The small town of Mannum, in South Australia in sits on right on the banks of the River Murray, so it’s no wonder that it gets flooded now and then. In sorting through family heirlooms, I came across a collection of old photos of Mannum in flood. Unfortunately they are undated, but going by the style of photograph, together with reading up about the floods that hit Mannum, I would suggest that these were from the 1890, 1896, or 1917 flood. If anyone can shed some more light on the specific date on them, I’d be forever grateful. My family has a connection to Mannum through the Randell’s, with William Richard Randell who without any experience decided to make a paddlesteamer. In February 1853, at Noa No Landing, just north of Mannum, William Richard Randell launched the “Mary Ann”, the first paddlesteamer on the River Murray. He later moved his operations to the present site of Mannum, which soon became a centre for shipbuilding and river transport. William Richard Randell is a half-brother to my great grandfather John Beavis “J.B.” Randell. the Lady Daly paddlesteamer on the...