The wooden steamship Broughton was altered in November 1874 to a two masted schooner and later rigged as a ketch. An auxiliary diesel engine was fitted in 1915. Broughton was built specifically to trade between Port Broughton and Port Pirie, but a number of changes in ownership saw the vessel trading widely in both of the South Australian gulfs.

Small coastal traders were important in the South Australian shipping industry. They carried supplies and cargo to and from small coastal communities until they were gradually ousted from this role as rail and then road transport took over their task. They acted as lighters in some ports carrying cargo from small ports to larger ones and carrying goods from jetties to large ocean going ships moored in open roadsteads.

Many of the ketches and schooners were frail particularly when they encountered bad weather. Manned by only a few men they carried cargo that no one else would carry often under appalling conditions. The crews captains and the small vessels went about their tasks with a minimum of fuss but efficiently and well.

The mosquito fleet lasted well into the 20th century but bulk handling of ores and grains during the 1950s and 1960s brought about their end.