3-011-929 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The West Hartley No. 1, a new flat-bottomed schooner for the coal trade of New South Wales, 1864. One of two vessels '...built by Messrs. Lewis and Stockwell for Messrs. Broomfield and Whitaker...They are perfectly flat- bottomed, and, when loaded for Sydney, only drew 2 ft. 9 in. With this very light draught of water, they have just completed the voyage to Sydney, a distance of 16,000 miles. Although they experienced very severe weather, they arrived in good condition. They are intended for the West Hartley Coal Company, of New South Wales, and are to be employed in carrying coals to Sydney from Lake Macquarie, where the company have some very extensive coal-mines...As the harbour of Lake Macquarie is a bar harbour, with only four feet depth at high water, vessels of a very light draught are necessarily required to convey this coal to Sydney...Their success appears to have solved the problem of the safety of such light-draught vessels in making long ocean voyages, and it will, perhaps, do away with the tedious process of first building the vessels in England, then pulling them to pieces and sending them out in ships, and, when arrived at their destination, rebuilding them at great labour and cost'. From "Illustrated London News", 1864.