Popeye (boat) facts for kids
The Popeye boats are a famous group of motor launches that take people on fun trips along Torrens Lake in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. These boats are known as one of Adelaide's top attractions for tourists!
A Look Back: Popeye's History
The very first Popeye boat was built in 1935 by Harold Lounder for Gordon Stanley Watts. Gordon was a veteran from the Gallipoli Campaign. This first boat was about 7.6 meters long and could carry up to 20 passengers. It was so popular that people loved waiting for it!
Because of how much people loved the first boat, a second one called Miss Centenary was bought in 1939. This boat used to give cruises in Glenelg. But kids still preferred the original Popeye! So, Gordon Watts renamed the second boat Popeye II.
Later, three bigger boats were built in Port Adelaide. These new boats were about 11.6 meters long and could carry 40 passengers each. They were named Popeye 3, Popeye 4, and Popeye 5. These boats traveled between Elder Park and the Adelaide Zoo. Besides their regular trips on weekends and holidays, the Popeye boats could also be hired for special events like weddings or birthday parties.
Gordon Watts, the original skipper, had a special tradition. If there were many children on board, he would ask, "Anyone's birthday today?" If a child said yes, they got to steer the boat! Other skippers included Harold Lounder, who built the first boat, and Roland "Sunny" Grey.
In 1962, Keith Altmann, who owned a restaurant nearby, took over the Popeye business. Then, in 1982, three brand new boats were launched. These were made of fibreglass and replaced the older wooden ones. The new boats were called Popeye I, Popeye II, and Popeye III. The Prime Minister of Australia at the time, Malcolm Fraser, even helped launch them!
After owning the business for 49 years, Keith Altmann sold it in 2011 to Tony and Lidija Shuman. The Shumans already ran other boat and bike hire businesses in the area.
Popeye's Awards and Recognition
The Popeye boats have received some special awards over the years:
- In 1988, Popeye won the South Australian Tourism Award. This means it was recognized as a great place for tourists to visit.
- In 2011, the business was named a State Heritage Icon. This is a special list of important companies in South Australia. Other famous items on this list include the Balfours frog cake, the Hills Hoist clothesline, Haigh's Chocolates, and Coopers Brewery.
Memorable Moments with Popeye
The Popeye boats have been part of many interesting events:
- In 1938, students from Prince Alfred College hired Popeye to celebrate winning a big rowing race against St. Peter's College.
- In 1942, Popeye helped the police deal with a problem. They used the boat to help control a large number of birds called cormorants that were bothering the lake's swans.
- In 1947, children from the Adelaide Children's Hospital were given a special boat ride on Popeye to celebrate their center's first birthday.
- In 1951, two Popeye boats were used as floating stages for a concert. Four choirs from Adelaide performed for the state's jubilee celebration.
- In 1958, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother took a tour of the lake on Popeye 5. As she passed, 200,000 people sang a song for her!
- In 1977, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip rode on Popeye 5 during their visit to South Australia. Another Popeye boat followed with a choir singing.
- In 1982, the Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, officially launched the three new Popeye boats that replaced the older wooden ones.
