Enterprise

Brian Carr

This was my Grandfather and his brothers boat. They operated it in the 1930's as a tourist boat, taking tours around Hinchinbrook Island, north to Dunk Island, south to Great Palm and out to the Barrier Reef. My Grandmother noted down her memories of this tourist operation... "Ingham had a very good tour of the district during the 1930 years. It was run in conjunction with the Tourist Bureau in Brisbane, who had previously sent a member of the Bureau to Ingham to investigate the proposed venture which had been suggested by the owners of the launch “Enterprise” which they had commissioned by the late Norman Wright of Brisbane to build. The launch was 40 feet long and licensed to carry 70 people on day trips. The passengers from the motor vessel “Orungal” who wished to make the tour usually arrived in Ingham by rail motor between 7:00 and 8:00 am and taken by a road through Halifax to Mona farm landing where they boarded the launch “Enterprise” and were taken on a cruise down to the mouth of the Herbert River and through the Hinchinbrook Channel as far as Haycock Island The boat owners and their wives provided morning and afternoon tea and also lunch on board. The launch arrived back at the landing at 3:00 PM and the passengers returned to the Ingham railway station 4:00 pm. They returned to Townsville or by rail motor, where they continued their journey north to Cairns by ship. These trips were run once a week. The proprietors also ran weekend trips to Missionary Bay, Dunk Isle, Palm Islands, and the Barrier Reef. Taking parties of from 16 to 20 men and women. The owners usually provided the meals. They also ran day trips to Picnic Beach on Hinchinbrook Island when the tide suited. It needs some healthy, energetic, reliable, patient men to start another such venture. The beginning of the war in 1939 ended this one. It is of interest to note that the launch “Enterprise” survived the Cyclone Dora in the Whitsunday Islands though she has another name. I am not sure just how long the trips in conjunction with the Tourist Bureau continued. Later the “Orungal” used to come down in Hinchinbrook Channel as far as Haycock Island when the launch trips ceased."