Details of those to have served aboard Gayundah have proved difficult to locate.
The following information has been distilled primarily from an article “The Queensland Naval Forces” published in the 14th October 1899 edition of ‘The Queenslander’.
The Queensland Marine Defence Force comprised of three elements: Staff, Permanent Marine Force, and Naval Brigade.
Staff
Delivery Crew - sailed Gayundah from Britain to Australia
Captain: Captain Henry Townley Wright R.N.
First Lieutenant: Lieutenant Hesketh R.N. (ret.)
Navigator: Lieutenant Williams R.N.
Chief Engineer: Nicholson R.N. (ret.)
At the time of the ‘mutiny’ aboard Gayundah:
Captain Henry Townley Wright.
First Lieutenant, Francis Pringle Taylor.
Once Blue Ensign was re-hoisted (following "mutiny") – command passed to Lieutenant Taylor and in due course to Captain Walton Drake (appointed Commander 1889, Acting Naval Commandant 1892. Drake was a descendant of Admiral Drake of Spanish Armada fame).
Staff-Paymaster Edward Vincent Pollock. (Appointed 1886 as Paymaster and Secretary to the Naval Commandant. In 1889 became Staff Paymaster – a position still held in 1899).
At time Gayundah recommissioned in December of 1898,
The Queenslander newspaper makes mention of the following crew:
Captain Drake
Staff Paymaster E.V. Pollock
Lieutenant Beresford (officer / instructor to the Naval Corps)
Lieutenant Curtis (Navigating lieutenant)
Staff Surgeon W. Kebbell
J. Grady (Warrant Officer)
J. Dole (?) artificer/engineer (boatswain)
A. Malcolm (?) (chief petty officer)
W. Greaves (gunnery instructor)
H.J. May (quartermaster and yeoman of signals)
W. Foster (quartermaster)
W. Lewis (quartermaster)
E. Morley (torpedo coxswain)
J. Collins, W.H.J. Morry, W. Nell (?) and W. Malcolm. (leading stokers)
Other officers on staff at Brisbane in 1899:
Naval Storekeeper H.B. Miles (also a torpedo instructor).
Permanent Marine Force
The Permanent Marine Force served as officers and crew of the Gayundah. The personnel of the gunboat (in 1899) being a skeleton crew of 26 just sufficient for the working of the ship.
Originally officers and crew were in the Imperial Navy but drew their pay from the Queensland Government.
Naval Brigade
The Naval Brigade has 4 corps – Brisbane, Maryborough, Townsville and Cairns.
Eligibility criteria:
Age: 18 to 50
Minimum Height: 5ft 4in.
Minimum chest measurement: 33in.
Members of the Queensland Marine Defence Force.
Names of Individuals not known by author.
Copyright: Details unknown.
Officers and Crew of the Gayundah circa 1898.
Lt. Curtis, Capt. Drake, Lt. Beresford.
Reference: Queenslander 10.12.1898. p.1129
Copyright: John Oxley Library, Negative #3009
I encourage you to browse through the following pages, which contain some fascinating information regarding the men who crewed Gayundah at various times.
Delivery Crew
(sailed Gayundah from Britain to Australia)
Captain: Captain Henry Townley Wright R.N.
First Lieutenant: Lieutenant Hesketh R.N. (ret.)
Navigator: Lieutenant Williams R.N.
Chief Engineer: Nicholson R.N. (ret.)
Other known crew
Frederick James CLARKE (also known as "Jildie")
Henry George ELSTON (or Elstone)
Help Wanted
William George Grant
A member of the Townsville Naval Brigade, however we are unsure whether he was ever a member of the Gayundah crew. Please click on the link for furthe rinformation. William George GRANT
Jack Barrow
Ross Robertson beleives his great-grandfather Jack Barrow was in the Queensland Navy serving on the Gayundah later on the tugs Boko and Forceful ending up on the Maid of Sker.
Does anyone out there have any information which might help confirm any of this?
? Marshall
Derek Marshall (and I ) would like to know if anyone has information on the original crew of the Gayundah that brought the ship out from the UK. His father’s grandfather (Marshall) was apparently on board.