Believe it or Not: The Bill Ripley Story was published in 2020. It is a two-volume publication and online copy kindly provided by Stuart Ripley, grandson of Bill Ripley.

Summary of Publication:-

Bill Ripley was born on the roof of his parent's house on Hexham Island during the 1893 Hunter River floods. Raised in a fishing family and educated to basically read, write and add up he was withdrawn from school at age 8 to join the family business. While a youth, Bill worked as a fisherman with his father along the Hunter and Williams Rivers and the waterways from Tea Gardens. He settled in the village in 1916 where he was engaged as deckhand on the local store boats. Bill demonstrated aptitude as a seaman and possessed flair for professional sculling.

Professional sculling was one of the nation’s principal sports, at times commanding crowds of up to 100,000, and while scullers raced for prizes up to £1000 (a weekly wage ranged between £2 and £4), it was betting on events where the real money was made. Thus, in March 1911, Bill Ripley, an unheralded Hexham 17-year-old, defeated the world’s best scullers securing a double-figure plunge for the family ‘stable’ when he won the £100 Parramatta Hundred Handicap in Sydney. Bill combined work and sport successfully gaining his Harbour Master’s Certificate and in 1916 winning the State heavy-boat championship, on the Hunter River, from Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame luminary Ben Thoroughgood. Bill, as well, was earmarked a ‘coming world champion’.

Deemed medically unfit for WWI, Bill overcame the stigma and cowardice tag (white-feathered) by achieving the merit of ship’s captain. He piloted the Tea Gardens trading and cargo steamer Coweambah traveling in all weathers Port Stephens and bi-weekly to Newcastle delivering freight and supplies to the numerous villages and settlers of the region providing a lifeline to isolated communities.

In 1920, returning to sculling, Bill won the State outrigger championship making him the first sculler to hold both State heavy-boat and outrigger titles. The State outrigger championship was the world’s third highest honour and Bill's successes accorded him an international rating and a tilt at the world championship. Sidestepped by the champion of the day, Bill retired from professional sport prioritising marriage, family and employment. He settled into a cheerful, routine life in Tea Gardens financing his home construction from sculling and winnings from his racehorse ‘Tria’.

WWII absorbed the homely lifestyle and, whereas Bill was unsuitable for the Australian defence forces, the United States Army sought his services to help defend Australia from the Japanese. Bill, as part of the US Army Small Ships, skippered James Wallace, a Launceston tug, ferrying supplies, troops and armaments through enemy lines to Allied forces placed on the New Guinea coast and neighbouring islands. Operations were dangerous as the tug, towing its cargo, avoided air and sea threats, while navigating through hazardous reefs, currents and gales. Bill and his crew were always on alert from enemy attack and, at times, they were bombed and strafed by Japanese raiders. In April 1943, towing 12 barges from Sydney to Milne Bay (New Guinea), the James Wallace was caught in the biggest air raid conducted by the Japanese on Milne Bay. Zigzagging a course down the bay and attacked repeatedly by Zeros and bombers, the tug avoided major damage and shot down one of the Zeros. The James Wallace was the only tug boat to bring down a Japanese plane in the South-West Pacific Area.

Other experiences for the James Wallace crew included:

Placed on air and submarine alert, the tug towed the damaged and incapacitated 3353-ton Gorgon from Milne Bay to Cairns for repairs.

Although a ‘sitting duck’ for Japanese raiders, towed the desperately needed first floating dock into the Trade Winds from Cairns to Milne Bay.

Loaned to the US Sixth Army Construction Division navigating in dangerous and uncharted waters searching for materials for port construction along the northern New Guinea coast.

Acting as mother ship to 60 landing craft as part of the Allied advance to capture Lae.

Although decorated by the United States Army, Bill and approximately 3500 of his fellow countrymen, requisitioned by the US Army Small Ships, were smeared as United States servicemen by Australian governments, Defence and affiliated bodies, such as the RSL. They were deemed ineligible for Imperial and Australian service recognition under the pretext that they were not part of the Australian Defence Forces. Excluded and dismissed by Federal politicians and bureaucrats, Bill returned to Tea Gardens becoming, arguably, the village’s first real estate agent. Though a businessman, his philanthropy towards his community was evident. Two of his outstanding contributions were the donation of land for Tea Gardens first RSL Bowling Club (though ineligible for RSL Sub-Branch membership because of his “un-Australian” war service) situated on Myall Street and he also donated the land for the Tea Gardens Ambulance Station which is still functioning today.

Published May 2020

Copyright @ Stuart Ripley