James Pashley
James Pashley was a shipbuilder and designer who worked in Sydney and the Northern NSW rivers region in the last quarter of the 19th century.
His first recorded vessels appear to be while he was working as a master carpenter with Morts Dock and Engineering Company. BRONZEWING, noted ina report as satem yacht but more likley to be a ferry of the same name was launched in 1870 from Morts yard and credited to him as designer and builder. It appears that he later ste up his onw yard nearby, and a report form the 1870s indicates James Pashley's building yard in Sydney was located at the bottom of Darling St Balmain on Waterview Bay
HEBE a tug for the Colonial Sugar Refinery Co. (CSR) is understood to have been built in 1888 and launched from the Balmain yard.
At an unkown date he moved to the Clarence River to build further vessels for CSR, and then moved to the Richmond River.
he is noted as the desigbner and builder of the following craft: PROTECTOR and CAPTAIN T FENWICK ( both built in Northern NSW), BRONZEWING, QUICKSTEP, GOVERNOR MUSGRAVE, GOVERNOR BLACKALL, CAPTAIN COOK, BELLBIRD.
He is noted a sbuilder for: LEICHARDT, BIRKENHEASD, GOSFORD, WOOLWICH, MO-MEL, PHEASANT.
The following references have been located:
Steam yacht BRONZEWING, 80 ft, at Morts Dock (SMH 14/3/1870)
PROTECTOR ( Northern Star 11/3/1885)
Steamer LEICHHARDT launched LOA 85ft Beam 18 ft Depth 6ft 6 for Balmain Ferry Co for run between Sydney & Iron Cove (SMH 8/3/1886)
New Steamer for Parramatta River Company for Gosford trade: LOA 96 Ft Beam 19 ft Draft 5ft, design by Walter Reeks (SMH 11/6/1886)
This was called SS GOSFORD and is a very early example of a commercial design by Reeks
Manly Storm: A boat which Pashley had inverted for repair was carried 20 yards (SMH 5/1/1897)
New steamer fo Balmain Steam Ferry Co ordered from Pashley similar to LEICHARDT but LOA 95ft Beam 22ft Depth 7ft (SMH 2/6/1888)
Steamer PHEASANT launched and named by builder's daughter for Balmain River Ferry service (SMH 21/10/1889)
PROTECTOR reffloated (SMH 28/6/1892)
CAPTAIN T FENWICK launched (Northern Star 19/5/1900)
Death Notice: Ballina James Pashley died 15/11/1904 well known in shipping circles as designer & builder (SMH 18/11/1904)
Obituary: resident of Richmond, ship builder and designer, ( Clarence and Richmond Examiner 26/11/1904)
An advertisment " For freight or Charter schooner MARY PASHLEY apply W J Pashley 39 Cumberland St (SMH 11/3//1832) may indicate a connection to an earlier generation of the Pashley family.
