Swan River Dinghies
Tinny. Photo: Simon Cowling 2022
SWS has been reporting on a classic dinghy revival in Victoria. This is driven by John Fairfax and Ralph Ballard at the Australian Classic Dinghy Network. Like the Heron Hospital in Tasmania, they’re a self-described ‘RSPCA for dinghies’ with a mission to recover, restore and rehome ply boats.
Their story is featured in a short film AGRICOLA 7101 by Ivy Tucker, COMING SOON in SWS. South Gippsland YC at Inverloch and Chelsea YC on Port Phillip Bay run annual regattas to showcase the boats on the beach and on the water.
Now there’s activity in the West. Tony Jones, a well known Perth artist and teacher is fully immersed in the Swan River and the dinghies that sailed there. After years of building a dinghy collection, Tony wants to develop a place to celebrate these boats, the people who built and sailed them and the Swan River environment itself. He’s thinking about the Swan River Dinghy Project. This might be a place that welcomes visitors with a collection of dinghies, exhibition spaces, a working shop and boats to sail. Ideally it would be on the Swan in East Fremantle.
Art Boat
Tony Jones’ ‘Flying Circus’ exhibition that finished two weeks ago at the Holmes a Court Gallery @No10, shows how the Dinghy Project can work. His instinct and skill with presenting large 3D form was on display. Floating and pitching dinghies from the 1950’s and 60’s come alive. The dinghies are suspended at a height off-the-beach sailors know well, standing waist deep in waves just before you leap aboard and get going. VALOUR the Skate, GIGI the VeeJay and a red Moth are rigged, heeled over and sailing again. The Dragon GUSTEL is propped, gutted and decomposing to reveal its whale like ribs and carvel skin. Lightweight Sharpie FLYING CIRCUS, is a ghost boat stacked with white boxes. It’s in a lineage of Asmat open bottom spirit canoes from New Guinea, crewed by carved supernatural creatures. Special Purpose markers on old piles are guides between the boats. A varnished dinghy rudder takes on new status when mounted on a gallery wall. It invites the conclusion that boats are a confluence of art and purpose.
Small interventions and transformations with a clear curatorial strategy, allow Tony Jones to show that dinghies and wooden boats are very worthy of a gallery. One WA’rt critic called it ‘Jones’ love letter to the Swan and generations of family life living and playing on or around it’. (click on images to enlarge)
Tony Jones Writes
‘For the past 30 years, I've been collecting Swan River dinghies. The priority has been for wooden, mostly plywood construction dinghies that informed the recreational sailing history of the Swan River over the past 100 years.
The recovered craft are tangible evidence of the activities of boat builders, sailors and yachting associations. These dinghies have many embedded memories that will be preserved along with their tangible representation of wonderful craftsmanship and design. The collection will strive to be extensive and representative of time, place and personalities, there have been many great boats, designers, builders and clubs.
The vision is to establish a working boat shed on the banks of the Swan River ideally on a site west of the Swan Yacht Club. There is a strong membership of supporters and enthusiasts whose involvement underpins the project. There are craft still available to form the nucleus of a collection before it is too late. The collective memory of stories and skills exist to inform the long-term development. The Swan River Sailing Dinghy Heritage Association Inc will be a community-based place that will;
· demonstrate and revalue traditional boat building craft skills
· ensure the rich heritage of Western Australian yachting is captured and illustrated
· foster the pastime of sailing by maintaining an active fleet of small craft
· establish an active open resource with an educational focus
· encourage local and international tourists and visitors.
· be housed in a building of architectural distinction to compliment the activities of a working boat shed and yacht club.
The ecology and special character of the Swan River also deserves description and recognition. From the narrow confines of East Fremantle and Blackwall Reach to the expanses of Mosman Bay in Claremont and broad Melville Water, the fluky conditions at Maylands, the hot summer easterlies and predictable Fremantle Doctor, the Swan has formed sailors with specials skills that have taken on the rest of Australia and the world’.
Tony Jones. Its just a bigger dinghy.
There’s apparent competition down river at Fremantle from the WA Maritime Museum. This is a large white period crustacean opened in 2002, where building design competes with the exhibits. It’s home to the winning America's Cup yacht, AUSTRALIA II, an Oberon class submarine HMAS OVENS and Jon Sanders’ PARRY ENDEAVOUR that completed a triple circumnavigation in 1988. There’s some pretty nice dinghies too.
The presentation dress code at WAMM is ‘gallery formal’. These days interactive, casual, multi-function spaces are the go. Tony’s approach, focusing on dinghies and the Swan River in a ‘working boat shed’ will be quite distinct yet complimentary to WAMM. We propose a big tin shed has more than adequate architectural distinction. (click on images to enlarge)
Dinghy Collection
Tony Jones’ dinghy collection fills his workshop and studio in O’Connor. It already includes Lightweight Sharpies, Skate, VJ, Gwen 12, Rainbow, Pelican, Manly Junior, Mirror, Sabre, Javelin, Cherub, Flying Ant, Fireball, Sabot, Moth, Mudlark, Minnow and Optimist.
Dinghies to be added; 14’, 16’ & 18’ Skiffs, Heavyweight Sharpie, Vaucluse Senior VS, Cadet Dinghy, Heron, Hornet, 125, 505, Flying Dutchman, 420, 470, GP14, Yvonne, Quick and Kitty Cats, Tornado, Laser, Taser and 49er.
Around Australia, there’s plenty of research and writing being done on these classes. This will support the ‘didactic panels’ and give the shed the authority of an interpretive centre. The Swan River Dinghy Project might then be eligible for those free-flowing government arts and sports grants. (click on images to enlarge)
River People
The Dinghy Project will celebrate Swan River sailors, sailmakers and boatbuilders. Their early achievements as juniors and teenagers are mostly hiding in yacht club archives and trophy cabinets. A few names of local and international notables below will benefit from SWS reader input.
Sailors include Jack Cassidy, Peter Chappell, Amanda Cook, Syd Corser, Richard Court, Paul Eldrid, Brian Lewis, John Longley, Gordon Lucas, Roslyn Merry, Tessa Parkinson, Chris Pratt, Elise Rechichi, John Sanders, Huck Scott, Robin Smith, Belinda Stowell and Rolly Tasker.
Len Randall is the standout designer especially of 14’ dinghies. R. J. Hill designed the Rainbow scow and Laurie Chivers built dinghies along with Brian Phillips, Eric Thomas and Terry Gaunt. Tasker, Jack Cassidy and Graeme Hill were notable dinghy sailmakers.
Let’s not forget the Americas Cup crews, Olympians, World and National Champions who started on the river.
Spirit Boat
If you have a dinghy, sails, spars, photos or information that might contribute to the Swan River Dinghy Project please email helm@southernwoodenboatsailing.com