The Wheels Still Turn

A History Of Australian Paddleboats

Paddleboats have a romance of their own, and have played a major role in the development of this country, especially on the Murray River, where they are still to be found - and in increasing numbers. But they have been almost totally overlooked in Australian maritime history.

This book sets the record straight with a comprehensive overview of the role of paddlers in each of the colonies, in intercolonial and overseas trading, as tugs and even church mission boats, and particularly along the Murray River system. It is a story of ingenuity and adaptability, or entrepreneurs and opportunists, of opening up trade and settlement and, occasionally, of tragedy.

The book also includes brief accounts of the mechanisms of paddleboats and of marine steam-engines, along with a tourist guide to the location of paddleboats today, most of which are day-excursion or holiday craft.