THE HARBOUR MASTER, NEWCASTLE,  toTHE HARBOUR MASTER, SYDNEY

Harbour Office Newcastle 16 October 1858

The Harbour Master, Sydney

SIR

I have the honor to inform you that the Flag-staff was placed on Nobby yesterday; and, according to your instructions, the signals will, on and after Monday, the 18th instant, be hoisted from that place, under the care of Mr. Hannell. I would recommend that the present tide-signals be continued, with this difference, that they should only be hoisted half up to the yard-arm until half flood, then close up until high water, when they are changed to the other yard-arm, and there to remain until half ebb, then again to be lowered half down until low water.

DAVID T. ALLAN

Harbour Master

P MACAULIFFE, ESQ., to THE COLONIAL TREASURER

Newcastle 19 October 1858

THE HONORABLE

THE COLONIAL TREASURER

SIR,

Instructed by the committee appointed in public meeting in reference to the affairs of this port, I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your communication of 5th instant, and to express its sense of your courteous attention to the subject of the intended removal of the Signal Station here to Nobbys Peninsula, in reference to which, I am desired to inform you, that - contrary to the tenor of your letter, which the committee understood as conveying a promise that the Station would not be removed until they had been again communicated with - it was removed on Saturday last to Nobby's.

I am desired to add, that in the present position of the subject the committee deems it well to apprize you of the removal, without comment, and to state that a memorial declaratory of opinion on the question will be forwarded to you in a day or two.

I have & c., P. MACAULIFFE,  Secretary

THE HARBOUR MASTER to THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY

The Port Office, Sydney 22 October 1858

THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURER

SIR

In returning the correspondence which has taken place respecting the removal of the Flag-staff at Newcastle, I am directed by the Steam Navigation and Pilot board to state, for the information of the Honorable the Treasurer, that the Board have examined masters of vessels (whose names are mentioned in the margin hereof, in addition to those already reported) upon the subject, all of whom concur in the view taken by the Board, that Nobby's Island is the proper place at which the Flag-staff should be placed.

The Board cannot but regret that the views taken by them in this matter have been misconstrued by the chamber of commerce at Newcastle, as their object in carrying out this measure was the improvement of the port only; and the Board cannot but consider that any practical person who may take the trouble to look at the locality, as marked on a chart, will at once observe that the placing of the Flag-staff on Nobby's Island is an advantage to the shipping generally.

Some of the masters of vessels who were examined by the Board described the position of the yard on the old site, being North and south, as inconvenient, during southerly winds, and spoke of the flags as being too small, to remedy which I have been directed to cause the yard to be placed east and west, and to furnish a new set of larger flags.

Under all the circumstances the Board see no reason to alter the decision arrived at, and as the flag-staff is now removed and reported in working order, the board hope to be able to carry out their other arrangements, as to the placing of the Pilots in the immediate vicinity thereof. I have &c., John Crook, Harbour Master

Approved - It seems to me that the residents at Newcastle, from the proceedings of a meeting as reported in the newspaper of this week, wished to have had the old Flag-staff retained, for giving information of vessels approaching the city, and not because it was of use for the safety of vessels approaching the harbour. This, I think, was not prominently mentioned, or perhaps it might have been provided for; but I hope that as the size of the flags is to be increased, the signals may be seen as distinctly from Nobby's as they were from the old site

If this be so, it may be communicated to the gentlemen, with this report from the Harbour Master. R.C. 23 October.

The Honorable the Minister

for Finance and Trade.

The Board did examine several additional witnesses on the subject of the Flag staff at Newcastle, and the result has been already communicated to the Treasurer; and as the opinion of these persons was equally conclusive with that given on a previous occasion, the Board did not consider it necessary to revoke the order formerly given to the Harbour Master for the removal of the staff; neither did they conceive by the Treasurer's minute that such a step was intended, or that any fresh authority was requisite, unless a different opinion were arrived at by the Board on the subject.

The quarters occupied by the signal man are urgently required for the use of the Harbour Master, to enable him to make his Pilots and crews available; and as this could not be done until the staff was removed, the Board did not hesitate to adopt a course which was, in their opinion, for the benefit of the port.

The Harbour Master having, in accordance with his previous instructions, removed the staff, the Board have taken the necessary step to afford the information to the public, and have notified the same in the usual way in the public journals, and forwarded copies of the notices to the various Boards of the neighbouring colonies. H.H. Browne.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY TO THE TREASURER  to  P. MACAULIFFE, ESQ.,

New South Wales,

The Treasury, Sydney 26 October 1858

P. MACAULIFFE, ESQ., NEWCASTLE

SIR

Referring to previous correspondence upon the subject of the removal of the Flag-staff at Newcastle to Nobby's Head, I am directed by the Honourable the Treasurer to forward, for the information of the committee appointed in reference to the affairs of the Port of Newcastle, copies of two communications received form the Steam Navigation and Pilot board, by which it will be observed that nearly all the Masters of Coasting vessels examined in reference to the proper site for the flag-staff are in favour of Nobby's Head.

It will, however, be seen that the second objection raised by the committee has been met by increasing the size of the flags to be used at the new Signal Station, so as to make them more distinguishable at Newcastle

Mr. Campbell therefore trusts that the conclusions arrived at by the board, after much inquiry and deliberation, will be considered by the committee as satisfactory

I have &c.,

HENRY LANE

Under-Secretary

P. MACAULIFFE, ESQ., to THE COLONIAL TREASURER

Newcastle 26 October 1858

THE HONORABLE,

THE COLONIAL TREASURER, Sydney

SIR,

I have the honor to forward to you, under separate cover, by this post, a Memorial from Merchants, Traders, and Masters of Vessels at this port praying against the removal of the signal Station to Nobby's Peninsula, which Memorial was referred to in mine of 19th instant, and the transmission of which has been delayed in order to afford an opportunity to Captains arriving here in the intermin to record their opinion of the propriety of the removal by signing it, which, I am desired by the Committee for which I have the honor to act to state has, without exception, been done by all to whom it was offered for signature, being thirty six Masters of vessels in all. I have & c., P. Macauliffe, Secretary

TO THE HONORABLE THE COLONIAL TREASURER

The Memorial of the undersigned, Masters of Vessels, Merchants, and others, trading to or interested in the port of Newcastle: -

RESPECTFULLY SHEWITH:

That your Memorialists have heard, with regret, that it is proposed to remove the Signal Station at Newcastle from its present position to Nobby's Peninsula.

That your Memorialists, who number amongst them several of the most experienced Masters of vessels frequenting the port, have reasons for believing that such removal would be inexpedient, and dangerous to the safety of vessels trading to Newcastle.

That, without detailing the reasons which enter into the consideration of the subject, it may be sufficient here to state that the position of the Port of Newcastle, the difficulty sometimes of entering it, and the circumstance that its trade is principally with places to the southward of itself, make it important that vessels approaching it from that quarter should, at some distance before making the harbour, be able to discern the tide signals; it being dangerous at certain time, with the wind strong from the south, or south south east, to approach near the port, as at such periods vessels in light ballast trim ( as almost all vessels are which come here for coal), being unable to enter the port, or to clear PointStephens, are in much danger of being driven on shore in the bight between here and Port Stephens.

That for these reasons which may be more detailed by inquiry, and because that Nobbys is considerably to the northward of the present station, your Memorialists pray that the removal of the signal Station as contemplated, may not be permitted

And your Memorialists will pray