John Martin Webb, a pioneering boatbuilder of Echuca, was born on January 14, 1824. Photo: Supplied.
Tuesday, January 14 will mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of pioneering Echuca boat builder John Martin Webb.
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Mr Webb was born in Plymouth, England, and was trained as a shipwright at the famous Devonport Docks before venturing to Echuca in 1857 with his family to help establish the river trade on the Murray.
His first point of order was building the first steam-powered vessel in Echuca named the Grappler, which was launched in 1858.
The well-named Grappler was equipped with grappling hooks to help remove fallen trees, which clogged the river system and severely limited river travel.
An image of the first vessel built by Webb, the Grappler. Photo: Supplied.
In the years that followed, Mr Webb spent many years building both steamers and scores of barges, the latter taking six weeks each to build with only hand tools.
Throughout the 1860s and 1870s, Webb built many famous paddle steamers, some of them while he owned the Echuca patent slip with his business partner, Richard Wilson.
He also had a hand in building steamers such as the Edwards, the Cumberoona, the Jane Eliza, the Burrabojee and the Carrington.
A few others were built under contract to others who were officially recorded as the builders, including, in 1864, the Adelaide, which is still afloat today.
Mr Webb’s contributions were not limited to building river boats, he was also an active member in the community.
In the 1870s he ran for the position of mayor and although unsuccessful, he participated in many political campaigns, including the push for the eight-hour day, during where he led parades through the streets of Echuca.
He also had a long-lasting involvement in the temperance movement of the 1870s, again leading marches as a Grand Templar and raising funds for a temperance hotel, which was eventually built and hosted alcohol-free events and dances.
Outside of political matters, he was a member of the Church of England in Echuca and greatly helped the nearby church mission for the local First Nations people as well as raising funds for the church.
Another paddle steamer built by Mr Webb, the PS Edwards. Photo: Supplied.
Mr Webb came to love the town and the river life and remained in Echuca until his death in 1915 at the age of 90 after contributing greatly to the development of the town.
His son, also John Webb, followed in his father’s footsteps and became a riverboat owner and captain.
He most notably acquired licences for river navigation for all three major rivers, which was a rare achievement at the time.
For a time, he also owned a local newspaper called the Echuca Record and a library.
Together with his son Cecil (Wicky) Webb, a famed Australian rules footballer, Captain John Webb also built the Banyula.
The Banyula was the last riverboat of the commercial age in Echuca in 1923, thus giving the family the achievement of having built the first and the last genuine riverboats of the golden age in Echuca.
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