This is the story of the history and restoration of the John Oxley so far, of what is destined to be the last seagoing coastal steamer in the world.



It is a tribute to the support of our donors, industry sponsors and the ingenuity, resourcefulness and remarkable engineering aptitude of the volunteers.



The 168 feet, 760 Tons, John Oxley launched in 1927 was commissioned and built to ply the Queensland coast as a pilot and buoy vessel. A rare example of this workhorse design, she served her purpose for far longer than planned, with the stoic reliability expected of her.



Acquired by the Sydney Heritage Fleet in 1970, in-keeping with their charter to preserve and operate working vessels intrinsic to Australian maritime history. She was taken out of the water in 1997. The vast and substantial task of restoration started in 2002.



This richly illustrated book charts the history of the ship and the progress made, as her restoration continues. Included are many images of the volunteers and restoration.