35°17′32″S149°07′18″E / 35.2921°S 149.1218°E /-35.2921; 149.1218
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | PSEnterprise |
| Owner | National Museum of Australia |
| Builder | William Keir |
| Laid down | 1876 |
| Launched | 1878 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Paddle steamer |
| Tonnage | 55.9 |
| Displacement | 30–32 tonnes (33–35 tons) |
| Length | 17.3 metres (57 ft) |
| Beam | 4.6 metres (15 ft) |
| Height | 5.9 metres (19 ft) (from waterline) |
| Draught | 0.75 metres (2 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power | Single expansion steam engine |
| Propulsion | Paddle wheel |
| Speed | 5 knots (9 km/h; 6 mph) |
| Capacity | 25, including crew |
PSEnterprise is an 1878 Australianpaddle steamer, currently owned by theNational Museum of Australia inCanberra. It is still operational, and one of the oldest working paddle steamers in the world. It is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vehicles.[1][2]
Enterprise is built fromriver red gum wood;[1][2] the engine is a two-cylindersingle expansion steam engine made by the Beverley Iron and Wagon Company in theEast Riding of Yorkshire, England in 1877. The originalboiler was replaced in 1988. It is 17.3 metres (57 ft) long, 4.6 metres (15 ft) wide, and 5.9 metres (19 ft) high (from waterline).[3] It has a shallowdraft of 75 centimetres (30 in),[1] allowing it to cope with the low water levels of the Australian rivers, and a maximum speed of 5 knots (9 km/h; 6 mph).[3]
Enterprise was built inEchuca by William Keir between 1876 and 1878,[4] and initially owned by his family, until they sold it in 1893. It changed hands several times over the years, and has been used as a cargo ship (towing barges[4][5]), a store, a fishing boat and a houseboat, operating on theMurray,Darling andMurrumbidgee Rivers. From 1919 until 1945 it was owned by Augustus Creager, who, with his wife Hilda, raised a family of five children living on board.[2][6]
In 1973, amidst a general renewed interests in steamboats,Enterprise was restored by enthusiast Graeme Niehus and his father, and subsequently raced against other paddle boats.[1][2][7]
The National Museum of Australia boughtEnterprise in 1984 and further restored it, including replacing the boiler.[2][8] In 1988, as part of theAustralian Bicentenary celebrations, it was recommissioned onLake Burley Griffin in Canberra.[9] It was opened to the public in January 1989.[10]
On 4 December 1993Enterprise was temporarily recommissioned as HMA PSEnterprise of theRoyal Australian Navy and allowed to fly theWhite Ensign for the day, as part of the Navy's Maritime Pageant.[2]
Enterprise is operated by the museum – it is the largest functional object in the museum's collection – and crewed by volunteers. It undergoes regular maintenance and occasional restoration work.[6][9]
