Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/542

 5i6 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY Mr. w. r. uandeii and subsequent! V tnoaged in pastoral [lursuits on his own account. The son, after completino- his education, assisted his father on his station property, and was for some years engaged in the milling trade at Gumeracha. It was in 1853 that he began his eventful connection with the River Murray. As he was but 13 years old when he arrived in South Australia, he had imbibed into his mind the essentials of colonisation, and had acquired that pluck, energy, and perseverance necessary for colonial pursuits. He apparently saw a considerable future before water traffic on the Murray ; and, though he had never been on board a steam vessel in his life, he in 1853 planned and built at his own expense, a steamer for this trade. This vessel, named the Mary Ann, was duly launched, and Mr. Randell navigated her along several hundred miles of water, beyond the border of South Australia, beyond the confluence with the Darling and other considerable New South Wales rivers, as far as Maiden's Punt, now known as Moama on the New South Wales side, and Echuca on the V^ictorian banks. When returning from Maiden's Punt, he met the Lady Augusta (Captain Cadell), with the Governor on board, and carried despatches from her to South Australia. This was the beginning of the large steamer traffic which, in later years, was carried on the waters of the Murray. Besides his enterprise, readers will admire the ingenuity of Mr. Randell in constructing a river craft, inexperienced as he was. Travellers now-a-days on the steamers which run over part of this course speak in glowing terms of the scenery viewed — tortuous windings, overhanging gums, reaches of rich plains, paddocks of wheat, flourishing gardens, commanding cliffs, engineering feats, and (in spring) magnificent panoramas of wild flowers- -and they can appreciate the sometimes wild and generally uncultivated scenery seen by Mr. Randell before graziers, farmers, and gardeners had built their homes on the banks. In his pioneer voyages Mr. Randell had many difficulties to contend with, and not the least were those due to the presence of "snags" in the stream. Two years after thus opening up the trade, Mr. Randell built a still more powerful steamer, the Gemini, with which he proceeded up the Murrumbidgee as far as the township of Hay, then known as Lang's Crossing. " In the following year," says Mr. Heaton in his "Australian Dictionary of Dates and Men of the Time" (1879), "he took the Gemini up the Darling, which had been previously navigated by Captain Cadell as far as Mount Murchison (now Wilcannia). Mr. Randell went about 1,000 miles farther up the river to where the township of Brewarrina now stands, where, the water being low, a rapid prevented farther progress. The next trip, the river being higher, he was enabled to go about 250 miles farther up (100 by land) to Walgett, on the Namoi, a tributary of the Darling, and then the farthest post town in Riverina." By such courageous navigation he secured a large share of the river traffic, and became possessed of a remunerative connection. Provisions of every kind were taken to towns which sprang up in various places, and timber, wool, wheat, skins, and other products were carried back. The trade had many features of interest, and Mr. Randell has a large fund of entertaining anecdote and experience on which to draw for the benefit of his friends. Eor opening up the river traffic he received a bonus of ^300 from the South Australian Government, and was presented by the public with a purse of ;^400 and a testimonial.