Thanks to Lesley Lisle and her mother for the following information
Duties of Pilot Services Officer.
I enjoyed our lengthy chat at the Pilot’s Cottage recently and as requested by you, I spoke to my elderly mother about the work that my father did when he was with the Maritime Services Board’s, only to discover that I misled you. Apparently he was not their Pilot Officer for Sydney Harbour – he worked as a crew member on the Pilot boat and was their District Officer for the Sydney Region.
Pilot officers require a much higher qualification.
Mum said that her recollections are from a fading memory (realising that all the women from her era are either over or approaching 90 years of age) but she said that perhaps The Maritime Services Board – now Sydney Water –(www.sydneywater.com.au, General Enquiries 13 2092) would have more explicit details if you require them in regard to the duties of the Pilot Officer.
My father, after his time on the Pilot boat, became a District Officer for the Maritme Services Board, which title changed to Boating Services Officer while he was in the job, initially on the Hawkesbury River then, Tweed Heads and finally at Merimbula.
Here’s what my mother advised me:-
My father – George William Thomas Wurlod (14.3.1924 – 6.4.1984)
After spending some considerable time with the merchant navy as an ‘able seaman’ – including the war years, (having three of those ships on which he served, torpedoed from under him), in 1962 he left the sea to start working for the Maritime Services Board as and able seaman on Goat Island in Sydney Harbour – doing their maintenance work.
Then about 8 months after that he moved on to the Pilot Boat at Watsons Bay as a crew member. In those days, the Pilot Vessel operated from Watsons Bay in Sydney Harbour (which only recently closed down). It was the job of the pilot boat to escort crafts into Sydney Harbour and in the case of the large ships, the Pilot Officer would climb up a ladder suspended from the ship down to the smaller pilot boat to allow the pilot to climb up onto the ship to meet with their captains to discuss and guide the ship’s safe passageway through the Sydney Heads and up the harbour.
As well as having a Harbour and River Masters Ticket, (which enabled him to represent the Maritime Services Board) he also tutored people more senior to himself for their Harbour and River Masters Tickets - there was a lot of technical material to be assimilated to gain this certificate.
Following his time on the pilot boat (roughly 12 months) he moved on to the head office of the Maritime Services Board at Circular Quay in Sydney to the position of District Office. As the MSB Sydney District Officer, his territory covered the inland waterways of part of the Hawkesbury River.
In his position as District Officer his other duties included, manning the head office (paperwork), public relations, testing and issuing licences for water craft and examining these craft for water safety requirements as per M.S.B. rules. He supervised the local waterways – in an identified MSB speed boat whilst wearing an MSB uniform and cap which was navy in colour with their insignia and gold buttons) and he was required to ensure that the channel markers we erected where required on the inland rivers and coast line, as well as reprimanding or charging any one deliberately violating the regulations of the waterways. In addition to these duties, he had to check boat moorings, attend in rescues and give evidence in court matters where required.
Following his time in the Sydney Office of the MSB, in 1970 he moved to the far north coast to the Pilot Station on Flagstaff Hill at Tweed Heads which was a residential home with a front office for the Board in the home. The roof of the house was cyclone bolted against the severe winds and it was set on 5 acres of headland, so that the view of the ocean was not obstructed. This position also came with a ‘boatman’ (offsider to drive and stay with the MSB boat when required and maintain the premises).
In addition to the work he performed at the Sydney Office, when at Tweed Heads he was also required to send in weekly weather reports to the Sydney Office and raise flags so the boats coming over the bar – into the entry channel at Tweed Heads Harbour from the sea (particularly fishing trawlers) would know if the bar was safe to navigate their crafts into Tweed Heads Harbour. He was also required to check out any mishaps on the bar.
His territory at Tweed Heads ranged from Byron Bay to the Queensland border where complications arose when clients from north of the border confused appointment times with day light savings time, which was not operative in Queensland.
During his soujourn at Tweed Heads a lazer light house was erected on Point Danger (Qld),- just over the boarder – which was little more than a tourist gimmick. (Lighthouses as such were controlled by the Commonwealth Government outside the jurisdiction of the NSW Government).
In 1978 he was transferred to the Merimbula Office of the MSB on the South Coast. This office was situated in the township and by this stage the title for his position was changed from Pilot Officer to Boating Services Officer, with only slight amendments to his duties – no large shipping entered that port.
Regarding ships sunk off the east coast of Australia during World War 2.
As we discussed, Mum was able to assist me in this regard as well, by showing me a copy of the plaque which details the names of those ships
In addition to this, my Mother was involved with the Seamen’s Union Women’s Committee and the plaque that I spoke to you about in regard to the ships sunk off the east coast of Australia during the 2nd world war years, my mother tells me was organised by the Seamen’s Unions Women’s Committee (Brisbane) in memory of the Merchant Navy Seafarers from the funds still held in their coffers when the Committee disbanded in 1993. She also told me that The Brisbane Seamen’s Union Women’s Committee (1953 – 1993) was the last state to disband this movement. The plaque itself was presented to the Australian National Maritime Museum in 1994.
