Captain Henry Press

Australian, 1844 - 1920

BiographyCaptain Henry Press (1844-1920) was a Port Phillip Pilot and became the first Commodore of the Hobsons Bay Yacht Club in 1888. He was also a noted marine painter. He was a Bristol Channel Trinity House pilot before becoming a pilot with the Port Phillip Bay No 2 Pilot Service. He was the founding Commodore of the Hobson's Bay Yacht Club at Williamstown, Melbourne and was a well-known racing yachtsman placing second in the 1888 Round the Bay Centennial Regatta in his yacht COO-OO-EANA.

Capt. Press was a renowned marine artist and began painting the craft on the Bristol Channel where he lived at Watchet in Somerset. He captained the lifeboat in the 1870's to save two ships crews which had both run aground in a huge storm on sand banks. Queen Victoria presented him with a bravery award and the local council chamber has an oil painting by him of the lifeboat rowing out in the storm to rescue one of the crews in peril.

Capatin Press's obituary from the Williamstown Chronicle on Saturday 30 July 1920 reads:

"Captain Henry Press, who for many years resided on the Esp, and Cole Street, but later removed to Canterbury, succumbed last Monday morning at 6.15 after a long Illness. The deceased was a native of Burnham, Somerset, where he was born in 1844. After passing some years as a British pilot, he came out to the Dominion in 1880 in the steamer LIGURIA, landing at Auckland.
In the succeeding years he exhibited his seamanship by bringing over the crack TANAWAH for the regatta in connection with the Melbourne Exhibition of 1881. A member of his crew at that time was a Mr Thomas, stevedore, now a resident of Victoria Street. Another yacht he was in charge of was the RED GAUNTLE a member of the larger type, with which for a time he cruised along the coast of Tasmania and its neighbouring islands.
Captain Press entered the Victorian Pilot Service in June, and remained attached to that [?] for some 26 years finally retiring in February, 1901. The deceased was a warm advocate of the temperance cause, and for a number of years a deacon of the Baptist Church. He was also possessed of some skill as an artist, his work in water colouring of marine scenes and shipping being regarded as high class."

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