1. THE TIMEBALL QUEST. Kimberley Dunstan, and one
man’s search to find out where this HMAS SYDNEY [I]
photo was taken.
Check out these Holiday Inn South Africa Contact images:
THE TIMEBALL PURSUIT. Kimberley Dunstan, and one man’s search to learn where this
HMAS SYDNEY [I] photo was taken.
3969 When we recreated this image from the formal Royal Australian Navy photo site right here
on Flickr last year, we made the point that it was both a remarkable portraiture of the ship, and
additionally the waterfront scene beside it.
The latter was just filled with character: family members groups, a tethered horse and large
ritualistic flagpole; the wonderful old vernacular hotel, and, behind that, a Florentine dome with a
timeball on top of it. Wonderful – however where was it?
Fixations are our game right here, on the Unofficial RAN 1911-2011 Protstream. However not
for one moment did we presume that posing that straightforward concern would certainly set
Contributor Kim Dunstan off on a 6-months globe-reaching tour to discover a response through
the timeball. We’re going to give the response shortly, but, a little bemused, we have actually
first asked Kim to tell us just how he located it.
THE TIMEBALL QUEST: Kim’s tale:
‘Well, at first I thought the area was Newcastle NSW and contacted the historical research
librarian at the University of Newcastle. She was not able to assist however referred me to the
Newcastle Maritime Gallery which has a group of historic specialists. Sadly the secretary was ill,
so there was a delay of a few months in receiving a reply. A check of the historical pictures of
Newcastle waterfront revealed little except a charming chance of their Timeball structure, now a
deluxe hotel. Finally the Maritime Museum’s answer came: ‘Sorry, no, it’s not Newcastle.’
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2. In the meantime I had talked to the Victorian branch of the World Shipping Society, asking them
to circulate the picture to Timeball professionals on their mailing list, which consisted of
numerous long-time sea captains. They were unable to make a definite identification – however
one suggested that it could possibly be Port Adelaide.
With this lead I took to the net and examined all the historic photos of Port Adelaide and
Timeball devices in the location. This consisted of the Semaphore Timeball and the Port
Authority structure Timeball. The photo I saw of the Port Authority building, though, didn’t jell
with the Timeball in the HMAS SYDNEY photo at all. Besides that, a modern photo of a
Timeball on a small tower on the dock left me with the impression the Port Authority Structure
was irrelevant. The docks had been redeveloped, and a more Timeball further downstream
perplexed the concern. In spite of that, the look of the water [placid and milky] and the facet of
the late afternoon sunlight, and the warm garments, provided me pause for idea. This looked
too cool for Adelaide. I chose to look in other places.
A search of the hundreds of photos on the web of the Brisbane waterfront produced nothing –
and of course the old windmill was the formal Timeball in Brisbane, so this was a fruitless time.
Further searches of ports on the Queensland and NSW coasts drew blanks. By comparable
procedures I was also able to eliminate other ports around Tasmania and mainland Australia.
As the concern of place was open I chose to check Timeball devices in New Zealand by means
of historic photographs, all on the net, and finally sought the support of the Lylttelton Timeball
Station workplace. Regrettably the Christchurch earthquake, which damaged the Timeball
building, indicated my request got lost. I did nevertheless, get a recommendation to a ‘Timeball
buff’ and maritime expert in New Zealand, however he was not able to assist.
I then turned my mind to South Africa as a distant yet feasible area as they had a surprising
number of Timeball equipments in operation around their substantial shoreline – and SYDNEY
could have called there on return to Australia. It was a bustling time looking at all of those SA
locations on ‘the internet,’ trying to picture what redeveloped ports may have appeared like
previously, where their Timeballs could have been, and other tell-tale aspects. The result was to
enhance my expertise of South Africa, however I was no nearer to an option.
By this time I had come to be used to practically every Timeball website on the internet – and
the world – of which there are numerous. Trawling these sites I stumbled upon the name of Dr
Roger Kinns. This gentleman, who stays in Scotland, has substantial knowledge of Timeball
devices all over the world, and is additionally the author of numerous authoritative, academic
papers on Timeball devices in Australia. Dr Kinns was most helpful with my enquiry, however
did not have the answer. In an exchange of e-mails he revealed a genuine interest in finding
more about the place – highlighting the unusually reduced [if not one-of-a-kind] elevation of the
Timeball in the picture, and its classy octagonal building. One of the papers Dr Kinns had done
was on Adelaide’s Semaphore Timeball – a great read for anybody interested in the topic.
