With A Hiss And A Roar

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday August 8, 2008

David Berthon

The steam-powered Shearer may not have been the first Australian-made car but it is the only one from the 19th century still running.

For the most part, the 19th century was the era of steam. In so many ways, it drove the wheels and gears of the Industrial Revolution.

Above all, steam was relatively simple - you merely had to boil water to harness its energy. The mechanism required was relatively unsophisticated and of course there was no shortage of water or wood and coal to fuel the boiler.

By the 1880s, steam-powered ships, railroads and factories had transformed the world.

In the small South Australian river town of Mannum, it had also made its mark - the steam-powered paddle boats that plied the mighty Murray-Darling system had brought prosperity to its farming community.

The application of steam in road transport was much slower to develop. However, in Mannum by 1885, David Shearer laid the foundation of a very interesting steam carriage.

The Shearer's crude underpinnings betrayed its farming heritage yet it was built with little or no knowledge of automotive practice in other countries. All the more credit to the inventiveness of David Shearer and Sons was the use of rack-and-pinion steering (originally by tiller), pivoted stub axles in lieu of wagon-type steering and the action of a four-star differential on the off-side rear hub.

David Shearer himself designed the horizontal semi-flash type watertube boiler; the vertical two-cylinder engine weighing about 100 kilograms and developing 14.9 kilowatts was the work of his nephew, John Shearer. It propelled the 1.4-tonne vehicle to 25kmh while crude foot-operated spoon brakes struggled to find purchase on the large cart-like steel-rimmed wheels.

It was finally completed by the early part of 1899 and its first documented run was on June 5.

This remarkable piece of Australian automotive folklore was rescued in the 1950s in a derelict state from the site of the original Mannum works.

Presented by David Shearer's grandson, Peter, to the National Motor Museum at Birdwood, it was subsequently restored by veteran car enthusiasts from the Sporting Car Club of South Australia.

Preceded by the Thomson steam car and the kerosene-burning Pioneer, both built in Melbourne in 1897, the Shearer is the only Australian-made car from the 19th century still operational.

In 1985, I had brought Donald Campbell's 1964 land speed record car, the Bluebird, to Australia for a series of displays, one of which was at the National Motor Museum. I suggested to the museum curator that I would like to take the Shearer to Britain for the most famous veteran car rally in the world, the London to Brighton rally.

And it seemed only fitting to do it to coincide with Australia's Bicentennial. After considerable negotiation, I gained permission to do it from the History Trust of South Australia and, with the help of a few sponsors and a crew of three from the museum, the exercise became a reality.

The arrival of this rare Aussie car at Britain's National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, near Southampton, caused a real stir. After preparation, it was transported to London for the rally start.

To ensure a good steady flow of steam for our 7am start, it was essential to fire the boiler at 4.30am - here some fine Welsh steaming coal made available by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu was a significant boost to performance.

All went well for the first half of the day but the coarse road surfaces played havoc with the steel-rimmed wheels, which had dried out while on display at Birdwood.

Finally, a weakened nearside rear wheel prevented us from reaching the Brighton waterfront and the finish. But we managed to cover about 50 kilometres of the 92-kilometre course. Not bad when you consider the longest documented run for this car was in 1900 when David Shearer drove it 75 kilometres to Adelaide for demonstration at the Chamber of Manufactures Exhibition.

Driving the Shearer is not easy - its steering is surprisingly light and its ride, as with all high-wheelers, extremely comfortable but its worst feature is a lack of braking. The large spoon brakes are only minimally effective and then only at low speeds.

To improve braking, I nailed soft compound Pirelli tread on to the spoons - braking efficiency certainly improved although the smell of burning rubber was a little off-putting.

The reaction of the British public to this uniquely Australian car was one of sheer delight.

Perhaps it was best summed up by English motoring journalist Michael Worthington-Williams, who wrote: "My enduring memory of the Brighton run this year will be the 1899 Shearer Steam Carriage proceeding at glacial speed across Westminster Bridge, enveloped in clouds of steam, attended by the wickedest-looking bunch of Ned Kelly look-alikes I have ever encountered. This was quite a spectacle to view and went off with great gusto, leaving a steam trail which successfully confused all the entrants following."

The Shearer subsequently went on display at Britain's National Motor Museum alongside some very distinguished company, including Lord Montagu's 1899 four-cylinder 8.9-kilowatt Daimler, the first British car to race on the Continent and the first to carry British royalty.

BREATHE LIFE INTO STEAM

I was at the National Motor Museum on June 5, 1999, for the Shearer's Centenary Celebration - 100 years to the day when David Shearer made his first journey.

We left from the site of the old Shearer works at the same time of 12.15pm.

On board were David Shearer's grandchildren, Peter and his sister, Mary (Bidstrup), who were then both in their 80s. To authenticate the centenary run, the boiler was fired by mallee roots from the region.

The Shearer was by no means the last Australian steam car - others followed right up to the somewhat advanced Gvang of 1972. But despite the early commercial success overseas of makes such as Stanley and White before World War I, the steam car was all but forgotten by 1925.

Despite the moans of enthusiasts that the demise of steam cars was the work of Detroit and the oil cartels, it was the arrival of Cadillac's self-starter in 1912 that really signalled the end of the steamer. The steam car's slow starting procedure, especially from cold, had no place with motorists in a fast-moving new world.

These days the Shearer is in a special exhibit of Australian cars in the relatively new Pavilion at the Birdwood Museum. With its boiler needing attention and re-certification, it is currently inactive.

Donations to help maintain this magnificent example of early Australian motoring history are tax deductible and can be made to the National Motor Museum, Shearer Fund, Shannon Street, Birdwood, South Australia 5234.