The Lugarno Ferry and the Road to the Illawarra

TENDERS

Mr. George Buddivent, a shipbuilder from Balmain apparently heard of the proposed new road to the Illawarra, and saw an opportunity for business.

On the 30th December, 1842 he wrote to the Colonial Secretary, proposing to build a punt and operate it at his own expense, in return for a portion of land, an the right to collect tolls. Alternatively he would build a punt for the Government, or repair the punt that was lying at Cooks River, and lease the ferry for a term of fourteen years.

He gained the support of the Surveyor General, Sir Thomas Mitchell, as it would open land for sale south of George’s River, however the Colonial Secretary wished to pass the matter over to a District Council 'as soon as that body shall be organized'.

It was soon realized that the road to the Illawarra was of more than local importance, and that a ferry over George’s River was an essential part of that road, so the Government invited tenders for providing the ferry service on the 7th February, 1843, rather than leaving it to a District Council.

Mr. Buddivent wrote to the Colonial Secretary again stating that he had inspected the disused punt at Cooks River, and had found it needed a new bottom. He offered £8 for it. The Colonial Engineer was asked to report, and replied: 'I do not consider the amount offered equal to the value of the boat', and Mr. Buddivent was informed that his offer was rejected.

Charles Roman may have been reading the Sydney Morning Herald of February 10, 1843, and read his name among those who had letters waiting for them at the G.P.O. If he looked to the bottom of the page he would have seen an advertisement for tenders for the ferry on George's River. The tenderer would have to supply a ferry to convey at all times passengers, horses, carriages, etc. across the river, to keep it in repair at their own expense, and pay a quarterly rent to the Government for the privilege of keeping money collected in tolls. A security deposit also had to be paid. One acre of land on each side of the river was to be allowed to the lessee.

Charles Roman was accepted as the lessee of the ferry, however there was a delay of a few months caused by one of Romans' guarantors, a Mr. W Thompson, having failed to execute the bond. This was rectified on the 27th May, 1843, and an acre of land on each side of the river was marked out for the ferryman’s use.

ESTABLISHMENT

The proclamation of the establishment of the ferry was on the 24th June, 1843.

Surveyor-General Mitchell wrote to the Colonial Secretary on the 1st July, 1843:

"I have the honour to state for the information of His Excellency the Governor in reply to your letter of the 24th ultimo no. 43/243, that I have ascertained from Charles Roman the lessee of the Ferry across George's River, that the Punt is now there, and available for taking any thing across (although the rope is not yet fixed) and that the roads use of the Punt will greatly facilitate the employment of the party to open the way up from the Woronora, and the road beyond, the arrangement for which I shall immediately set about carrying into effect."

However the lack of an adequate landing place proved a problem. Mitchell wrote to the Colonial Secretary on the 4th July, 1843:

"The lessee of the Punt at the ferry on George's River having represented to me the necessity for the formation of a landing place on this side, in order that the punt, which is of a large and convenient construction, may approach the shore at high and low water. I have the honour to suggest that a landing place may be easily made there from the abundance of stone on the spot; and that it would be of great advantage both to the public and the lessee if a small party could be temporarily detached from some other public work for this purpose."

This letter was referred to the Colonial Engineer, who recommended that a probationary party of six prisoners be employed as suggested, and this was approved on July 20, 1843.

Work did not begin at this time, and Mitchell wrote again on the 30th August, 1843

"There are no persons there now to ply the punt, that great inconvenience is the consequence in all arrangements connected with the clearing of the road beyond, and that I have ascertained that no men have yet set about the construction of a landing place, it is possible that the absence of the party to ply the punt may be in consequence of the neglected state of the landing place."

Again on the 21st October, 1844 Mitchell wrote to the Colonial Secretary:

"A great inconvenience is experienced by the public from the very inefficient manner in which the lessee of the Punt on George’s River affords a passage. The punt is frequently left ashore, off the wharf. The access to it on the northern bank is very bad, and horses are frequently injured from the state of the landing place. I beg to add that I have considered it necessary to make this report as the thoroughfare is likely to increase rapidly, and accidents and delays may be prevented to many, if prompt measures are taken to remedy this inconvenience."

