Cockenzie House, Scotland: birthplace of Francis Cadell. In the foreground is the canvas boat "Forerunner" in which Cadell navigated the River Murray from Swan Hill to Wellington in 1852.

Cadell arrived in Adelaide in 1852 and learning of the South Australian government's incentive for successful steam navigation of the River Murray, arranged for a paddle steamer to be built for him in Sydney, and while it sailed to South Australia under jury rig, and successfully negotiated the treacherous River Murray mouth, Cadell canoed down the river from Swan Hill to Wellington in his canvas boat Forerunner.

Cadell had been born in Cockenzie, Scotland in 1822, and went to sea at 14 years of age. After serving in many parts of the world including China, Europe and South America, he returned to Scotland in 1846 and studied shipbuilding in Glasgow, in particular the new technology of steam driven ships. He later went back to sea before deciding to come to Adelaide.

Cadell, Francis, 1822-1879

Nicholson, John The incomparable Captain Cadell East Melbourne, Victoria: Allen & Unwin, 2004

Phillips, Peter J. Redgum & paddlewheels: Australia's inland river trade Collingwood, Vic.: Greenhouse, 1980 pp.9-18

Parsons, Ronald Ships of the inland rivers: an outline history and details of all known paddle ships, barges and other vessels trading on the Murray-Darling system Ridgehaven, S. Aust.: Gould Books, 1990

Kinloch, Arthur The Murray River: being a journal of the voyage of the "Lady Augusta" steamer from the Goolwa, in South Australia, to Gannewarra, above Swan Hill, Victoria; a distance from the sea mouth of 1400 miles Adelaide: Friends of the State Library of South Australia, 1997

Australian Dictionary of Biography online: Cadell, Francis (1822-1879)