PENAL HULK SACRAMENTO

Whatever happened to the Sacramento after Ned was released in 1874? I set out seeking as much information about the Sacramento, which lead me to an amazing inner Melbourne discovery. Prior to the 1850’s the President, Sacramento , Success, Lysander and the Deborah were just ordinary sailing ships. As these ships arrived into Hobson’s bay and the crew set foot on dry land the crew were never to return, Gold fever had struck. The gold rush of 1850’s saw the bay littered with unmanned ships and a rise in crime. Melbourne goal and Collingwood stockade were at this stage over flowing with inmates of all classes. The ever growing gold rush population was putting unnecessary pressure on the Victorian government to come up with a solution, and in turn the government was putting pressure on Pentridge to speed up the construction of Pentridge. The government therefore decided upon purchasing the abounded ships that lay idle in Hobson’s bay and to turn them into floating Prison Hulks. Each of the ships were purchased at various stages, stripped and painted Yellow, and fitted with cells. Each of the ships served a different purpose ie: The Sacramento was first used as an immigration ship, and the Lysander was initially used as a quarantine base until the Point Nepean quarantine station opened its doors.  

Finding the Sacramento!  My initial reason for locating the Sacramento was via a simple question I raised on a Kelly forum. Without a satisfactory reply I decided to look into what actually happened to the Hulk. I contacted the Williamstown historical society, Maritime Museum and the Port authority but to no avail. However with one last contact up my sleeve I made a breakthrough. A local Williamstown Historian who runs weekend tours of Williamstown put me onto an elderly gentleman with a vast knowledge of maritime history. Without too much time to waste I had made contact with the Gentleman and soon found myself diving into a massive collection of old historical survey maps, many of which were that of Hobson’s Bay.  Old Cliffy asked me what my interest was with the Sacramento. After giving Cliff the heads up, cliff smiled and went to his files and pulled out a large stack of original survey maps. Flicking through 30 pages or so of A3 sheets he found the one of interest! There he laid it out on the table and pointed towards a reference on the 1879 map. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. The map clearly pinpoints the location of the Sacramento and that of the Deborah. Old Cliffy could see my excitement I was jumping with joy.  The next move was to drive out and visit the location. At this stage old cliffy hadn’t ventured out to this location, it was of no real interest to him, but when I told him the history and its connection to Ned he was happy to drive out with me. Cliff’s knowledge of Hobson’s bay was an added bonus. As a child Cliff grew up in the area and passed on all his knowledge about the area. Cliff reminisced about the changing faces of Williamstown, which was to be a vital part of my research.  

Cliff with his replica model of a floating dry dock

Upon arriving at the location of the Sacramento, (As per survey map) it was easy to translate the survey maps that clearly showed the geography before and after the land had been reclaimed by silt spew (more on this later.) Although I had stood near the location of the Sacramento, It was not enough. I needed to pinpoint its exact position. In one of the survey maps it shows that the Sacramento lay close to the shoreline still afloat. In another map it shows that the Sacramento had been reclaimed. The Yarra River’s original course had also been altered, new training walls were constructed and Greenwich Bay had been reclaimed significantly. Web dock is also built on top of silt spew. The training walls can still be seen today.

The Prison hulks were moored strategically close to all work stations, and an area of 100 yards of the Hulks were proclaimed a no go zone. Four Black buoys were put in place to identify the restricted zone. Prisoners would make the short trip to shore via paddle boats and disembarked at various points of the bay. The main points of disembarkment were the Breakwater Pier Williamstown, Burleigh Street Newport and Sandridge Pier or better known as Station Pier.

 Breakwater Pier Williamstown NOTE: The original pylons Once on dry land the Prisoners embarked on a 10 hour work day Monday to Saturday, and Sunday a day of rest and worship. Father Gerald WARD the priest that married Ned parents held services for the prisoners both on board the hulks and at the Battery. Work varied from planting trees to quarry work. It is known that during Ned’s time on board the Hulk or at the battery he had worked the quarries opposite the military barracks. Perhaps he had planted a tree or two, or perhaps he was responsible for cutting the Bluestone that formed the road as we know it today...Battery Road.  

