With just over a week until the Shoalhaven River Festival, our river’s history continues to enthrall.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Shoalhaven Historical Society has unveiled the story of Pluto, the river’s longest-serving dredge.
The following was written by historian Alan Clark.
When the Shoalhaven and Crookhaven Rivers were Nowra’s highway to the world, boat and ship operators faced a constant battle with the depth of water.
Due to the constant silting up of the streams the larger vessels didn’t venture past Greenwell Point, but those that did head towards Terara and Nwora depended on the work of the dredges.
The bucket dredge Pluto started worked deepening the Crookhaven on January 23, 1863 and would continue this work for 40 years.
In its first decade of operation, the Pluto was kept busiest in 1867 when it worked for 255 days and removed 61,371 cubic yards of sand.
The best known operator of the Pluto was Captain Thomas Brodie who spent 11 years here from 1978.
During his time here he lived firstly in the dredge-master’s residence at Greenwell Point, but later moved to Greenhills and then to Terara.
Whenever the Pluto was taken away for work on another river... the Shoalhaven community would be uneasy until it returned.
A skilled engineer, Captain Brodie had the dredge modified to make it more effective. When substantial repairs were needed, he personally went to Cockatoo Dock to supervise the work.
The time spent must have worried him for her hit on the idea of having a dock built at Roseby Park. This was used for minor repairs on the dredge, punts and tug, saving the trouble of sending them to Sydney.
Captain Brodie was a stickler for punctuality, and if anyone, even a close friend, arrived late for an appointment they would find him gone. This even included his wife who he once left behind when she was not ready to go to church.
During his years in the Shoalhaven, Captain Brodie was active in the Masonic fraternity, twice serving as Master of Lodge Abercorn. Within 18 months of leaving the district, Captain Brodie sadly died of cancer, leaving a widow and eight children.
Historian Russ Evans noted the Pluto became an integral part of the local scene over its many years on the Shoalhaven River.
Whenever the Pluto was taken away for work on another river, for no matter how short a time, the Shoalhaven community would be uneasy until it returned. The Pluto finally left the Shoalhaven in 1898 and the Archimedes took over.