Groper

Not to be confused with grouper.
Steam Dredge Groper

The Groper[1] was a ship commissioned by the Queensland Government in 1875[2] to dredge rivers. It was built by Thomas Wingate & Company[3] of Whiteinch, Partick, Scotland, and was a large self-propelled bucket ladder dredge, measuring 160 feet in length, weighing 359 tons, and powered by a 75 horsepower steam engine.

Construction and journey

Due to its relatively low power, the Groper was rigged for sail to undertake the journey from Scotland to Australia via the Suez Canal and Torres Strait. Its final sea trial was conducted on March 26, 1876[4] and it departed from Clyde, Glasgow, on April 1, 1876.

Operational challenges

In January 1877, the Groper was deemed ready for work, but operational challenges arose.[5] The dredge could not operate at full capacity due to incomplete and unavailable punts designed to transport the dredged silt. Instead, smaller punts were temporarily used, and the Groper operated at less than half capacity. Its initial dredging operations focused on the Pinkenba Flats on the north side of the Brisbane River near its entry to Moreton Bay.

Accident and conflict

In May 1877, the Groper experienced an accident,[6] sparking a public conflict between the Queensland Government and Thomas Wingate & Company. Investigations revealed a financial conflict[7] of interest involving the Glasgow engineer, James Deas, the project overseer. He was forced to refund his commission and resigned as a Trustee of The Clyde Trust.

Later years and retirement

In 1916, after decades of service, the Groper reached the end of its working life.[8] It was subsequently converted into a lighter and eventually scuttled in 1949 at the Bishop Island graveyard.

Further reading

References

  1. ^ "Groper". Central Dredging Association Dredgepoint Database (Equipment). Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  2. ^ "A New Dredge for the Brisbane". The Queenslander. 10 June 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Thomas Wingate and Co". Central Dredging Association Dredgepoint Database (Shipyards). Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Launch of a Dredger for Queensland". Glasgow Herald. 13 January 1876. p. 4.
  5. ^ "Trial of the Steam-dredge Groper". The Queenslander. 27 January 1877. p. 12. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  6. ^ "General Reports". The Brisbane Courier. 18 May 1877. p. 2. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  7. ^ "The Groper and Mr. Deas' Double Commission". The Queenslander. 8 February 1879. p. 184. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  8. ^ McLeod, G Roderick (1974). "History along the waterways: the abandoned hulks of the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay". Journal of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland. 9 (5): 21–29.