Name/TitlePhotograph, "Duncan E. McBryde/Duncan"

About this object‘’Duncan E. McBride’’ was a 50-foot steam driven boat purchased by Sam Thompson in 1931. The boat had a clipper bow with a counter stern and was used to ferry the BHP Steelwork bosses to and from Newcastle Steelworks.

In 1933 to boat was sold and became registered as Licensed Fishing Boat 1 (LFB1). She was converted to diesel in 1935 and was renamed ‘’The Duncan’’.

With an oil Ruston Diesel 35 hp engine. ‘’Duncan’’ was requisitioned by the Americans in November 1942. The son-in-law of the original purchaser, James (Jimmy) Thurston Hill, travelled with the ‘’Duncan’’ as an engineer serving with the United States Army Services and the vessel was renamed again – ‘’U.S.A. Duncan’’. Unfortunately, she never reached the islands of the South West Pacific, her intended destination, and was left to rot on the mud flats at Walsh Bay.

Jimmy returned to Nelson Bay and built a 52-foot trawler again named ‘’Duncan’’ which had a distinctive feature – a cabin in the stern. She was transported with a trolley under the hull and hauled by 6 trucks along Magnus Street to Fly Point for the launching.

Place MadeUnknown

MakerUnknown

Maker RoleBoat Builder

Date Made1943

PeriodMid 20th century

Formatjpeg

Object TypeFishing Vessel

Subject and Association KeywordsBoat building

Subject and Association KeywordsBoats

Subject and Association KeywordsFishing - commercial

Subject and Association KeywordsFishing Recreational

Subject and Association KeywordsPrawning

Subject and Association KeywordsRecreation

Subject and Association KeywordsWorld War II

Subject and Association KeywordsNavy

Object numberTMA2021.00161.5

Copyright Licence