The Life of William Hodge

So after leaving the Dianella I thought I would just look round for something under steam so the Dawn Steamer arrived belonging to Howard Smith in Melbourne and was going to run between Port Adelaide and Edithburgh, Port Pirie and Port Augusta and the Captain not being exempt for pilotage I was sent for as I am exempt. for all ports in South Australia and I signed of for master of her and ran her for six months until the captain got exempt then I had to let him take his boat, and I signed on mate of her, and ran in her some time then had to leave her and sign on master of the [Lime?] collier belonging to Howard Smith as the captain of her was not exempt and she was bound to Wallaroo and Port Pirie with coals so we finished unloading at Port Pirie and took in what cargo there was and sailed for Port Adelaide and left her, then the Gabo arrived at Port Adelaide and Captain Easton sent for me and as I had cleared him for South Australian ports when he had the Koonawarra, he offered me a berth as third mate to go as far as Fremantle, West Australia and leave her in Fremantle as he had left an Officer ashore there on a law suite. So he told me to consider over it and let him know as soon as possible as he knew i was left with a big family. So I considered and thought that would be a good chance to leave Port Adelaide altogether so I accepted the berth so I put my family in lodgings and also my furniture and sailed next day for Fremantle so I arrived in Fremantle and stayed on board as long as I could then when shew as ready for sea I got paid of so now I had to look for a ship in a strange place, now that was in the year 1897. So I went to live at a boarding house and next day had a look around and they were just building the sheds at that time so I came along the wharf and I see a note tacked on to the customs box I had a look at it and on it was a notice saying that a master was wanted for a little steamer and said where to apply to. So I went and saw those people and agreed right away to take charge of her as soon as she came in and when she came in I found that she belonged to a firm of butchers which used to run the meat supplies out to Gage Roads

as soon as the ships ran up the burgee, which was a flag with a split-tail, as at that time the ships could not come into the Swan River, as there was four dredges at work, dredging the new harbour out. So those butchers had a sailing ship arrived from Sydney with a wad of frozen meat, called the Himalaya she had a large refrigerator on board for keeping that meat frozen on the voyage, and also until it was sold. Now that ship layed at Owens Anchorage for eight months. And when the firm got any orders for meat for Perth or the Gold fields, I had to run out with this small steamer and bring in a load and discharge on to the trucks for the fields. But those butchers found out that they had made a great mistake chartering that ship, as they could not get clear of their frozen meat so easy. So the consequence was they found they were bankrupt. So I layed the steamer up, and she was sold. So that finished me with that firm, after serving them for twelve months. Anyhow I thought I would go over to Port Adelaide and see how my family was getting on in there lodgings as I had some in Port Adelaide and some in the city of Adelaide. So before I left I thought I would go and see the manager of the Swan River Company and tell him that I had just layed up the steamer I had, as the firm had failed, and I thought I would go over to Port Adelaide and see my family, as I had seven of them in lodgings. As my wife was dead and if there should be a vacancy in any of your steamers on the Swan River, I would be much obliged to you for a birth. So I got my ticket and came accross a passenger in the Gabo and I also told the manager of the Swan River Company that I was going to Port Adelaide in the Gabo, and I would come right back with her. So when I arrived at Port Adelaide, I found my family to be all in good hands, and getting on all right so being satisfied about my family, I waited until the Gabo came back from Melbourne, and came back to West Australia again. So I arrived at Fremantle, to my great surprise, the manager of the Swan River Company was waiting on the wharf for me to take one of the steamers a paddle boat called the