Fort Gellibrand  On the 25/September/1873 Ned was transferred from the Hulk to the Battery. This privilege was given to Prisoners who were deemed well behaved. Having this Privilege meant that Ned and other Prisoners had favourable living conditions as appose to the harsh conditions on board the Hulks. The only other blemish against Ned’s record other than that of the tobacco incident was entered by Governor of the Williamstown Stockade. On the 28/Nov/1873 it reads as follows:  “This morning (Governor D. Stewart) I observed prisoners (Ned ) E. Kelly (10926) and J. Kanute (956) quarrelling whilst proceeding from the tool house to place of labour” I’ve made several attempts to view Governor Stewarts Journal but have been denied access due to the fact it is in a very fragile state, and the keepers of the Journal (PROV) have been in discussions on how to handle and preserve the journal. I suspect that someone has made a copy of the journal and someday I look forward to viewing it. In the meantime I have arranged to view other documents that may or may not shed light on the issue.  

The quarry today

Reminiscing the early years. By William Grime (74 years of age) I was born in Illawarra Street, February 1871,I did see the convicts making roads from the Breakwater Pier to Cole Street. As a little boy I used to sit on the bank watching them getting the large rocks from the quarry, opposite the old Bunbury swimming baths, and pulling tip drays with two cross beams. I can still see those poor creatures with their moleskin trousers. Small grey coat and large straw hats. They used to live in iron huts at the bottom of Osborne Street, inside the reserve almost opposite the two large guns.They used to do their washing on Saturday afternoons, and they were kept indoors all Sunday. On many evenings I used to sit on a form outside their huts talking to the night warder, a Mr Robinson, I remember on one occasion asking the warder were the convicts bad men, and he informed me, “No” Source: Williamstown Chronicle 31st August 1945

The Sacramento abandoned.  By 1872 the "Sacramento" was moored near the mouth of the Yarra to accommodate approximately 100 male prisoners who were employed by the Public Works Department on works on the Yarra embankment. In consequence of the management of the Port of Melbourne being transferred to the Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners in 1877, the works on the Yarra were discontinued and the hulk was gradually vacated. When it was finally abandoned in March 1878 it was transferred to the Torpedo Corps. Further reading  

The Hulks become torpedo stores based at the naval Depot at Fisherman’s bend and in 1885 the Hulks were deemed inhumane and ordered to be broken up whilst in mooring off Williamstown. The Prison Hulk Success was the only Hulk to survive the fate of being broken up.

THE “SACRAMENTO” PENAL HULK DISCONTINUED (From the Government Gazette)

PROCLAMATION By His Excellency Sir George Ferguson Bowen, Knight Grand Cross of the most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor and Commander-in-chief in and over the Colony of Victoria and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same. Whereas by statue of the Gaols 1864 it was amongst other things enacted, that the Governor in council might proclaim any Hulk or floating prison to be used as a public prison for the reception and safe keeping of all prisoners convicted and sentenced for any offence by any court of Victoria, and might define by Proclamation the limits and the boundaries around such Hulk within which no person should come, and the place of embarking and landing prisoners to and from such Hulk; and such Proclamations from time to time might vary, alter, new assign, and revoke: Now therefore I, the Governor of Victoria, with the advice of the Executive Council, in exercise of the power conferred by the said Act, do hereby revoke the Proclamation dated the thirteenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, constituting the Sacramento a Penal Hulk, also the Proclamation, dated the twenty-seventh day of September. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, re-defining the limits and boundaries around the said Hulk as therein set forth,  Given under my hand and the seal of the colony, at Melbourne, tis fifteenth day of April in the year of our lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy eight, and the forty-first year of her Majesty’s reign.  Prison boundaries of the penal Hulk Sacramento Positions of the five Hulks (scroll to page 1218)  Old Cliffy with his experience with sailing was able to map out (not to scale) the approximate locations of all five Hulks using the bearings from the Proclamation of the Hulks. Whether you’re looking out from station Pier or taking advantage of the sky deck towers of Rialto or the Eureka building, it is so much easier to piece together the movements of the penal Hulks. If you’re in the area of Port Melbourne drop in and explore the immediate of Station pier area don’t forget to take note of the original pylons that can still be seen. Further reading (Government Gazette)

