Dredging the Gladstone Harbour
Despite its natural deep harbour, some silting was due to ashes from the coal-fired vessels of the early days. In 1895 the first dredging was with a suction dredge and barge, and it restored a depth for the size of the largest ships of that era. The Tridacna, a clam shell dredge, finished this work in 1901. When it was found that a couple of ships were unable to come into the wharf in 1907, the Platypus again dredged. In 1918 the Mourilyan, with the assistance of the steam barge Schnapper, did the job. Soundings were again taken in 1923 and the harbour board decided to have all the berths at Auckland Point Wharf dredged. The Casuarina under Captain G Huddleston did this work.
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