Hiawatha
The pages of the majestic 50-foot crafts visitors’ books, particularly
through nearly 40 years as the corporate warhorse for The West
Australian, read more like a chronological Who’s Who of international
society than a ship’s log. After Lord Louis Mountbatten, The Duke of
Edinburgh, John Howard, Sammy Davis Jr. After him, Elle Macpherson.
One can only wonder what deals were plotted on board by feared
corporate raider Robert Holmes à Court when he owned the
newspaper and the boat, through Bell Resources, in 1987. The same
can be said for businessman Alan Bond, who took over a year later.
Hiawatha was built in Sydney by the now-famous Halvorsen Brothers,
who were based in Bobbin Head, north of Sydney in 1939. Built for
32
the Winterbottom family, the days as a pleasure boat were short lived,
with the Royal Australian Navy commandeering her during World War
II as an auxiliary patrol boat.
Back in their heyday, Halvorsens were the ultimate in luxury lifestyle,
described by some as “a Gentleman’s Motor Launch”. They were
designed and built initially for the Sydney champagne set that
liked to cruise the Hawkesbury and Harbour. However, they were
so successful they eventually sold all over Australia and even into
America, tending to be intrinsically linked to the history of highprofile Australian owners like John Laws and Paul Keating.