Stinker’s History: The ‘Dawn’ – Part 1

IT was 1865 when a lone seaman on board a Norwegian sailing ship jumped off the deck onto the wharf in Stockton and ran from the authorities.

The illegal immigrant changed his name and became known as Captain Henry Thompson – so beginning the long line of Thompsons, a family who have made a major contribution to commercial fishing and the Nelson Bay community in general.

After marrying Sarah Knight in 1869, Henry moved to Stockton where he eventually owned a wine saloon.

Henry also ran the ferry from Stockton to Newcastle.

In those early days the “ferry” was a 16 foot skiff which was rowed across the Hunter River.

In January 1879 Henry married Mary Ann Diemar (nee Lilly), an English widow whose first husband Earnest, a jeweller, died on route to England on a voyage from the U.S.A.

Mary was left with four children when she arrived to live with her brother, the Reverend Sam Lilley at Swan Bay. Henry and Mary had one child, a son called Samuel, who was eight-years-old when they came to Nelson Bay.

It is here that the story of the “Dawn” really begins.

The “Dawn” was built in the Top Harbour by Henry’s son Sam “Pop” Thompson and Sam’s son Archie.

The boat took shape adjacent to their oyster lease on the banks of Tilligerry Creek.

The 57-foot boat, driven by a three-cylinder Crosley diesel, was commandeered by the American Small Ships during the war years to sail the treacherous waters around New Guinea as a pilot’s boat.

Archie joined the Navy and remained the skipper of his own boat which was renamed the “Morwong”.

At the completion of the war Archie returned to Nelson Bay and changed the name back to the “Dawn”.

Shortly after her war service, in 1949, she sailed to Sydney to be fitted with a 671 GM Diesel.

It seems that everyone has a story relating to the “Dawn”.

Col Mitchell recalls: “Harry Hunter was lobstering up off Seal Rocks when a big blow came away forcing him into the bay to take shelter from the rising sea.

“As the wind picked up and the swell lifted it got too rough to stay there.

“Somehow Harry got ashore to the lighthouse keeper and got a phone message to Nelson Bay for someone to go up and tow him home.

“Archie Thompson, nicknamed ‘Youngun’, with his brother Bernie, sailed out of Port Stephens into a howling wind and foul sea and headed straight for Seal Rocks on board ‘Dawn’ to pick up Harry.
“Everyone thought he was mad.

“On the way back ‘Youngun’ was sailing inside Broughton Island over ‘The Sisters’, a dangerous shallow breaking reef, when his engine failed forcing him to drop anchor.

“When he got it going again his starting batteries were flat as a flounder.

“‘Youngun’ had to winch Harry up to close range and get a battery passed over to get it started – all this in a mountainous sea.

“It was unbelievable when ‘Youngun’ finally arrived back in Nelson Bay with Harry on behind.”

At the time, apart from Archie, there was one other man who knew the “Dawn” far better than others.

John Plooy arrived at the Little Beach Migrant Camp in 1952 as a 14-year-old from Den Helder in Holland.

John was from a fishing family in Holland so it wasn’t surprising that when it came time to search for work he headed straight to the waterfront.

A position became available in Newcastle with Norwegian fisherman Ted Johansson seining on board the “Ruby K M”.

Shortly after, Nelson Bay trawlerman Archie Thompson wanted a break from working the “Dawn”, he asked Ted and his deckhand John to work the boat for him – so beginning a 20 year association with the young fisherman and the boat.

By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE