User:History vulture/sandbox/Maid of Sker
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The Maid of Sker was a paddle steamer that was an important part of the economic use of the inland waterways of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia from 1893 to the early 1930s.
The Maid of Sker is believed to be one of the oldest tangible links with Australia's maritime history and can be seen in Bischoff Park, Nerang, Queensland, Australia. Shipping was the main source of transport before the railway was opened to Nerang and Southport, Queensland. Weekly trips to Nerang were made until the Jubilee Bridge was built at Southport[1]
Built of iron by J.W. Sutton Foundry of Kangaroo Point, Queensland, Australia the Maid of Sker was launched in 1884. She measured 52 tons gross, 74 feet 8 inches long, breadth 17 feet and 5 feet 2 inches deep. She was powered by a 16 h.p engine and propelled by a paddle wheel on each side. C. H. Philpott of Nerang commissioned the building of the Maid of Sker to transport timber from his mill to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.[2]
In 1897 Mr F.W.L Kleinschmidt and Mr T. Gentner bought the Maid of Sker from Mr F. W. Lemke for £700. Today the vessel is on the banks of the Nerang River in Bischoff Park, Nerang, Queensland, Australia not far from the original loading wharf.[3]
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