Regrettably his research and visit to Adelaide did not include Port Adelaide – he now prepares
to visit in the future.
In the meantime, as I was mindful the image of HMAS SYDNEY [I] was from the official RAN
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3. historic website, I made contact with them and got an extremely polite reply, saying they were
not able to provide any type of information, however that they would pass the request to the
formal RAN historian for insight. The Historian was away, but eventually a reply came that no
info was offered and since the original picture was not offered the request was to be referred to
the Catalogue & Legacy Drawings Royal Australian Navy Heritage Collection, Sight Tropical
isle. Once more holidays and leave postponed a response, however this part did respond and
were keen to help, conscious that their collection often did not provide details owing to
censorship problems and sources such as personal photos or papers which did not constantly
feature dates, realities or locations.
Anyhow, following a Kookaburra suggestion to contact Graeme Andrews I emailed him.
Graeme’s recommendation was Port Adelaide. As it took place, I would certainly been to Port
Adelaide on HMAS MELBOURNE, however I had sticking around doubts – mainly because I
wasunaware of the redevelopment of the wharf location, and my scepticism about the Port
Authority Building. Well, why not go to the specialists I thought! Simply email the Port Adelaide
Historic Society [I cant comprehend why I had not done that long ago - but then I 'd have missed
all the fun]. Well – bingo – by return email I had the answer from Lawrie Shields, which you can
easily now see below.
THE ANSWER
Kim,
This picture was taken at Port Adelaide when HMAS SYDNEY was moored at Queen’s Wharf.
The determining functions are the Flagstaff that stood near the Harbors Division Building [from
the picture to the right] which was eliminated on August 5, 1932; the big structure behind the
flagmast was the Exchange Hotel, 1 Commercial Road [licensed 1857 later on the Lighthouse
Inn now Ales And Sails] demolished in 1933 and moved further east to accommodate wharf
expansion. The dome behind the hotel was on the Harbor’s Board structure on the corner of
Lipson Road and carried a time ball from 1920 until 1932 when the practice was ceased [the
structure frontage was later on demolished and refaced when wharf improvements were
embarked on]. Obviously taken prior to 1928 when the ship was paid. There were two time ball
towers in the Port Adelaide district, the other being at Semaphore which was developed in 1875
and terminated on February 1, 1932. That stone tower still stands and was restored and
returned to operation at the turn of the century but has actually not operated for some time. As
regards dress, it can easily be really cool in Adelaide specifically standing on the wharf at the
Port!
Hopefully this responds to many of the inquiries and our volunteer Society is glad to be of
assistance. As this image is not in our collection we would certainly value a good copy together
with any others that might be of Port Adelaide. We could supply copies of photos of both time
ball towers, the flagstaff and the initial Exchange Hotel.
Lawrie Shields
Secretary, Port Adelaide Historical Culture.
HIGHLY SATISFACTORY OUTCOME – THE MORAL OF THE TIMEBALL.
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4. Kim writes: ‘The long and short of it is – I knew there was an answer. And like a great terrier, I
simply kept at it.’
Well done Kim! Handsomely done! So it’s HMAS SYDNEY in Port Adelaide, just down from the
timeball on the Harbours Board structure on the corner of Lipson Road, some time in the 1920s.
Thank you Kim, thank you Mr Shields, thank you all. Now … let’s all take pleasure in the picture
once again, our admiration all the richer, for knowing where it is.
What’s a timeball, by the way?
Picture: Royal Australian Navy Heritage Collection, as revealed on the RAN’s official site on
Flickr.
( Twilight Zone) Holiday Inn – Victoria Waterfront
Something from the archives …
© 2009 Thys Visser|All rights reserved|Do not use this image without my authorization|If you
wish to utilize or get this image, please contact me.
More information on South African experience at :
http://southafricanexperience.com/the-timeball-quest-kimberley-dunstan-and-one-mans-search-t
o-find-out-where-this-hmas-sydney-i-photo-was-taken/
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