Tom Brennan (barge) facts for kids

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The Tom Brennan (also called MV Tom Brennan) was a special type of boat called a barge. It was built in 1949 in South Australia. Its main job was to act as a ferry. It helped people and goods cross the Cooper Creek when it flooded. This creek is part of the famous Birdsville Track in the Far North region of South Australia. The Tom Brennan stopped being used as a ferry around 1960 or 1963. Since 1986, it has been a monument to remember its service. A famous mail carrier named Tom Kruse was one of the people who operated this barge.

Building the Tom Brennan

The Tom Brennan was built in early 1949. The South Australian Harbors Board constructed it. This happened because a company called Dalgety & Co. Ltd suggested the idea. They wanted a ferry to help people and goods cross the Cooper Creek. This crossing was known as the Kopperamana Crossing on the Birdsville Track. The ferry was especially needed when the creek flooded.

The barge was made of steel and had special airtight tanks. It was powered by a 4-horsepower outboard motor. The boat was named after Mr. T. R. Brennan. He was the Livestock Manager at Dalgety & Co. Ltd. He was the one who first thought of having a ferry service there.

The Barge's Working Life

The Tom Brennan was finished in May 1949. Dalgety & Co. Ltd sent it by train to Marree. There, Tom Kruse picked it up. Tom Kruse was the mail carrier for the area between Marree and Birdsville. The barge was used very often during its first three years. For example, in 1949, the "Copper Crossing was impassable for six months" due to floods.

The barge even appeared in a movie! It was featured in The Back of Beyond. This was a documentary made in 1954 by John Heyer. In the film, Tom Kruse used the Tom Brennan to move goods and a passenger across a flooded creek.

The Tom Brennan was replaced by a bigger boat. This happened in either 1960 or 1963. The new boat could carry both farm animals and vehicles. It was operated by a South Australian government department.

Where is the Tom Brennan Now?

As of 2016, the Tom Brennan is located in the Etadunna area. You can find it on the west side of the Birdsville Track. It is south of the Cooper Creek. It is said to be in a camping ground.

The South Australian Highways Department restored the barge in 1986. This was part of the celebrations for South Australia's 150th anniversary. It was officially made a monument later that year. A special plaque was also put in place. The plaque says:

M. V. Tom Brennan

This barge was presented to the settlers north of Cooper Creek by Dalgety and Company Ltd, in 1949 to ferry people, supplies and mail across flood waters and to assist drovers with the crossing of cattle on route to the Adelaide Market. Restored by the Highways Department of South Australia to commemorate the State's 150 Jubilee

Hon. G. R. Keneally, M. P. Minister of Transport South Australia

Mr. N. D. O'Brien, General Manager Dalgety Bennetts Farmers

The Tom Brennan is also listed as a shipwreck under the South Australian Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981. This means it is protected because of its history.