Mr. Darke's party, working on the Illawarra road were instructed to repair the landing place, using squared stones from the quarry at Cooks River Dam, but not to place the wharf in position where it could interfere with the construction of a bridge later on.

Charles Roman seems to have had little profit from operating the ferry, as he was excused from paying the rent for the ferry for its first year on the 1st April, 1844. There would have been little traffic for the ferry except the road gangs working under the supervision of Overseer O'Hara, as the road was only a rough bridle track that had not reached its destination. Surveyor Darke proposed a new line of road to the Illawarra, and this was cleared of timber to within two miles of the line down Bulli in July 1844. Although this road was not made (i.e. earthworks completed, stone filling and drainage allowed for) some use of it was made by the public. Contractors commenced work forming the road on September 14, 1846, and completed it in August 1847. The lack of a good road from Bulli mountain to Wollongong meant that there was little traffic, indeed it was not until 1871 that a wheeled vehicle travelled from Sydney to Wollongong by this road, which by then connected with the ferry at Tom Uglys Point.

The Sydney Morning herald of 24th August, 1847 took up the cause of Charles Roman and the Illawarra residents:

"It may not be improper to mention the fact that the puntman at George’s River, who, poor confiding man, had put confidence in the promise of the Government to make the road alluded to passable for travellers, has been miserably dissapointed, and is enduring the greatest privations in anticipation of the hopes held out to him by Government being some time or another fulfilled. Delay may not injure the Government, but it is ruinous to him. With utmost patience and perseverance the punt-man may be observed early and late, and at noon day, casting his eyes first to the Sydney, then to the Wollongong side of the river, from whom he may receive a shilling to enable him to purchase as much food as may 'keep base life afloat'. Many days, and sometimes even weeks, elapse without witnessing a human figure to break the monotony of the scenery, or to relieve his necessities." [p.3]

And again on 17 September, 1847

"The Illawarra people and the Puntman at George’s River are just now playing at hide and seek with one another. The traveller from Illawarra to Sydney is wondering whether he may venture to go the new line, or whether the Puntman will be at his post at George’s River to convey him over, should he resolve upon taking the near, cheap, and pleasant road, instead of the round-about expensive and dusty or dirty road through Campbelltown and Liverpool. On the other hand, it may be that the Puntman is anxious to know why the people have discontinued to travel via George's River should he be there; but the fact is, it is not known whether he be there or not, and the journey from Wollongong to George's River is rather too far for any person to make only from motives of curiosity on this point." [p.3]

Charles Roman felt bound to reply, and a letter from him was published in the Sydney Morning Herald of the 25th September, 1847.

"In your number of the 17th instant, your Wollongong correspondent is pleased to say that the Illawarra people and myself are 'playing at hide and seek'. To save undue blame from those whom I should be so glad to serve and accommodate, if I had it in my power, I shall feel obliged by your permitting me, through your medium, to explain the two chief causes of the suspension of my puntage. The one is, that a hurricane about six weeks ago caused the punt to be driven on the rocks, and to have her bottom stove in, and I have not the means of repairing it; and the other is , that even if the punt were fit for service, I would not be able to subsist at the Ferry from want of traffic, and until the road be properly opened for travellers all the way to Wollongong, or till the people interested come forward to assist me, I fear that I will be starved off the Ferry. My punt is there a wreck, and I am compelled to stay the most part of my time in Sydney so as to obtain the bare necessities of life.

In conclusion, I beg to express a hope that my Illawarra friends and customers will do something speedily to assist me in my wants, and thereby to enable me to accommodate them as much as I wish to do."

The Sydney Morning Herald of March 28, 1848 put this in concrete form, suggesting that a subscription of £1 a year, and a shilling for each ferry crossing be made, however generous subscribers were hard to find.

LUGARNO FERRY 1848-1860

Henry Calvert, writing from Wollongong on April 1, 1848 recommended a change in the site of the ferry on the George’s River from Lugarno to Kangaroo Point. He says that a track from Bottle Forest to this place has been used by sawyers, and claims it would be a shorter route from Bottle Forest to the Cooks River Dam than the route through Lugarno, and would avoid the difficult crossing of the Woronora River. Calvert offered to operate a punt at this place, provided that the Government encouraged him to do so by allowing him to operate an inn, receive subscriptions from regular travellers, and be free of paying normal government charges, and to charge more for the wider crossing.

