Eleanor
Vessel numberHV000825
Previous owner
Maritime Archaeological Association Of Mackay
Previous owner
Mackay Historical Society
Date1913
DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 6.71 m × 6.55 m × 2.44 m × 0.46 m (22 ft × 21.5 ft × 8 ft × 1.5 ft)
Terms
- original hull
- original deck
- partially modified deck
- substantially modified superstructure
- original layout
- original rigging
- timber
- carvel
- timber planked
- timber planked
- monohull
- plumb stem
- displacement
- overhanging transom
- launch deadwood
- keel hung rudder
- decked with cockpit
- cabin
- tiller
- gaff
- timber
- motor vessel
- inboard
- non-operational
- on public display
- non-floating
- museum vessel
- hard stand/cradle
- local/community
- transport
- sport/recreation
- builder
- period
- construction/repair
- materials used
- methods used
- vessel use
- social
Eleanor was the third vessel built by Rose following on from the skiffs Rosebud (c1908) and Rosebud II (1911). It was constructed from New Zealand kauri, with pine used for planking, hickory ribs, ti tree knees in the bow and the stern and a spotted gum keel. All fastenings were copper. It was fitted with a 10 horse power oil engine, the original believed to be held in the Mackay Maritime Museum collection. The cabin on Eleanor was later altered with side portholes removed, the cabin shortened, and a solid canopy added over the cockpit. The cabin configuration aside the canopy remains the as is today. Additional boards have been added along the gunwale to fill in the toe rail, with the original railing remaining in place. All other components of the vessel are original.
Eleanor’s most significant contribution to the Mackay community came in the aftermath of the devastating cyclone in January 1918. The massive tidal surge devastated shipping in the Pioneer River, destroying the bridge connecting north and south Mackay and cutting out all forms of communication. It claimed 22 lives in the Mackay region, left hundreds homeless and heavily impacted local economies such as sugar and cattle. In the weeks following the cyclone many people were left isolated without food or water. Eleanor was the only vessel to survive the cyclone intact. It was thus charted for various uses including taking supplies to those isolated by the flooding, and communicating with relief vessels that arrived off Flat Top Island. It further acted as a passenger ferry across the Pioneer River until the bridge was repaired.
Eleanor remained as Henry Charles Rose’s personal vessel until he passed away in 1977. It was then sold to a local fisherman, and later found abandoned in Eimeo Creek. In 1987 Eleanor was recovered by the Maritime Archaeology Association of Mackay and donated to the Mackay Museum. As of 2021, Eleanor is still on display at the Mackay Museum. It is a rare survivor of the once thriving maritime community in Mackay. Whilst physical evidence of this exists in port structures along the banks of the Pioneer River and at the Mackay Harbour, little moveable cultural heritage survives to demonstrate this important aspect of the region’s history.
Compiled with the assistance of the staff at the Mackay Museum
SignificanceEleanor is a 22ft (6.7m) motor launch built in 1913 by Henry Charles Rose, a prominent local carpenter from Mackay Queensland. It was constructed from New Zealand kauri, with pine used for planking, hickory ribs, tee tree knees in the bow and the stern and a spotted gum keel. All fastenings were copper, and it was fitted with a with a 10 horse power oil engine. Eleanor was built as a recreational craft and took part in numerous local regattas as part of the Mackay Regatta Club. It’s most significant contribution took place during the 1918 cyclone that devastated the local community. Eleanor was the only watercraft to survive the storm, and was deployed to transport provisions to isolated community members, ferry passengers across the Pioneer River, and receive messages from relief vessels. As of 2021 Eleanor remains on display at the Mackay Museum primarily original in materials and layout.
