St John's River, Sydney Turner and the Lady Wood

 

St John's River: Eastern Gate from Wharf

 

The Lady Wood

This vessel was built at Greenwich in 1882, the brain-child of Natal pioneer, Sydney Turner. At first a great success, the coastal trade as far as Mozambique which Turner initially built up, dwindled and he eventually considered selling her. Later her name was changed to Neves Ferreira. After she had her name changed she was given iron plates - armoured for the 1894/95 war in South Mozambique. 

Acknowledgements: R Gens                                                 

 

                                                                  Sidney Turner

 

Portrait of a Pioneer, The Letters of Sydney Turner from South Africa 1864-1901, ed. Daphne Child, Macmillan SA, Johannesburg 1980. The original letters are held in the Local History Museum, Durban, Natal.