Mildura Paddle Steamers is as iconic to Sunraysia as its quality produce and year-round sunshine. Company founders, Captain Alby Pointon and his wife Freda, brought the Mundoo to the region 20 years ago, adding it to their already established portfolio of vessels. Last weekend the Mundoo marked the occasion with a celebratory jazz cruise along the Murray. Alby and Freda’s granddaughter, Ashton Kreuzer, spoke with Danielle Wilcock about the Mundoo’s celebration but also offered a delightful insight to her grandparents’ humbling story.
THE PV Mundoo was built in 1987, in Goolwa, South Australia, by Jack Veenstra and his family-owned company.
In December 1999, Alby and Freda bought the Mundoo from the Veenstra family.
Their granddaughter Ashton explains the purchase was not planned nor was intended.
“My grandfather or Pa went down to the auction with my uncle Chris Pointon,” she says. “They wanted to go and see who would be purchasing the vessel, mostly out of curiosity but also to see if anyone from the region purchased it.
“I guess you can say that it was to scope out for competition as the Mundoo was different to the vessels they already had.
“When they got to the wharf there were about 200-300 people for the auction.”
Alby and Freda were directors of the Mildura Paddle Steam company they founded in 1955, until their passing in recent years.
They commandeered several paddle steamers in more than six decades of ownership, including the well-known Melbourne and Rothbury.
The Mundoo, should it have arrived in the region all those years ago, would have proved great competition for the company.
It was unique because it had a large function room, and would make for a perfect venue vessel.
“Upon leaving the wharf they had to walk past the Mundoo, my uncle Chris said to Pa, ‘shall we have one last look at the engine’?”
There was keen interest in the Mundoo from at least three other parties but the owners didn’t want to sell, it seemed, to just anyone.
It was a conversation between the then owners and Alby that changed the course of the vessel’s future.
“The previous owners spoke to my Pa and expressed their desire to not let it sell to just anyone,” Ashton says. “They passed Pa and Chris the keys and asked them to go through the hull and have a good look around.”
The former owners wanted for their beloved vessel to fall in good hands.
“They offered the sale pretty much exclusively to my Pa for the same price it passed in at auction,” Ashton explains.
“But he explained to the owners that it was something they hadn’t planned for and would need to think hard about, it was a big commitment”
Not only was it a huge financial commitment, but Alby knew this was a decision that he couldn’t make alone. He had to consult “the boss”.
“My Pa knew that he had to go home and speak with his wife” Ashton says. “They were a team, everything they did together.
Alby was keen on the idea, given it was a vessel he didn’t have to restore and it would allow the business to offer a boat for functions and events.
Alby’s delivery of the news to his beloved wife Freda was comical but reinforced the strength of relationship they shared.
“He got home from his trip and he went into the kitchen where my grandmother was cooking,” Ashton explains.
“He said, ‘Dear we’ve just bought another paddle steamer!”
Her response “…..”
On December 5, 1999, the PV Mundoo departed from Goolwa and undertook the epic 888km cruise up the Murray River to Mildura, cruising at an average speed of 8km/h.
The Mundoo arrived in Mildura on December 16.
Soon after its arrival, Alby and his son Chris found the engine was not quite cutting it.
The original boiler and engine combination installed in the sizeable Mundoo was unable to privy the necessary power on a then fast flowing Murray River.
“The decision was made to remove the steam engine and replace it with a diesel hydraulic engine in March 2001,” Ashton says.
“It was the first diesel engine my Pa had ever installed. It was able to split the paddle wheels and was more economical to run.”
Last Sunday, the family and its staff held a celebratory jazz cruise to mark the 20-year anniversary of the Mundoo’s arrival in Mildura.
“We want it to be a celebration of the Mundoo itself and how iconic it’s been to the region,” Ashton says.
“We have had people travel here from Sydney amongst other places to have a wedding here on the Mundoo. It’s been an icon for destination weddings.
“But we also wanted the event to celebrate what Ma and Pa had achieved. We just wished they were here to celebrate with us.”
Alby and Freda moved to Mildura in the early 50s, bringing with them an immense passion for boats, in particular paddle steamers.
“They decided to relocate here from Port Augusta, South Australia, mostly because of my Uncle Robert’s allergies,” Ashton says.
“They were also offered good deal for the deli they owned in Port Augusta. It was a swap for a houseboat and their first paddle seamer, the Donald Duck, here on the Murray.”
The Donald Duck was their first foray into the paddle steam business.
They fell in love with their way of life and Alby’s passion for the mechanics and restoration of boats really took hold.
Alby had extensive experience with maritime boats and worked on both boats and planes. Ashton relays a direct quote from her grandfather.
“Boats and planes are very very similar in operating, maintenance and repair, I like that sort of work,” she says.
Without the couple’s will and determination, the mighty Murray River and its plethora of tourists might never have had the opportunity to experience the antiquity and charm of the Rothbury, the Melbourne and of course the Mundoo.
Alby and Freda raised three children on the river, on their houseboat, the Isabel, moored not far from the Mildura Marina.
Their children, Robert, Lyn and Chris grew up on this houseboat, exposed to the river way of life.
“They were raised on the boat, on the water,” Ashton says.
“As children, they used to help their mother make the lunches for the Donald Duck and Mayflower tours, while their dad captained the boat.
They bought The Mayflower after selling the Donald Duck for practical means.
Their business had grown and a demand for a larger vessel was imminent.
In 1965, Alby and Freda bought their first substantial paddle steam vessel, The Melbourne.
It took a few years for Alby to restore it but restore it he did.
“My Pa would travel from Mildura to Echuca where the Melbourne was purchased,” Ashton says.
“He would travel whenever he could, using profits from the Mayflower cruises to restore the boat.”
On January 1, 1966, it embarked on its maiden cruise on the Murray.
Ashton explains: “The Mayflower could only hold 45 passengers whereas the Melbourne held over 300 passengers.
“In order to remain economical on days where the passenger size was in between, they needed an intermediate boat.”
As a result, Alby and Freda went on to sell the Mayflower in 1968 and shortly after bought their second substantial paddle vessel: The Rothbury.
“It was a hard sell for them, as the Mayflower held sentimental value and what hurt him most was seeing its demise after he sold it, but they both knew it as the right thing to do,” Ashton says.
After buying the Rothbury in 1968 Alby restored it and the vessel underwent its first cruise 10 years later.
The PV Rothbury, PV Melbourne and the Mundoo are all intrinsically linked to the Sunraysia region, and have been an integral part of the tourism scene.
The Mundoo itself held both Alby and Freda’s 90th birthdays before their passing and provided many a good time for the entire family.
Over 60 years ago, Alby and Freda undisputedly initiated a great business idea, one that’s flourished and has endured many years of success.
The Mildura Paddle Steamers runs various cruises on the Murray.
All information can be found on its website, www.mildurapaddlesteamers.com.
