It Happened on the Hawkesbury – Sunday 20th October

Featuring stories of the MV Krait a former Japanese fishing vessel that played a pivotal role in Operation Jaywick—an audacious military mission to sabotage enemy shipping in Japanese-occupied Singapore harbor. Maritime archaeologist Stirling Smith looks at the historical background of Operation Jaywick and discusses why Operation Jaywick was so successful and what were some of the unforeseen consequences of the raid. Along the waterways, he points out the location of the secret training ‘Camp X’ specifically constructed to train the Jaywick operatives and shares stories of some of the gruelling training regime operatives were put through. Adding to this, actor Chris Haywood brings the drama to life by reading from the radio diaries of Horace Young, the leading telegraphist on board the Krait.

Plus stories from the Lucinda – a Queensland government steam yacht used by a select group of influential men of the colony to draft the Australian constitution in 1891.  Essayist Elizabeth Farrelly delves into the story of that Easter weekend aboard the luxurious Lucinda as it steamed about the lower reaches of the Hawkesbury River, visiting Brooklyn, anchoring at Refuge Bay and the Basin. Dr Shireen Morris presents this important moment in Australia’s history from the unique perspective of a constitutional lawyer highlighting key themes of the era and reimagining the constitutional discussions that took place. 

On 20th October, we’ll be travelling around Broken Bay aboard a classic timber vessel the MV Clarence Head. She started life as a bomb scow and ammunition barge for the RAAF, worked the Newcastle Stockton ferry run in 1947 as Edith Walter before heading to the Clarence River in 1986.  Since 2021 she has enjoyed her days cruising broken bay!

Don’t miss this riveting exploration of maritime and military history on our river cruises on 20 October. Read more and tickets at www.heritageventures.com.au/hawkesbury