Books
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Victoria’s Ships’ Graveyard Written by team members Mark Ryan, Peter Taylor & Mick Whitmore. Victoria’s Ships’ Graveyard gives the technical details and a brief history of all 47 ships that were to be dumped in ‘Area No: 3’ Victoria’s official Ships Graveyard . The history of the deliberate scuttling of obsolete vessels off Port Phillip Heads appears to have commenced in 1910; with the sinking of the Rob Roy, a steamer owned and operated by the Adelaide Steamship Co. In 1901, the Rob Roy had passed its prime years as steam passenger vessel and was converted into a coal hulk for the company. For a number more years, it bunkered coal on Port Phillip for the Adelaide Steamship Co., until its upkeep and annual survey would have made it uneconomical to keep afloat. One of the main reasons that old vessels were scuttled was one of economy, throughout history, the price of scrap metal has varied at different times. Sometimes the complete breaking up of the hull and fittings of an obsolete or condemned vessel would have been an economical proposition, labour costs plus profit would have to outweigh the option of scuttling. At other times, only the recovery of high value easily assessable materials such as, copper, brass, bronze, ship fittings and timber would be worth while, leaving the stripped out hulk to be scuttled. For scuttling purposes, a tug would be procured and on a suitable day the hulk with a small crew on board would be taken down the bay and out through the Heads, the crew taken off and the vessel sunk. $45.00 plus $3.00 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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Shipwrecks at Williamstown Authors: Bob Leek & Peter Taylor This 32-page book is Bob and Peter’s first; covered are the wrecking, foundering and stranding of 116 vessels beginning in 1839 with the wrecking of the Childe Harold; and finishing with the sinking of the Charles H McKay in 1984. $6.00, + $1.50 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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Victorian Shipwreck Notice to Mariners 1841 – 2003 Author: Peter Taylor On the inhospitable Victorian coast in 1841, portions of an unknown French whaler were washed ashore and a Notice to Mariners issued. Read these and others verbatim. Notices were issued by the Ports & Harbors and the Melbourne Harbor Trust and published in the Victoria Government Gazette. The author has collected as many of these notices as could be found and has collated them into this 102-page book. $20.00, + $3.00 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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The Wreck of the Schooner Henrietta Author: Peter Taylor How did a Grand Banks schooner that appeared in the film Captains Courageous, starring Spencer Tracey, come to be wrecked on a reef off Point Cook Victoria in 1940? This 26-page book tells the story and that of a tragedy intertwined. Illustrated using family photographs taken on the voyage to Australia. $5.00, + $1.50 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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ANZ List of Vessels Lost Missing or Taken from Active Service 1874 – 1949 Author: Peter Taylor This 180-page reference book covers those vessels on the Australian and New Zealand Shipping Register that have been removed. This includes not only wrecks, but also those vessels scuttled and broken up and is a good research tool for divers and those with an interest in maritime history. $30.00, + $3.00 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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Sail Traders of Port Phillip and Victoria Vol. II Author: Bob Leek Bob has researched and written the most extensive publication on the histories of Victorian sail traders under 100 tons, this includes various rigs ranging from cutters, schooners, ketches and a variety of others. The information that Bob has gathered over the past 35 years on these workhorses from Victoria’s maritime past is too large to fit into one volume. This is Volume II of the series. Of 155 pages, this volume covers from E to I inclusive, and has a number of photographs from Bob’s collection. $32.00, + $3.00 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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Sail Traders of Port Phillip and Victoria Vol. I Author: Bob Leek Bob has researched and written the most extensive publication on the histories of Victorian sail traders under 100 tons, this includes various rigs ranging from cutters, schooners, ketches and a variety of others. The information that Bob has gathered over the past 35 years on these workhorses from Victoria’s maritime past is too large to fit into one volume. Of 162 pages, this volume covers from A to D inclusive, and has a number of photographs from Bob’s collection. P&H $28.50, + $3.00 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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Ballast Sites Operations and Craft of Port Phillip Author: Bob Leek This 115-page book covers the history of the ballast trade that took place on Port Phillip from settlement until finishing in the 1930’s. This subject has not been covered as in depth before, Bob has documented quarry sites and loading platforms along the Yarra and Maribynong rivers. The history of the sites, owners and craft are detailed in this comprehensive book. $24.00, + $3.00 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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Shipwrecks and Incidents relating to the Port of St Helens and up to Eddystone Point Author: Bob Leek Bob has extensively researched this 58-page book, with St Helen locals providing extra knowledge of incidents and shipwrecks that would not have made the national papers. The treacherous bar at St Helens has claimed a number of victims over the years; with fishing boats and the ketch fleet being numerous. There are two pages of colour; and a number of black and white photographs included in the book. $20.00, + $3.00 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |
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Lighters and Ships Converted into Floating Docks, Bathing Ships and Bethel Ships of Port Phillip Bay Author: Bob Leek The title might be a mouthful but there is no other way to describe the contents of the book. Extensively researched, this 150-page book covers the histories of approximately 140 vessels; illustrated throughout with Bob’s picture collection; it also includes a colour insert. $26.50 + $3.00 P&HContact Scuttlebutt Press: jpjl@ozemail.com.au |