Hi List and Julie Sorry I do not have a copy of your original email, Julie, which I deleted, but I noticed Rusheen's comments and it triggered something. From the History of Bourke, Vol 12, p52 Reminiscences of Thomas Luke: "In connection with our Darling business we owned two or three steamers. Some of their captains were very good men, others were rough. One Captain Johnston, had great ambition to go with his boat through the Murray mouth. He accomplished it twice, but I think the anxiety was too great for him for after an illness he died. My wife and I being in Adelaide at the time of the funeral, in 1880, we thought we would attend and for that purpose (drove) 50 miles to Goolwa. It was a cold wet day but, including the s.s. children, some 600 went out three miles to the country. He was a good man and always stopped his boat on a Sunday unless it was a falling river. Service was held, generally conducted by the cook, a pure negro. Everyone had a good word for this African, even Johnston's partner who was a Roman Catholic, would sit a dn listen to the service." However on page 31 of the same volume it has Thomas Johnston buried on Kallara station on 13/8/1889. Probably not one and the same person, unless the transcription off the grave is not clear? Then on page 127 of the same volume we have a Captain G B Johnston who was honoured in 1878 with a medal from the Royal Humane Society for saving many lives - 15 over a period of years, allnamed in the article. I haven't looked any farther than this. Am I being helpful or obscure here? Jill