Endevour. As they had three of them boats on the river for towing the Lighters up from Fremantle to Perth. As they had one side of the harbour finished. So as the ships could come in to the wharf. So I ran her up and down the Swan river for some time until things got a bit slack. And there was not work enough for the three boats. And unfortunately my boat was the one that had to be layed up. So I was out of work once more. Anyhow I was not long out of a birth. As I met a man in Perth the next night. And he told me that there was a master wanted for the Steamer belonging to the Swan Brewery. So I went down to the Manager's house in the morning. And asked if he wanted a master for their Steamer. And he said yes. But he wanted a man with some papers. So I pulled out my parcel and showed him. He had a look and he says yes them will do. So I agreed right away and took charge of her. And at that time the firm did not have many Hotels to supply in Fremantle. And I found she was a comfortable job. And would suite[suit] me nicely. So I ran her for about eighteen months saving a bit and paying for my families Lodgings at the same time. So one day the Manager's son came to me as he ws the Boss of the Brewery. And he says to me I know you have a big family in port Adelaide. So if you like I will give you one of those last houses that was built. And also six weeks holiday if you go over to port Adelaide and bring over your family. So I thanked him and just thought that was lovely chance to get them over. So I got a man to take my place in the Steamer. So I left the Brewery and I knew the Buninyong would be the first boat for the East. So I went down to Howard Smith's office to my Ticket and when I got to their office door who should I meet but captain [?Leslie] the captain of the Buninyong. So he says hello Hodge. You are just the man I have been inquiring after. So what is doing. And he says to me now you was good enough to do me a good turn by clearing me for Spencers Gulf when I had no Exemption Certificate to take his Steamer up to three ports. So now you can get your ticket and I will sign it. So as you can have it to bring you back and I will sign you on the Articles as third mate. And leave at port

Adelaide. So everything seemed to be in my favour. Now I found that he had left an officer in Geraldton on a law suit. So left Fremantle for Bunbury as she had to load a quantity of timber for Melbourne. So we left Bunbury and arrived at port Adelaide and got paid off. So I earned a bit of money instead of paying my passage. So I commenced to get my goods and chattels down into Howard Smiths shed at Port Adelaide and got all ready for the passage back by the Gabo I also got all my family together and kept them all at a Boarding house until the Gabo arrived. So I went up to Adelaide to see about the passage money for my family. So I wanted to see the manager and I told him I had my own ticket signed by Captain Leslie for my own passage back so he wanted to know how many of a family I had to go to Fremantle. And I told him I had four girls and one son. As I had one girl and one son in Fremantle and my oldest son stayed in Port Adelaide. So as the manager said, now you have cleared three steamers for our company as our captain was not exempt for Spencer's Gulf and you was good enough to sign on master and clear those steamers, so I will take twenty per cent of the passage money for your family. And yourself go free, along with your furniture. So I agreed right away, and the Gabo came in two days after. So I got all my goods and family on board, and sailed for Fremantle in the face of a Nor West Gale. Anyhow the gale seemed to abate next day so we had fine weather crossing the Bight, and right into Albany. So we only laid there one night as she had a good bit of cargo for Albany so we sailed early next morning and arrived in Fremantle next day and got family and everything up in the Swan Brewery Steamer. And arrived at our new home at the Swan Brewery. So everything was O.K. and one of my daughters took charge of the house and I took charge of my steamer and ran her between Perth and Fremantle for thirteen years, and unfortunately

new management came over from Melbourne as the Swan Brewery was a Melbourne firm and several of the old hands had to leave and myself included as they had their own master to put in the steamer, and I very unfortunately got a weeks notice, but I may say that they did not dismiss me shabelie [shabbily] as they very kindly paid me for six months after and besides receiving a purse of sovereigns from all hands in the Swan Brewery. So I must not complain as all my family was pretty well grown up and two married and I may say that I was sorry that I had to part with one of the most comfortable jobs that every I had in all my seafaring life. But I may say that I found it pretty hard to secure another berth for a man of my age. As I was then sixty three years old. Now this was in the year 1911. Anyhow some of my family was working and myself doing odd jobs and I applied everyfor a job afloat but could secure nothing, only a watchman on board a sailing vessel in Fremantle, that was laid up at the north wharf as I knew the owner and I stayed there for some time until she was sold. So it was getting into 1912, when my youngest son was twenty-one years old, there was an estate in Port Adelaide which had to be sold and the money divided among the eight of us. So the executor and my oldest son in Port Adelaide saw every settled and the money sent round to the Union Bank and we all received our shares and the first thing I did was to have a look round the Land agents windows to see what houses was for sale. As I thought I would better have somewhere to live in both for my family and myself in my old days. So I picked one in Subiaco and took a valuator with me and had a look round, and found everything very satisfactory. So I came back to Perth to Mr Charles Hodd's office in William Street and bought it. I did not live in this house I bought but let it out for a few years as some of my family was living in different parts of the state. So I lived with one of my daughters in West Perth which had just come over from Adelaide. Then my youngest son went to the war and got