Emu







Emu
Type :
 Iron paddlewheel steamer
Launched  :
1841
Builder :
 Ditchburn and Mare
Blackwall, England
Gross :
 72 tons
Dimensions :
 94.00 x 14.00 x 6.10 (feet)
Passenger capacity :
 150
Speed :
 unknown

Emu was a close sister to Back Swan and Pelican. Like these vessels (and many others at the time) she operated wherever she could get trade - variously on the Manly and Parramatta River runs, as an excursion boat and as a tug.

She was built in England and imported to Sydney as a set of frames. Re-assembly was completed by John Struth upon her arrival.

Due to her very low draft she was extremely succesful on the service to Parramatta - the river was shallow and other vessels with a deeper draft had a hard time navigating the various shoals.

In 1866 Emu, along with her running mates Pelican and Black Swan, were operating on both the Parramatta and Lane Cove River runs after being sold to the Parramatta River Steamship Company.

She was later sold to to the Balmain Ferry Company and helped build the Balmain routes up into a lucrative and profitable business.

She was wrecked in 1884.
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