RECLAMATION OF LAND AT GREENWICH BAY  In the year 1878, the Commissioners commenced to deposit silt in the area known as Greenwich Bay (Greenwich Bay is the body of water opposite the Burgoyne Reserve) which, on the river side, had a stone training wall constructed by the government , and which extended from the Penal Hulks down to the steam Ferry landing, and area of about 44 acres. (The ferry landing site is still visible and is located opposite the Newport power station)

This stone deposit was continued until about 1881, when up to and during that year 109,828 cubic yards had been so dealt with. The commissioners then resolved to continue the work by contract, and Mr. James Styles become the contractor, whose tender for landing and distributing 200,00 cubic yards at 11d. And 50,000 yards in addition if required, at 1s. 5d. per cubic yard was accepted.  

On the 17th September of the present year, the Works, Dredging and stores committee submitted the following recommendation to the commissioners, which were adopted :— “The resident Engineer, having reported that the contractor, Mr James Styles, will have completed the landing of the total quantity of silt stated in his contract D18, namely, 250,000 cubic yards, in three or four weeks from date that a further quantity of 75,000 cubic yards will yet have to be deposited to complete the filling, so that it shall be 6 feet above low water at shore side; steps should be taken for carrying on the work by the present contractor, or otherwise, as the Commissioners nay decide. The present rate is 1s. 5d. Per cubic yard, the work will therefore cost £5312 10s., and will take about nine months to complete. Your committee recommend that Mr. Styles be required to go with the work under his present contract.”  This reclamation was commenced more with the view of finding a place in which to deposit the silt raised from the River than with any great expectations of the work being immediately reproductive; indeed, many years must elapse before the land reclaimed will have any great commercial value.  So there we have it the Sacramento fell victim for the soul purpose of deepening the Yarra. In hindsight she was saved from total destruction, by means of fire and being lost forever, although the years of being buried under the silt will take its toll. Before the Sacramento was swallowed up by silt she was stripped of all salvageable parts. A small fire did take hold of her however she stood her ground for many years to come.  

HULKS IN THE MUD  

Some time ago, there appeared an article in the “Herald” on Fisherman’s bend. The writer stated that for many years two prison Hulks lay there in the mud. He was not far out as the Hulks lay at Greenwich bay on the Williamstown side of the Yarra and north of the ferry. The “Success” lay off fisherman’s bend but not in the mud. She was well afloat and after her withdrawal from Williamstown was used as a place of detention for women delinquents, and later for a defence storage purposes. The two at Greenwich Bay were the Sacramento and Deborah, as near as I can remember they served a similar use to that of the Success. They were well embedded in the mud, I know this as I paid several visits to them in my youth.  It appears that at one time there was a tiny bay here, capable of affording anchorage room for the two vessels. In the course of time the bay silted up and the vessels become permanently mud-bound. Later they were broken up. Whether it was this bay that gave the name of Greenwich to what is now Newport I cannot be sure. If my memory is not at fault there was a sort of bay at the far end of the strand, and on the other south side of the ferry. This has since been reclaimed to a large extent but would originally fit the name of Greenwich. And when we recall that Greenwich railway station once stood where the hotel stands today (the corner of North road and the strand), this fact gives color to my idea. Source: The Williamstown Advertiser 26-7-1947