Police vessel CAMBRIA on Sydney Harbour
Photographer
William James Hall
(Australian, 1877 - 1951)
Designer
Walter Reeks
(1861-1925)
Datec 1910
Object number00011518
NameGlass plate negative
MediumEmulsion on glass
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineANMM Collection Transfer from the Mitchell Library
DescriptionA black and white image of the police launch CAMBRIA on Sydney Harbour with four uniformed poive at the bow and two young boys at the stern.
Negative ID number, 2351.
HistoryIn 1789, a year after the colony of New South Wales had been founded, Governor Phillip selected twelve well behaved convicts as his peace keeping force in the colony and established a 'Row Boat Guard' to 'patrol the harbour and foreshores of Sydney Cove, to detect smuggling and to prevent the passing of letters between convicts and crews of sailing ships lying at anchor.'
In 1830 following a number of incidents in the Parramatta River, Governor Darling directed a separate Water Police, operating under the head of the Sydney Police to be established at Long Nose Point. The station consisted of one six-oared whale boat manned by eight boatmen, a Conductor who was sworn as a constable, two free men and five convicts.
By 1838 the Water Police Station had been moved to Goat Island. An item in the Sydney Morning Herald in June 1837 'A station for the water police is to be formed on a peninsula point that runs from the eastern end of the island and a gang of men are employed cutting a sort of canal across the isthmus to prevent communication between the magazine and the police station.'
The Goat Island Station closed in 1862. The original sandstone building was in ruins for many years but has now been restored and is clearly seen on the eastern point of the island.
The Water Police used Cadman's Cottage at The Rocks between 1846 to 1863 as a court and clearing house with jail cells and the lower floor, John Cadman was appointed Superintendent of Government Boats in 1827 and lived at the cottage for 29 years. The cottage today is the oldest surviving residential building in Sydney constructed in 1816.
Once more the Water Police were relocated to an old shipyard docks at Dawes Point where they remained until 1986. The year 1865 coincided with the advent of steam and combustion engines and two steam launches, the BILOELA and the ARGUS, the fastest vessels on Sydney Harbour, were used by the Police for thirty years, when replaced by motor craft.
The police launch OSIRIS was constructed during 1930 and entered into police service about 1938 but was not bought by the Department until 1951. Early in 1938, three ships from the American Navy visited Sydney Harbour. The visit concluded on 13 February and a large spectator fleet had gathered to farewell the LOUISVILLE and her two accompanying US ships. The police launches CAMBRIA and OSIRIS were detailed for escort and the Police Band was playing on the deck of the CAMBRIA.
One vessel of the spectator fleet the RODNEY, was carrying ICQ passengers, as the vessel turned to gain a better view of the departing ships, the passengers all rushed to one side, so the ship overturned. The Police Band immediately went into action, along with the crews of the police launches. Passengers were taken from the water and given resuscitation by the Water Police. The US ship LOUISVILLE also gave help. As a result of the disaster 19 passengers of the RODNEY were drowned.
- Thanks to Sgt Jeff Olsen, Water Police
The Peninsular Observer, the Balmain Association, February 2003SignificanceCAMBRIA was designed by Walter Reeks for Mr L.J. Davies in 1908 and was later used as a police boat on Sydney Harbour. It was involved in the rescue efforts at the scenes of the GREYCLIFFE ferry disaster in 1927 and of the sinking of the RODNEY in 1938.
