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Woodford Flood Rescue Boat

Vessel numberHV000826

Builder Tom King

Previous owner Queensland Government

Builder Owen Haggar

Date1890s

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 5 m × 4.85 m × 1.6 m × 0.46 m (16.41 ft × 15.91 ft × 5.25 ft × 1.5 ft)

DescriptionThe Woodford Flood Rescue Boat (WFRB) was built in the 1890s for use in rescuing people and livestock in farming communities in or near Durundur (now Woodford) during severe flooding. It was built by the local police Sgt. Tom King and local builder Owen Haggar, and modelled off a whaler boat. It was built with local timbers, most likely cedar or hardwood, and has heavy duty metal fasteners of clinker strakes to ribs. WFRB’s hull is a vee-bottom shape and it has a flat skeg at its stern. It is 16ft in length (5m) and 5ft in breadth (1.6m), and is an open boat with no decking. WFRB was owned by the Queensland Government until 1964, housed initially in a shed behind the old police station in Woodford.

The town of Woodford was built on the South-Eastern bank of the Stanley River, an area frequented by heavy rain. There are two creeks between the township and the river and the confluence of waterways caused problems that often led to the stranding of community members, and sometimes drownings. In 1890 the water in Woodford rose to 28ft and in 1893 to as high as 38ft. From the 1890s on the WFRB was used in various floods in the region, in particular during a large flood in 1931. The vessels size proportions allowed for a good capacity of balance, manoeuvrability, and speed. WFRB’s first owner Tom King was well regarded in the handling of heavy, large, whaleboats for sports purposes, and King’s name appears in newspaper accounts of flooding in 1893 in Maryborough, and later in Woodford.

In 1964 the vessel could not be located, later found in a Government Depot in Woodford. It was temporarily owned by the Caboolture Historical Village and then transferred to the Woodford Historical Society. A number of other flood boats from Queensland are listed on the ARHV. Queensland craft May-Belle (HV000534), the Coen Flood Boat (HV000546), Water Baby (HV000768), and the Yandilla Station Flood Boat (HV000807) were built in the same period – however differ through their construction in iron or steel plating. This material was more suited to the North Queensland environment during dry and hot periods.

Compiled with the assistance of the staff at the Woodford Historical Society

SignificanceThe Woodford Flood Rescue Boat (WFRB) was built in the 1890s for use as a rescue craft during periods of flood in the Woodford (Queensland) region. It was built by the local police Sgt. Tom King and local builder Owen Haggar, and modelled off a whaler boat. The WFRB was heavily constructed with local timbers, most likely cedar or hardwood, and has metal fasteners of clinker strakes to ribs. Its length of 16ft (5m) and breadth of 5ft (1.6m) allowed for a good capacity, stability, manoeuvrability and speed in floodwaters. The WFRB was owned and operated by the local police department, and has remained in the local community – as of 2021 housed at the Woodford Historical Society.