In a milestone event for the heritage-listed PS Oscar W, Alexandrina Council has signed three leases with the Friends of the Oscar W to formally hand over the day-to-day operations of the historic paddle steamer.

The Friends of the Oscar W is an incorporated body of multi-skilled volunteers who maintain, operate and crew this steam-powered, wood-fired paddle steamer.

It was originally built for river trade in 1908 and is now a council-owned asset.

The Friends have operated the paddle steamer and a portion of the historic Goolwa Wharf Shed as a riverboat tourism centre under a Joint Venture Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the council since 2010.

On Thursday 18 July, the Friends and the council formalised a 10-year lease for the Lease, Operation and Maintenance Agreement of the PS Oscar W Vessel.

They also signed a 10-year lease for the operation of the ‘Wood Yard’ at the Goolwa Community Precinct to manage the wood for the vessel and a five- year lease to operate the new ‘Goolwa Riverboat Centre’ being built in a portion of the Goolwa Wharf Shed currently under restoration.

“This is a momentous milestone for the Friends and for Council,” says Mayor Keith Parkes.

“We’ve been working with the Friends since 2023 to transition management from a Memorandum of Understanding arrangement with Council to a leasing arrangement.

“Having leases in place provides greater security for all parties on the management of the PS Oscar W.

“The Friends have greater clarity and autonomy in managing the Oscar W and their holistic business operations with more independence than is offered under an MOU and Council has more clarity regarding our financial involvement and risk management.

“Council will be responsible for operating costs such as insurance and surveying as well as providing modest marketing and tourism support.

“The Friends will be responsible for the daily operations of the Oscar W, mooring, managing the loading and unloading of wood and other items, repairs, tour bookings, recording keeping and volunteer management.

“We look forward to working with the Friends to keep the history of the Oscar W and the riverport heritage of Goolwa and the Lower Lakes alive and well in

our region.”

Friends of the Oscar President George Kaiser says his committee has been involved with the operations of the 116-year-old paddle steamer for 35 years.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our many members, including some of our long-standing members Dave Finnie, Errol Thorp, Dennis Borchardt and of course our patron Roly Bartlett. 

“Without their involvement in the restoration of the Oscar W, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

“We’re looking forward to working together and the future with the new Riverboat Centre. We thank Council for the contribution they have made to make it the best Riverboat Centre in South Australia.”

At its July meeting Alexandrina Council also endorsed the Friends of Oscar W design for the fit-out of the historic Wharf Shed to create the Riverboat Centre and Workshop.

This project will deliver a state-of-the-art audio-visual presentation, bringing Goolwa’s Riverport history to life. 

The council also endorsed the Friends of Oscar W’s business plan for 2024/25, illustrating a plan targeting increased revenue to become less reliant on council funding.