Irishman's Creek, Bill Hamilton and the invention of the Jetboat

Another of the Mackenzie basin's 'characters' was Bill (CWF) Hamilton, who owned Irishman's Creek sheep station between Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki. Having already created a machine to clear snow and smooth off the ice skating rink, along with the front end loader for tractors, Bill Hamilton set about building a boat that could travel up shallow rivers to provide quicker access for musterers, their dogs, and supplies.

After a number of unsuccessful attempts, but with new ideas from other entrepreneurial engineers, he created the Hamilton jet unit which used an internal propeller (impeller) to push water through a pipe out the stern of the boat and above water level. This 1950s invention enabled flat bottomed boats to travel at speed up swiftly flowing shallow rivers, and opened up access for shepherds and their supplies to remote parts of the farms.

A Hamilton jetboat was the first craft to navigate 'up' the Colorado River and canyon. The Hamilton Jet unit is now sold worldwide, and is used for a huge variety of nautical applications.