Commissioned by Walter Price of W.E. Price and Co. of Townsville and launched in Bowen in 1950.
Walter’s wife was Elizabeth so he named the new vessel “Beth” after her.
“Beth” operated for Townsville Transport Services Ltd. as a ferry taking passengers and freight across Ross Creek between the City and South Townsville including the Port of Townsville.
“Beth” was sold to the Moreton Tug and Lighter Co. on 30/6/1976 and was converted into a “line boat” operating at the port.
Line boats transfer the hawsers from ships to the stevedores on shore who secure the vessels to the wharf bollards.
In 1984, Moreton Tug and Lighter Co. changed its name to N.Q. Marine Towage Pty. Ltd. which was part of the Adsteam Group.
The maritime museum acquired “Beth” on 6/11/2002. She is maintained by museum volunteers.
She was accepted into the Australian Register of Historic Vessels in 2022. On 13 April 2023, Phillip Thompson OAM, Federal Member for Herbert, unveiled the certificate and mounted the burgee denoting the status of the vessel at a ceremony that took place at the Museum.
Townsville-based Pacific Marine Group manufactured and donation a specialised viewing platform at a later date.
The Register records surviving vessels of relevance to Australia’s maritime heritage. It presents a national picture of boats and their designers, builders and owners to promote understanding of their connection to communities past and present. It encourages awareness and planning for their preservation and use. The Register is managed by the Australian National Maritime Museum in co-operation with the Sydney Heritage Fleet.
Designed to carry 18 people, this clinker-built (overlapping planks) wooden lifeboat used to be on the ship Moorah. She was one of a series of 300-ton wooden twin-screw coastal cargo ships built in the 1940s. During World War II she was used by the Australian Army as a supply ship and named AV (Army Vessel) 1366 Moorah.
After the war Moorah was used for various activities, including cargo carriage to Rockhampton. She was at some stage converted to a scallop-processing factory ship, based at Gladstone. On 12 September 1970 she was destroyed by fire at Gladstone.
Amongst the items that were salvaged was her lifeboat. This was donated by the Queensland Maritime Museum to the Maritime Museum of Townsville in 1989 (acquisition number 989.165). This lifeboat featured in the movie Australia (2008).
Designed as a fishing boat with an inboard engine, this 12-foot dinghy was built in the 1950s by Bruce Douglas, who worked for the Townsville Harbour Board.
Recreational and competitive rowing is one of the oldest water-based sports in Townsville and is represented by two boats, a double shell (named Terrow) and a quadruple shell (named Allan Rolfe). Both shells were donated by St Josephs Gregory Terrace College (Brisbane) to St Ignatius College (Townsville) in the mid 2000s when Iggy Park started its school rowing program.
Museum volunteers have brought back both shells to their former glory, made possible through a Townsville City Council heritage grant.
Suspended from the ceiling of the breezeway where the Museum’s reception and gift shop are located is a dug-out canoe (with an outrigger) of the type used to transport people, livestock and goods between villages in Papua New Guinea. This vessel was found adrift on the Fly River (Papua New Guinea’s second longest river) by the motor ship Spartan and donated to the Museum.
Built by Bob Garrow in South Townsville and used to fish in local waters.
