Stinker’s History: Gentleman Jim

JAMES (Jimmy) Thurston Hill, one of seven children, was born in the Hunter Valley town of Kurri Kurri in 1908.

Jimmy, who suffered from rheumatic fever as a child, qualified as an electrician and began working in the mines which further impacted on his health.

In 1931, for health reasons and the prospect of a better life, it was decided to move to Nelson Bay.

The coastal town had become established as a popular camping holiday destination for coal miners.

In 1933 Jimmy married Elsie Thompson – the beginning of a wonderful partnership.

In 1931 Elsie’s dad, Sam Thompson, an oyster grower and fisherman, paid the princely sum of £100 for the 50 foot, steam driven “S.S.Duncan E. McBride”.

The boat had a clipper bow with a counter stern and was used to ferry the BHP Steelworks bosses to and from the Newcastle Steelworks. Due to better transport facilities becoming available she was put up for sale.

On purchase, the boat was steamed up to the Thompson oyster lease in Tilligerry Creek where extensive alterations were carried out to convert her to a fishing boat.

In 1933 the boat became the property of Jimmy and she was registered as Licensed Fishing Boat 1 (LFB 1).

Apart from fishing and pioneering the seine netting method, Jimmy took out deep sea fishing parties with such well known personalities of the day, Sir Herbert Maitland and Athel D’Ombrain.

Running a charter business, it was necessary to install a telephone – the 6th telephone in Nelson Bay.

To make a call, it was Nelson Bay 6.

In 1935 Jimmy replaced the steam engine with a heavy, oil Ruston Diesel 35 hp engine and renamed the boat, the “Duncan”.

In November 1942 the “Duncan” was confiscated by the Americans during World War Two and Jimmy went with his boat as an engineer serving with the United States Army Services in their Small Ships Transport Section.

Again the boat was renamed, this time as the “U.S.S.Duncan”.

Unfortunately she never reached her intended destination, the islands of the South West Pacific and was berthed at Walsh Bay where she was left to rot in the mud flats.

Jimmy did go north where he took on many difficult missions transporting supplies and Army personnel between the islands.

Two of his most famous passengers were General Douglas Macarthur and General Blaney.

After further service in Rabaul Jimmy contracted malaria on top of his rheumatic fever and was discharged before the end of the war in 1943.

On his return to Nelson Bay Jimmy yearned to return to trawling fish and so he commenced the building of a 52 foot boat in the family’s back yard.

Daughter Neidra holds very fond memories.

“He built an open workshop equipped with a circular saw as well as a band saw and cut the keel and ribs from the bush,” she said.

“It took several years to build but I remember vividly the great launch of the new ‘Duncan’, off Fly Point Beach.

“Dad built the trolley underneath the hull, thereby cradling her as she was hauled by six trucks along Magnus Street and down Victoria Parade to Fly Point.”

Jimmy spent four years trawling fish, prawning off Stockton Beach and lobstering off Broughton Island and Seal Rocks.

He once again supplemented his income with fishing parties which included leading radio hosts Jack Davey and Bob Dyer. His new crew were his brothers Jack and Arch Hill as well as Eric Proud who had been in the Australian Navy based at Nelson Bay.

Jimmy’s health deteriorated in the last two years of his life and he died at Newcastle Hospital in 1949 – he was only 40 years of age.

By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE