Paddle Steamer Enterprise

• One of the world's oldest working paddle steamers
• Murray River trade and tourism
• Creager family home
• Volunteer crew

The Paddle Steamer Enterprise is the largest working exhibit at the National Museum. Launched more than 130 years ago, she is one of oldest working paddle steamers in the world.

As part of the Museum's collection, the Enterprise illustrates the paddle steamer's role in Australia's history to many thousands of visitors each year. Its story is also being preserved for future generations.

The Enterprise has worked as a cargo ship, floating store, fishing vessel, houseboat and showboat.

Launched in 1878, the Enterprise was built in Echuca of river red gums. These trees, which once lined the Murray River, provided a ready source of hardwood for both building and powering paddle steamers. The tannin from a handful of eucalyptus leaves thrown into the boiler also prevented the interior walls from corroding.

The Enterprise is known as a 'shallow drafter', because there is very little of it sitting below the water line — a mere 75 centimetres. This made it suitable for dealing with the varying water levels of the river system. In 1879 it managed to steam through the year, despite falling water levels.

> View the PS Enterprise's Certificate of British Registry (PDF 4mb)
This certificate shows a detailed history of the paddle steamer's ownership from 1878 to 1973.

> View the PS Enterprise specifications and statistics (PDF 14kb)

> More on Australian paddle steaming history

In years gone by paddle steamers were home to many families, including the Creagers. Augustus Creager bought the PS Enterprise in 1919 and raised his young family on board while working as a fisherman. From the 1930s he was assisted by his wife Hilda, who was one of the few women at the time to hold a commercial fishing licence.

Over the years a number of adjustments were made to the boat, including the building of a new galley with a wood stove and a new master bedroom. The steam hose from the boiler was used to heat water drawn straight from the river for bathing, washing and cleaning the decks.

Many aspects of life for the Creager children would have been different to a childhood spent on land. Imagine having to walk on a gangplank instead of a footpath to reach your front door.

Living on the water did have its hazards for the Creager children. As toddlers, each of them fell overboard at least once. Mrs Creager displayed great calm and presence of mind by watching the trail of bubbles from the child and reaching into the water to rescue her offspring when he or she came to the surface!

Although the family lived on the boat, it was moored for most of the time. This allowed the children to attend school, and Augustus to maintain a shed on the bank for his motor vehicles and tools. The Creagers also had a vegetable garden and a goat for milk.

The 1970s saw renewed interest in steamboats and their history. In 1973 enthusiasts Graeme Niehus and his father Bru restored the PS Enterprise and steamed her on the Murray. They quickly found others who shared their passion and, later that year, held steamboat races at Echuca with fellow boat owners.

To fund the Enterprise's trip from Lake Alexandrina to Echuca, commemorative bottles of wine from Angove wineries were sold along the way. The Enterprise was pitted against the PS Etona, which won the race by five boat lengths.

In 1984 the PS Enterprise was acquired by the National Museum of Australia. It was restored in Echuca, before being moved to its new home on Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra. Some people argue that the paddle steamer should be returned to the Murray–Darling river system to maintain its historical connection to place. However, it serves an important role at the Museum.

Since its arrival at the Museum, the Enterprise has carried not just its working crew but a number of special guests. Some of these include:

• Governor General Bill Hayden and his wife Dallas in 1989
• Paul Keating as Federal Treasurer in 1989
• Steve Ashton and Howard Raggatt of Ashton Raggatt McDougall, the architectural firm responsible for design of the Museum's Acton building
• Peter Pigott, the author of the Pigott Report, which played a significant role in the Museum's development.

A unique role bestowed upon the Enterprise came about in 1993, as part of the Royal Australian Navy Maritime Pageant. The Enterprise was recommissioned as HMA PS Enterprise for 4 December 1993 only and was given permission to fly the Navy's White Ensign for the day. To mark the occasion, the Museum's plucky paddle steamer carried as guests the then Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral MacDonald, then Governor General Bill Hayden and then Chief of Defence Force, Admiral Beaumont.

The Enterprise is staffed by a dedicated crew of Museum volunteers. They ensure the ship is maintained in good working order and that the valuable skills of a bygone era are preserved.

These passionate volunteers dedicate more than 2500 hours of their time each year to maintain the Enterprise.

To qualify as a Master of the PS Enterprise, volunteer crew members must undertake training and show competency in topics including manoeuvring, water navigation rules, vessel stability and hydro-dynamics, machinery, radio procedures, weather (including local effects), first aid and emergency actions.

The Enterprise is permanently moored outside the National Museum on Lake Burley Griffin. The ship is open for inspection each weekend from September to May.

Check the Museum's online calendar for details.

> Collection database record

> Australian paddle steaming history

> More paddle steaming objects

> PS Enterprise publication

> PS Enterprise children's Flash interactives

> Collection highlights homepage

> Search the Museum's collection database