History of Australian Reef Pilots

The Torres Strait sea route became a reality for commercial shipping in the early 1800s. Navigable passages through the Great Barrier Reef had been discovered by some of history's most famous naval explorers: Luis Torres, James Cook, William Bligh, Matthew Flinders and Charles Jeffreys. Naval surveyors followed: King, Blackwood, Yule, Stanley and others. Basic charts and sailing directions were soon available. The first to take advantage of this short cut to Asia were sailing ships from Sydney bound for China, Java or India. Unfortunately the confined, reef-strewn waters made navigation for sailing ships hazardous and often perilous.

NSW Governor King first suggested pilotage as a means of assisting ships through the Reef in 1805. Fifty years later several insurance underwriters concerned by the high level of casualties made the same recommendation. So did the British Admiralty. But several obstacles remained and a pilot service was still a long way off.

In 1865, a two-way steamship service commenced between Brisbane and Batavia, via Torres Strait. S.S.Souchays and her successor, the S.S.Hero, operated a regular mail service under charter to the Queensland Government. They were piloted through the Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef by 'officers of the Government service' - presumably naval officers. The first known commercial pilotage along the Queensland coast took place in 1872 when Captain Stuart, formerly master of the local trader Royal Duke, assisted the German immigrant ship Humbolt from Moreton Bay to Bowen.

Two years later, the newly-formed Eastern and Australian Mail Steamship Company introduced a steamer service between Australian ports and the Orient, via Torres Strait. Two shipmasters, Captains Peake and Hannah - both well experienced in Reef waters - were chosen to provide exclusive Barrier Reef pilotage services to E.& A. ships. Captain Peake performed the first documented full-length pilotage of the Queensland coast, from Brisbane to Torres Strait, on the inaugural voyage of S.S. Sun Foo.

Fortunately, by that time a European settlement in Torres Strait had been established. Somerset, tucked in behind Albany Island and close to the tip of Cape York, came into existence in 1864. Thirteen years later the Government administration moved to Thursday Island in the Prince of Wales Group. These were important developments for pilots, a base in Torres Strait being an essential prerequisite for an effective Barrier Reef pilotage service.

As E.& A.'s pioneering service expanded, steamers of other companies and nationalities began to use the route. Local knowledge became a commodity in strong demand. Men with Barrier Reef experience offered their services as pilots. Shipmasters fearful of a navigationally complex area still only sparsely charted and lacking navigational aids, snapped them up.

In 1884 the Marine Board of Queensland introduced regulations for the operation of a coast pilot service. They dealt with the issue of licenses to 'persons of approved competency', for the level of pilotage fees, and for other related matters. Six licenses were granted on 5th August that year. These men were the first of their profession - the forerunners of more than 120 in the ensuing century.

In October 1991 compulsory pilotage was proclaimed for the Inner Route between Cairns and Cape York, and also for Hydrographers Passage. All vessels of 70 metres length and over, and all tankers, LNG carriers and chemical tankers regardless of length, are now required to engage a pilot in the specified compulsory district.

In 1993 the federal government deregulated Queensland coastal pilotage, enabling competitive organisations to offer their services. The bulk of the licensed pilots formed the Queensland Coast and Torres Strait Pilots' Association. In December 1995 the group restructured and Australian Reef Pilots Ltd came into being. ARP upholds all the traditional pre-deregulation recruitment and training criteria, to ensure the highest ongoing standards of professional excellence. Only shipmasters with extensive experience in Barrier Reef waters can hope to become contracted to Australian Reef Pilots.

In September 1996 Australian Reef Pilots became the first sea/coast pilotage service in the world to be Quality Assured to ISO9002.

All ARP pilots are ever conscious of safety and of the environment. They are also keenly aware and proud of their role in maintaining the economic viability of one of the world's most valuable shipping channels.