A Life on the Ocean Waves: Hugh McColl McCrindle

In the 19^th century, the Scottish city of Glasgow was a centre of shipbuilding.¹ It was here, in 1880, that Hugh McColl McCrindle was born. In July 1906 he obtained his certificate of competency as a “First Class Engineer” pursuant to the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 and the course of his life was set. 

In the early part of the 20^th century Hugh can be found on the manifests of several merchant vessels trading between the United Kingdom and South America: principally Valparaiso in Chile which was an important maritime centre at the time.²

A fresh chapter in Hugh’s life opened in 1924 when the “Urana”, newly commissioned by the North Coast Steam Navigation Company (NCSNC), left her birthplace on the Clyde bound for Sydney. Hugh was the engineer aboard.³ His wife and young daughter joined him in Sydney the following year.⁴

During an adventurous carer with the NCSNC, (he was even feared lost at sea in 1932)⁵ Hugh was also aboard the “Urana” when she was wrecked near Old Bar in 1937.⁶

In early 1944 Hugh sustained a severe facial wound when involved in war service in the Pacific theatre of war in the region of Papua New Guinea. He was repatriated to Australia, but died shortly afterwards (March 1944) in Liverpool Hospital as a result of his wounds.

Author: Hugh Calmar McColl McCrindle and Penny Teerman