MANNING RIVER - Wreck of the ketch Concord "I’ am sorry to report that this coaster, when taking to make her way out of port last Friday, missed stays, and having drifted into a blind channel near the North Spit [entrance to Manning River], went ashore. I have just heard that her bottom is knocked out, and very little of her cargo of maize has been saved sound. This ill-fated vessel is the property of Mr. Ringland, Sydney. She was nearly in the same condition once before, as the Manning Packet, she was then purchased and repaired by her unfortunate owner." Empire (Sydney, NSW) 2nd February 1857.

 

Clearly she was repaired in 1857 and traded for another 10 years.

 

Concord Wrecked April 16th 1867:

The Concord was on a passage from Sydney bound for Port Stephens with a general cargo when she was caught out in a gale. With favourable weather and a S.W. wind she was making a good run up the coast when the winds swung around into a strong E.S.E. gale with heavy rain squalls. In battling the conditions the Concord lost her foremast and bowsprit, becoming quite disabled. In an attempt to save his vessel and crew, Captain Crawford decided his best option was to run her ashore, onto the beach. All of the crew managed to land safely and unhurt. Some some of the cargo was salvaged but the Concord was well sanded up and became a total loss around seven miles south of Morna Point on Stockton beach.

The wrecked Concord and her crew were discovered by the survivors of the shipwrecked crew of the schooner Cyclone, that had met her demise on the rocks at Port Stephens in the same event, but with the loss of one of her crew.

 

Image Source :

Jim Revitt’s: The Good Old Days

 

All Images in this photostream are Copyright - Great Lakes Manning River Shipping and/or their individual owners as may be stated above and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without prior written approval.

 

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