Cane Punt No. 6
Vessel numberHV000275
Previous owner
CSR Limited
Date1946
DescriptionThe sugar cane industry in northern New South Wales was established in the mid-19th century along the banks of the Clarence River. In 1870 the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR) began operating a mill near the coast to process cane grown largely on private plantations along the river. CSR provided barges and a steamer to transport the cane to the mill near Harwood. The original barges were wooden and built locally. They carried about 30 tonnes of cane. Steel barges were introduced in the early 1900s with a 70 tonne capacity. The barges were towed by CSR company vessels including HEBE and BEARDMORE.
Transporting cane by river ceased in 1976 and was replaced by road transport. Most of the redundant barges became landfill and were used to reinforce the river banks. Cane Punt No.6 was abandoned however it somehow managed to survive reasonably intact. In 1981, with assistance from the Maclean Rotary Club, the barge was placed on display (with the Ashby Ferry) at Ashby, beside the Pacific Highway.
SignificanceCane Punt No.6 is probably the last surviving example of the barges used on the Clarence River in northern New South Wales to deliver cane to the Harwood mill. Built in 1946, the barge has a steel-plated hull, riveted together, with a double-ended hull shape. Cane Punt No.6 punt came from either Newcastle in NSW or from a builder in Queensland. Barges like this were a common sight on the northern rivers of New South Wales for almost a century, where they were known colloquially as punts.
c 1934
