October 2026
Please enjoy our next report on the restoration of this historic steamship John Oxley.
INTERNATIONAL VISITORS
Last month we hosted visits from the International Congress of Maritime Museums, this year’s conference held at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Our guests arrived via steamship Lady Hopetoun and then toured our site, Sydney ferry Kanangra, and our John Oxley. Delegates were from such museums as Mystic Seaport, South Street Seaport Museum, the Estonian Maritime Museum and our own Australian National Maritime Museum. Our guests on this day were amazed at the work we had carried out on our veteran steamship.
Image shows delegates from the conference “down below” in John Oxley’s engine room.
ENGINEERING - UPTAKES
The path to steam continues and John Oxley’s engineering team and fabricators are working hard here. Images show the smokeboxes on the port boiler fabricated and attached along with new smokebox doors. Insulation will follow. The ducting that takes hot gases from the boilers up to a combining box just under the inner funnel is also underway.
There is a space between the inner and outer funnels - This keeps the outer funnel cool plus acts as an effective vent to draw out hot air from the boiler room. A new requirement will be to shut off this space in the event of a fire - This requires fire flaps with heat fuses that will drop down and shut off ventilation in the event of a fire in the boiler room.
Images show the smokeboxes and burner units mounted to the port boiler. Smokeboxes are also installed on the starboard boiler. 6 new Weishaupt burners and fuel systems are also installed - Next comes a combining box to take all of the uptake passages, and then the inner funnel.
Image shows new Weishaupt burners plus smokeboxes installed
HULL WORK
Needlegunning, descaling, and painting has been taking place down in the bilges - This work is not easy, but is essential. Work here is necessary before fuel tanks go back in. Special thanks to our descalers and painters. Next task is the insides of the chain locker.
HOT RIVETING
All the gear being collected and pneumatic riveting guns checked out, lubricated and tested. As mentioned before, we have about 480 rivets to drive and these are a mix of ⅝” and ¾” sizes. It is essential to carry out this riveting work to complete the ship and to ensure that the skill set of hot riveting is continued. Many of these rivets are in the hull but above the main deck, which means that many contribute to the strength of the hull.
Join our riveting team? Are you keen on becoming a rivet cooker, passer, holder upper or riveter? To join, please email johnoxley@shf.org.au.
ANCHORS AND CHAIN
We are excited to report a significant donation of two anchors and anchor chain - More on where these came from later, but this is a huge saving to our project. The two Hall pattern anchors are not new and are of traditional appearance. The stud link chain came with the anchors and also matches John Oxley’s original anchors chain as the comparison photograph shows. The chain fits the gypsies on our steam windlass.
Image shows one of the donated anchors plus chain - Needs a rust bust, but in sound condition
WINDLASS
Our original cast iron bedplate and side frames need replacing following damage - The main bedplate and side frame castings have been remade in steel weldments and the original steam cylinders, crankshaft and drive shafts are being returned. A milestone has been the lowering of the main shaft with clutches and chain gypsies into place for a trial fit. The positioning of this shaft is critical as it must mesh with a vertical drive worm. Some more welding of attachments will follow. More on this part of the project will follow.
Brian and Tim assembling John Oxley’s steam windlass
PAINTERS aND PAINTING
Our painting crews are continuing work in the main bunker space down in the bilges. This is essential work as new fuel tanks will be installed over their rustproofing. Other team members are painting inside the boiler room and also out on the main deck. Other painters are working on the main deck and above, plus in the boiler room. This work is essential and we need people with painting skills to help out here.
Stuart crewed our ship back in 1970 and continues today as one of our regular painters
TEAK AND VARNISHING
Ships from John Oxley’s time had many teak skylights, doors and door surrounds, and this highly attractive feature involves a lot of sanding and varnishing. We need to build our teams here to keep up with the work, plus some of our wood finishing people have shifted over to engineering. Can you help here? See below link to join up.
Port skylight expertly revarnished and installed by Gordon
ELECTRICIANS
Work continues on roughing in power and lighting circuits as well as providing power for the new boiler burner control panels - Additional electricians are sought plus people who can assist with fitting of cable trays and associated metalwork. Our electricians here are doing a huge amount of work on wiring up new control panels and switchboards, and in running power cables.
Electrician Paul wiring up boiler control panel
Two Lifeboats
Our veteran steamship does not have her original lifeboats, so for proper display fit out, we would need to build two new clinker planked boats at an estimated cost of over $50K - Obviously outside funds available… but then we were offered two very suitable lifeboats from the 1939 tug Lyttelton II, then sadly being scrapped. This generous donation solved our two lifeboats problem and also preserves a part of Lyttleton II on board John Oxley. These two boats have been stored for some time - One has recently been moved to our workshop where Wednesday volunteers are removing ancient layers of hardened paint and then getting the planking ready for paint.
1930s clinker lifeboats were once common on ships, but are now rare
YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE NEW JOHN OXLEY WEBSITE
Our steamship has had its website for many years, but we were having age related problems that no amount of coding could solve. Our office people came to the rescue and have completely rewritten our site. Thanks for this plus the new website management software is much easier for us to maintain. See www.johnoxley.org.au
FUNDS SOUGHT (ALWAYS)
“Dirty hands and money!” really does sum up what keeps this heritage restoration project going. Every week we rely on the funds that supply steel, timber, paint, and consumables.
Money, materials and consumables - Can you help here? Your donation or discount will directly push John Oxley’s restoration ahead - Please click on Sponsors — John Oxley
Donations of materials vary - We have been seeking a cast iron clawfoot bath for the pilots’ washroom over on the starboard side - Again, no budget for items like this - Just wait and see what turns up. One of our volunteers Ian spied a suitable bath and brought it down. It does need refinishing, but this bath is of ideal type and size.
VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our restoration:
Fabricators and welders — If you can cut, grind, weld, or you want to learn alongside experienced hands, we need you. The fabrication crew is flat‑out and extra hands and minds will make a real difference.
Fitters — We’re expanding our repair and installation team. If you’ve worked with machinery, piping, valves, pumps or mechanical systems, you’ll slot straight in.
Painters & Finishers — The workload is big and brightwork doesn’t shine itself. If you can paint, prep, sand or varnish, we’d love your help.
DIYers — If you’re handy and like solving practical problems, there’s a place for you here.
Woodworkers — We’re fitting out compartments and rebuilding joinery. Whether you’re a cabinetmaker, a hobbyist, or simply confident with timber, there’s meaningful work waiting.
Future crew - We look to be raising steam quite soon - Do you have engineering qualifications? Deck qualifications? Or just want to become part of this exciting stage in John Oxley’s restoration?
Main working days: Saturdays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
To join in: Click on Volunteers — John Oxley
John Oxley Team
Sydney Heritage Fleet
E: johnoxley@shf.org.au | Web: www.shf.org.au
Gate 4, James Craig Rd Rozelle, NSW 2039
Wharf 7. 58 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont, NSW 2009
“Help keep the Fleet Afloat by making a Bequest”
Sydney Heritage Fleet - A volunteer organisation since 1965, proud winner of local, national and international awards for excellence.
Sydney Heritage Fleet is a signatory to the Statement of Principles for the Recognition of Volunteers.
Donations to the Fleet of $2 or more are tax deductible.