Less is said of the ship owners and crew who took timber and produce to markets and endured harsh and dangerous voyages.

Such a ship's captain was recently brought to my attention when a descendant visited the Nambucca Headland Museum. This is one of the best parts of being a museum volunteer when people call in and tell you all they can about their ancestors. It brings dusty files to life.

Our mariner was Andrew Nelson, who was born at Lurwig in Norway in 1838 and arrived in Australia in 1871. He married Jane Ross in 1875 in Sydney.

The sailing ship 'Eliza Allan' was built at Nambucca by Mathias Holm for James Henry Allan, a farmer and was launched in 1879. It was a two masted brigantine rigged sailing ship of 104.86 tons, 296.75 cubic metres, length 88.1 feet and breadth 22.1 feet.

Andrew Nelson was its first captain and was repeatedly so during the ensuing years.

The Eliza Allan's maiden voyage took timber, cattle and poultry to the Sydney markets and returned laden with goods for business houses and private residents. A more hazardous journey was had during the "Maitland Gale".

Andrew sailed his ship out of Nambucca heads and as the gale abated found he was off the coast of Byron Bay.

They had ridden out the storm only after masts, sails and rigging had been cut away. The ship was then towed back to Nambucca Heads.

Another feather to Andrew Nelson's cap was being the licensee of the Commercial Hotel in Nambucca Heads in 1887.

The Commercial was built by Robert and Mary Jane Gordon in 1884. This demonstrates the mix of the town with seamen, sawyers and hoteliers all fostering relationships to stabilise the community.

Andrew would have been well known in Nambucca Heads and an especially welcome sight bringing in supplies in the Eliza Allan.

His wife, Jane Nelson, along with Lavinia Peel, are accredited with being the "Florence Nightingales" of the community who attended the sick. With the nearest doctor being in Kempsey they were often out as midwives all hours of the night. Their two hurricane lamps lighting the way home for them signaled an addition to the town's population.

Andrew died in 1916 at the age of 77. Jane died in 1919 at the age of 67. They are buried in the Nambucca cemetery.

There is a "smoking cap" which belonged to Andrew at the museum among a cabinet of antique pipes.

In the Nelson file at the museum there is a photocopy of a painting of the locally built Eliza Allan, which is now the subject of research.

If anyone has any knowledge of the painting's whereabouts this would be valuable information for the museum and Australian maritime portraiture records. Contact, rachel.burns@2nvr.org.au.

This article was compiled from the records of the Headland Museum in Nambucca Heads.

Also by Rachel Burns: The McClungs, pioneers of Nambucca Heads tourism