["The Nor'-West Trade", The West Australian, Monday 19 March 1900, page 6]
THE NOR'-WEST TRADE.
ACTION BY THE ADELAIDE S.S. CO.
BULLARRA PLACED ON THE ROUTE.
To residents of the North and Nor'-West portions of the colony the steamer Albany had become an institution, so long had she plied between Fremantle and the northern ports. Now, however, to meet the demands of trade, the Albany has had to give way to the much larger steamer Ballarra, which on Wednesday will leave Fremantle for Wyndham and other ports. To celebrate the opening of the new service the Adelaide Steamship Company on Saturday afternoon gave a luncheon on board the Bullarra, lying at the South Quay, Fremantle. Between 40 and 50 gentlemen were present, including the Premier (Sir John Forrest), the Colonial Secretary (Mr. C. George Randell), Messrs. E. Solomon, M.L.A. (Mayor of Fremantle); Alex. Forrest, M.L.A. (Mayor of Perth); A. B. Kidson, M.L.C.; J. J. Higham, M.L.A.; J. J. Holmes, M.L.A.; Frank Connor, M.L.A; and D. J. Doherty, M.L.A. Mr. W. E. Moxon, manager for the Adelaide Steamship Company in Western Australia, occupied the chair. Mr. M. L. Moss proposed "The Mercantile Interests of Western Australia" In doing so, he said that he desired to heartily congratulate the Adelaide Steamship Company upon their enterprise in placing such a magnificent steamer as the Bullarra on the Nor'-West trade, and he also desired to congratulate Captain O. Odman (formerly of the Albany) upon his succession to the new command.
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[long succession of toasts and responses reported; not transcribed]
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Mr. W. E. Moxon responded. He said that the mail service to the North-West of Western Autralia was the most arduous mail contract in Australia. This would he understood when he stated that the old liner Albany, which had grown old with the colony and in her service, had under contract for many years past journeyed 2,914, say 3,000 miles, to Derby and back every 20 days, and called at 18 ports during the time, waited at them, landed and loaded cargoes, and in the next trip had in 26 days had travelled 4,000 miles to Wyndham and back, and called at 19 diferent ports, subject to delay by tides whose velocity was a mill race, delays through dangerous reefs on a practically unlighted coast, injuries by cyclones which carried away and demolished towns, altered navigable channels and destroyed leading marks, while the steamer groped along a dark coast day or night, fine or thick, calling at ports, roadsteads, where work was sometimes impossible and delays were frequent, yet a zealous State official expected the ship to leave on her next trip up on time. Such had been the work of the Albany,..
