AGY-3519 | Shipping Master's Office

Full description

The Shipping Master’s Office was established under section 3 of the Water Police Act 1853 (17 Vic No.36).(1) The Act repealed sections of previous Acts responsible for the regulation of seamen and water police, and provided for the establishment of a Shipping Office, and the appointment of a Shipping Master at Sydney and other ports.(2) The Water Police Act of 1853 received its assent on 31 October 1853 and Thomas Venour was appointed the first Shipping Master at Sydney on 1 January 1854.(3) The Shipping Master’s Office consisted of Vernour, the Deputy Shipping Master, one 2nd class clerk, one 3rd class clerk, an Inspector and Examiner of Seamen, and two messengers. Also on 1 January 1854, a Shipping Office was established at Newcastle and Charles Seaver was appointed Shipping Master.(4) Subsequently, an office was established and a Shipping Master appointed for Brisbane and Moreton Bay. The Shipping Master was responsible for the superintendence of arriving and departing vessels, especially the registration of crew. This included approving and keeping a record of a seamen’s employment when employed by the master or owner of a vessel. A seaman was required to produce for the Shipping Master a register ticket and the certificate of discharge from his last service (if any) as a seaman or apprentice to the sea.(5) The Shipping Master was not permitted to sanction employment if the ticket or certificate was not produced, or there was an unsatisfactory reason why they could not be produced. If the Shipping Master was satisfied with the explanation as to why the papers could not be produced, he could issue a new register ticket to the seaman. The Shipping Master could issue register tickets to those being employed as seamen for the first time if their previous work experience demonstrated a capacity for the work.(6) When the master or owner of a vessel employed seamen for a voyage, the Shipping Master was required by the Water Police Act of 1853 to read and explain the articles of agreement between the seaman and master or owner of a vessel. Once explained, the article of agreement would be signed in duplicate by both parties in the presence of the Shipping Master who would retain one copy and give the second copy to the ship’s master.(7) When being discharged from service, seamen were required to present themselves with the ship’s master to the Shipping Master to register their discharge. There were financial penalties on the ship’s master if they did not comply with these provisions of the Act.(8) Venour was also appointed to sanction the discharge of seamen in New South Wales under the 46th section of “An Act to amend and consolidate the laws relating to Merchant Seamen, and for keeping a Register of Seamen” passed by the Imperial Parliament 7th and 8th Victoria cap.112.(9) The master of every vessel (other than coastal traders) was required to deliver to the Shipping Master a list of crew and passenger names. Many of the functions undertaken by the Shipping Master were previously performed by a number of individuals, including the master of each vessel and Police Magistrates.(10) On 1 March 1922, Nicholas Jones was appointed Shipping Master of Sydney to conduct on behalf of the State, Intra-State shipping work. Jones was a Superintendent of Mercantile Marine. The appointment was made on the recommendation of the Public Service Board and with the concurrence of the Commonwealth Government.(11) Also appointed on this day were a Shipping Master at Newcastle and Deputy Shipping Masters at Sydney and Newcastle. The Commonwealth Government took over the main duties of the Shipping Master in 1923, with the remaining duties becoming the responsibility of the Superintendent of the Navigation Department.(12) From this time, the Shipping Master’s Office ceased to exist as an administrative unit. ENDNOTES
1. The full title of the Act was: An Act to amend the Laws relating to the engagement, discharge and desertion of Seamen and for the regulation of Seamen’s Lodging-houses and for the better management of the Water Police Department.
2. The 1853 Act repealed the following: Sections 1-6, and 8 of 11 Vic No.23, sections of 13 Vic No.28 relating to certificates of seamen’s discharges and their register tickets, and sections 5, 14-16 of the Water Police Act 4 Vic No17, and its subsequent amending Act.
3. NSW Government Gazette, 3 January 1854, No.1, p2. Prior to his appointment as Sydney’s Shipping Master, Thomas Vernour was the 1st Clerk and Clerk of Petty Sessions for the Police service in Sydney.
4. loc. cit.
5. Water Police Act 1853 (17 Vic No.36), section 5.
6. ibid., section 7.
7. loc. cit.
8. ibid., sections 11 and 12.
9. NSW Government Gazette, 17 January 1854, No.7, p119.
10. The main legislation relating to seamen prior to the Water Police Act 1853 (17 Vic No.36) were the Seamen and Water Police Act 1840 (4 Vic No.17), and the Regulation of Seamen Act 1843 (7 Vic No.21).
11. NSW Government Gazette, No.60, 7 April 1922, p2212.
12. Concise Guide to the State Archives (S-Y): Shipping Master’s Office