The Deputy Surveyor General, Captain Perry, was asked to report on the proposal. He pointed out that the proposed new road from Kangaroo Point towards Bottle Forest would be about twelve miles long, and would be only one and a half miles shorter than the existing route. Apart from the expense of building the road, there was a significant cost in preparing approaches to the punt by blasting the rock at Kangaroo Point. Captain Perry had a preference for the point above Kangaroo Point, known as Rowley's Point, and in a footnote to his report he says that in discussing this with Mr. Calvert that he agreed that Rowley's Point was the better crossing.

Captain Perry thought that the river crossing proposed was too wide. "The proposed Ferry, about half a mile wide, lies exposed to the wind and tide, which is frequently so strong that on some occasions the surveying parties while employed under Sir Thomas Mitchell's immediate orders in examining lines for his selection experienced very great difficulty in crossing with an open boat. The most favourable position for the descent to the river is that which is the most exposed to wind and tide. A Punt worked with a chain for so great a distance is entirely out of the question. A sailing vessel, with sweeps would occasionally be drifted by the tide or carried by the wind a considerable distance out of its course. The only sure means therefore of crossing at Kangaroo Point would be a powerful steam vessel. Of these facts and every other connected with the subject, I beg leave to observe Sir Thomas Mitchell was fully aware before he determined the present line of road, which is (in my opinion) the only line that can be made practicable by a moderate outlay."

Captain Perry further observed that any saving in time due to shortening the route by one and a half miles would be lost on the river crossing, (with the punt being swept up river by wind and tide) or at the inn proposed by Calvert.

It was therefore decided to retain the punt at Lugarno.

Another letter was received offering to operate the punt, this time from William Nicholas of 197 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, on the 12th September, 1848. He had purchased an allotment at Bottle Forest, and had built a nine roomed house, kitchen, etc., cleared and fenced the land at an expense of about £400. He claimed that he could be forced off his land, as other Bottle Forest residents had been, by the cost of getting there without a punt.

The right to work the ferry was put up for auction by the Government on 7th October, 1849, and there being no takers, negotiations were entered into with William Nicholas who offered to provide a punt and pay the Government £1 per year for three years.

Nicholas apparently engaged William Fleming of Bottle Forest to operate the punt, then declined to have anything further to do with the punt. [letter March 3, 1849 49/2429] Fleming would not reply to correspondence, apparently not wishing to continue to operate the ferry after only taking three shillings in a month of operations.

A petition from residents of Bottle Forest and George’s River called on the Government to provide a ferry and improve the road from the ferry to Bottle Forest was sent to the Colonial Secretary on the 9th August 1850. It was signed by William Nicolas, Hugh Pattrick, William Fleming, David Taylor, Patrick Hynes, Thomas Caffrey, John Erving, Robert Morris and Thomas Annan.

James Bardsley tendered to operate the ferry for the year 1851 on condition that he did not have to pay for it.

The Government apparently realized that the ferry would need to be provided by the Government and one was ordered to be built.

It was towed down to the crossing place on 12 December 1851, but as there was no-one there to take charge of it, it was towed down nearer the mouth of the river and left in the charge of Mr. Chapman until someone was permanently appointed. The Surveyor-General recommended Joseph Sheppard for the job, and suggested that he be allowed £15 a year, as well as the right to collect tolls.

The ferry settled down into regular operation, however on Saturday 10 January, 1852 60 foot of spare hawser rope was stolen from the ferry. A reward of £5 for the detection of the thief was advertised in the Government Gazette.

A notice appeared in the Government Gazette on February 10, 1852, informing the public a punt had been established at George’s River, and stating that the new line of road to the head of the Woronora River had still to be opened. It appears that this road was not completed.

Puntman Harris took over from Joseph Sheppard in 1853, but he died on the 28th September, 1853. His son continued the service, and gained an increase in salary from £15 to £35 for the year 1854.

