MORE ON PASSENGERS AND PORT ACCESS.

The Western Champion, Saturday 1 April, 1911.

Among the passengers were Mrs.

Murray, wife of a solicitor at Cairns,

who was returning home from a trip

south with her family of two boys and

two girls, and probably another sister

just out from Scotland. Mrs. Murray

was a sister-in-law to Mrs. Berrie, of

the Post and Telegraph Dept., Barcaldine ; 

Mr. J. O'Brien, traveller for Brisbane firm, 

was another passenger. Mr. O'Brien was 

in Barcaldine a fortnight  ago. He intended 

going across to Winton  from Longreach 

en route to the Towers, but finding the road 

impassable returned to Rockhampton and 

boarded the Yongala for Townsville. Another 

passenger was Mr. M. Rooney, a well-known 

Townsville timber merchant, has already been 

twice wrecked. His wife and daughter were 

also on board.

Rockhampton:

Mr. T. Kelly, chairman of the Harbour

Board, said the new dredger, Archer, was

doing excellent work, and the board expected 

in twelve months to have a depth of 20ft. in 

the river at dead low water spring tides right 

from the Bay to the town wharves.

This gives a further important insight into the limitations posed by silting of river mouths accessing ports such as Rockhampton. This was a very real limitation affecting draughts of steamers plying the Queensland coastal trade. Yongala's relatively low draught, enhancing top heaviness, was a necessity for the trade. Ballasting became the watchword for safety and it did not help matters that cargo was routinely loaded on deck and in the case of Yongala's final voyage, heavier cargo loaded ABOVE lighter cargo in number 3 hold - oh dear - the Queensland Marine Board certainly had reason to steer Yongala into a 'perils of the sea finale'.