A&P's Yard 1978.

CLUDEN at Fitting Out Quay. AUSTRALIND on far side of the River.

Grey hull on the slipway is AEGIRA with FUNING in progress.

(Photo Austin and Pickersgill Ltd.)

Australind is at the former George Shorts shipyard fitting out quay. Bartrams SD14s were brought there for fitting out after launching directly into the North Sea.George Clarks engine works is bottom right, separated from A&P by the Alexander Bridge. Middle left margin is Doxfords Technical Block, (drawing offices etc). William Pickersgill merged with the Wearmouth dockyard S.P. Austin to from Austin and Pickersgill. A&Ps yard is now a business park with a retail park further away from the river side. The Northern Spire bridge is just a little way up river, just out of sight of the top of the page. The view here today bears no resemblance to the picture, as is the case at most former shipbuilding sites.

AUSTRALIND.

Bartram built an Australind in 1961
Pickersgill built an Australind in 1978

That's the North Sea. Bartrams would be no place for the faint hearted! imagine boring out, fitting props and rudders would have been draughty some days. how much we lost when shipbuilding ended. Nobody seems interested now.