EARLY DAYS TRANSPORTATION
RIVERBOATS
The discovery that the River Darling was navigable was the principle reason for opening up of large areas of the district for pastoral purposes. In 1859 Captain William Richard Randell took the Gemini to Brewarrina nearly 1600 river kilometres north of the Murray/Darling junction. In the same year,Captain Francis Cadell established a small stores depot on the west bank of the rive, thus marking the beginning of the settlement of Menindee.
River Ports and landing stages were set at convenient locations along the Darling.
Wood splitter's camps were sited at regular intervals to provide fuel for the steam boilers.
Most of the timber-getters and crewman were drifters from the cities.
On 9th November 1872 the steamer Province blew up when the boiler burst,several kilometres south of Kinchega sheep station.
Two members of the crew escaped injury,but four were killed in the explosion.
At one time nearly 100 paddle steamers were operating on the River Darling.
Most pastoralists owned riverboats and barges.
Many riverboats would tow two barges at a time laden with bales of wool,or carrying up to 2,000 sheep. The steamboats suffered a serious disadvantage when the level of the river fell during recurring periods of prolonged drought. Riverboats were known to have been trapped along the Darling for several months because of low water. When such enforced delays occurred it was not unusual for the captain to unceremoniously pay off his crew and leave them stranded at one of the river ports. It was burned to the waterline. As the state railway system expanded the use of riverboats gradually declined. From 1868 to 1931 a punt operated at the rear of Maidens's Hotel at Menindee.
With the linking of Broken Hill and Sydney by rail in 1927,a raised bridge was built for road rail traffic across the river at Menindee, but by this time very few steamers were making long up river-trips .
The 'Renmark' was the last paddle steamer to require the raising of the Menindee and Wilcannia bridges. It travelled up river in 1942 and returned in 1943.
With the building of a weir in 1960 and fixed bridges at Pooncarie in 1963-signalled the end of a colourful and picturesque era in Australian transport.
BULLOCK TEAMS
With the extension of pastoral holdings in the 1860's and 1870's,carriage of goods overland from South Australia to the west Darling District of N.S.W.was undertaken principally by Bullock teams. The Bullocks were worked in pairs,with a wooden yoke across their necks,held in place by iron bows fastened with special keys. Each capable off carrying up to ten tonnes of stores,the Bullock Wagons made their slow progress to the furthermost points of the outback,returning with wool and hides to the nearest railhead or river port. The hard flint-like nature of the ground around the Barrier Ranges caused the "Bullockies" to adopt Devon custom of shooing their bullocks. Because of the clover hoof each shoe consisted of two halve-plates known as 'cues'. Bullocks were driven into three-cornered cuing pens and securely tethered before the shoes were nailed to each hoof. The Australian bullock drivers favoured long loud cracking whips as used in Capetown,rather than the European goads or poking poles. Walking for hundreds of kilometres beside the team on hot,dusty roads-keeping bullocks on the move-while tenacious flies infiltrated under the hat veil or between corks suspended from the brim,undoubtedly contributed to the bullock's reputation for loud and hearty cursing. The annual bullockie's ball at Wilcannia was a time for meeting and relaxation for all carriers who could gather for the occasion. A hundred or more wagons would be drawn up at the west bank of the Darling River,a glow with camp-fire light,with the sound of horse and bullock bells ringing out across the plains. Many of the present pastoral property owners are descendants of the original carriers and Hawkers who pioneered the district. Before the arrival of the railways,the owners of bullocks teams and wagons were encounter ruinous competition from the introduction of camels into the area.
From 1883 to 1893 vehicles drawn by horses,camels,bullocks and donkeys still were the principle means of transport around the district of Broken Hill.
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