Reference numberLH000289DescriptionSunset, North Fremantle. The railway bridge is now on this location. The background is the present site of container births 11 and 12. Tilley launched hire boats in the foreground. Mr Alf E. Tilley came to W.A. in 1896 and set up as a boat builder (also built rowing boats). Later he established a boat letting business, his first sheds being near the site of the old convict (1866) bridge. When the traffic bridge was built in 1938 the sheds were removed further downstream. In 1905 he built his first launch the Rocket, which attended mail boats and was used for pleasure excursions. In the early days, many coal burning boats anchored in midstream to load coal from hulks which pulled in on both sides of the ship. The Rocket was employed between these ships running a service for passengers and lumpers to and from the wharf. Alf Tilley died in 1932 aged 65 and was succeeded by his son Harold. The company owned the Emerald from 1924 and the Zephyr from 1946. They also ran a number of launches which worked around the harbour and at weekends and evenings were hired for pleasure excursions: ie Dauntless(1914), Koala (1911), Sunbeam (1924), Invincible (1907) and the Ripple (1936). See: W.A.H.S. Journal and Proceedings Vol. 4 .Date1920PhotographerOrloff, A. Photograph FormatPhotographDigital ItemYes
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