The schedule of tolls for the year 1857 would be typical of this period:

On the 29th November 1858 it was reported that repairs to the punt were needed. These were carried out by Mr. Hurley in December 1858 at a cost of £10/10/-. However only a few months later, on 30th March, 1859 it was reported that "the ferry boat was getting very leaky, and as she is a very old boat and not worth repairing" it was suggested tat £15 be placed on the supplementary estimates for the purchase of a ferry boat, and this was authorized on 19th April, 1859. The hinge on the flap needed replacing in April 1859. These hinges were made of 3/4 inch thick iron, and were 6 feet long and 4 inches broad. The cost of supply and fitting was £5.

The Commissioner for Crown Lands for the County of Cumberland, James Deane made regular reports on the operation of the ferry.

The year 1860 must have been a wet one. On the 6th March, 1860 James Deane reported that the road leading to the ferry through Lugarno had been washed out for a mile. He was asked to collect statistics on the use of the ferry, to determine its usefulness, as the road was little used.

A further report on the 2nd May, 1860 reads:

"The ferryman, in order to save the Punt from being swept down the river by the flood on Saturday last, succeeded in hauling it on the flat on one side of the river where it lay in safety, no accident having occurred to either punt or ferryboat, but the road on both sides of the ferry is greatly torn up, a small bridge on this side is carried away altogether."

The cost of road and ferry repairs made the Government consider the future of the ferry. James Deane's reports on the use made of the ferry showed little traffic:

The lack of traffic is easily explained. Following the heavy rains the road on both sides of the ferry was difficult, even on a saddle horse, and was impossible for wheeled vehicles. In any case the road did not have a descent to Wollongong for wheeled vehicles, so therefore it mainly served the small settlement at Bottle Forest.

It was estimated that the annual cost of running the ferry was £70, made up of the puntmans salary £35, repairs £20, wear and tear on punt and gear £15. Income from tolls was about £15 per year, however as this money was retained by the puntman , the Government bore the full cost of operations.

On the 24th August, 1860 the Acting Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote to the Under Secretary for Lands recommending that the ferry be closed at the end of 1860, and that no provision be made for it in the budget for 1861. He pointed out that as a means of communication with the Illawarra the road was a failure, and was superseded by the railway line to Campbelltown, soon to be extended to a new station between Menangle and Picton, which connected with the main road to Wollongong.

The Under Secretary for Lands agreed that the punt was useless where it was. He asked James Deane to report on transferring it to Kangaroo Point.

James Deane thought that a punt was needed at Kangaroo Point, "or a point lower down commonly called Tom Ugly's Point." He thought that as the land rises almost perpendicular from the water at Kangaroo Point, a large amount of money would be required for approaches to the river. At Tom Ugly's Point the land slopes gently, but the river is broader and the position more exposed to wind and tide. He thought the existing punt would be adequate, however new roads would have to be built to the new crossing place. He thought there would be a considerable amount of traffic at either of these points - he probably had the Holt Sutherland Estate in mind.

It was decided that a ferry lower down the river than Lugarno would only serve local traffic for a small population - the interests of Southerland and Bottle Forest residents were ignored.

It was decided to close the ferry as "It is not usual for the Government to provide ferries which are not self supporting, and I do not perceive any special grounds why the usual practice should be departed from in this case...the object with which the Ferry was originally established - the opening of a line of road to the Illawarra would not be met."

A notice was placed in the Government Gazette stating that the ferry at George’s River was to close at the end of 1860.

An application was received from Mr. W. Lackey on behalf of residents of Holdsworthy and Liverpool for the punt at Lugarno to be transferred to Liverpool until the dam being constructed there was completed. James Deane reported that the punt "could not be kept there with any safety, as in the event of a flood it would be swept down the river and either dashed to pieces or sunk." Nevertheless the punt was sent to Liverpool, and it was later reported under water. W. Lackey wrote saying the punt was in a bad state, but was no longer required.

Southerland residents were not happy at losing their ferry. On 16th October, 1861 a petition signed by Thomas Holt, John Lucas, John Connell Laycock and E. Raper called for a ferry at Tom Ugly's Point, and on 13 March, 1862 a similar petition with 206 signatures was presented. Following guarantees that local residents would pay for it, a ferry was established at Tom Ugly's Point on November 7, 1864.