Rumbelow & Descendants
Fishing Tales

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The Rumbelows are an old Victor Harbor family and who have been involved in the whaling and fishing industry for over 160 years.  As the pioneering family expanded and lived close to each other, their group of homes became known locally as 'Rumbelow Town'. 

In 1863 Cain Jeliff and  Malen Rumbelow (2nd) entered into a fishing partnership. Cain began teaching Malen boating and fishing skills when he was just 16. Thus commenced an industry which has helped to make Encounter Bay famous, and which has produced some of the finest fishermen in the southern seas, and  what the Rumbelow family is known. 

Whilst Malen Rumbelow (2nd) found initial work at the whaling station, it was Cain Jellif who taught him boating and fishing skills. The two started up a fishing business in 1863, when Malen was 16.  By 1875 both Cain and Malen (2nd) appeared as fishermen of Encounter Bay in the South Australia Directory of 1875-77. At the same time Malen Rumbelow Senior is listed as a farmer.

In the early days the fish were conveyed to Adelaide in carts, and Mrs. Alice Jeliff (nee Rumbelow) hawked it round the metropolitan area.  The fishing was often glut or famine, with every boat making a good catch at the same time. Prices would then plummet and still there would be more fish than could be sold or smoked and so, with no ice or other means of keeping the fish fresh, the surplus would be buried. Fish were thought to be good compost for the soil.

The Rumbelow's would smoke fish that couldn't be sold or used immediately. They took it to Adelaide by horse and trolley, changing horses at Willunga. Alice, who had no children, played an important part in the fishing enterprise, hawking the fish, and later some rock lobsters, around Port Victor and the houses around the shores of Encounter Bay.

Malen David Rumbelow (Malen 3rd) was born at Encounter Bay on 20th September 1865. 

In 1875,  Malen 2nd converted a racing yacht to a cray and fishing boat called the Rambler. The boat changed hands many times, the wooden cutter which made many fishing trips to Kangaroo Island and many exciting and adventurous excursions were undertaken in this boat. 

For some years, Malen 2nd his wife Mary lived in a cottage near the Fountain Inn at Yilki and raised their family there. Malen and Cain Jelliff continued fishing around Encounter Bay to the Murray Mouth and as far away as Kangaroo Island, in the Ferret and the Rambler.

Along with his father Malen Senior,  Malen Rumbelow and Cain Jelliff, he pioneered the local fishing industry. 

In 1878 Cain drowned near the Murray Mouth, the first of many tragedies the extended would experience at sea.

Malen 2nd then formed the business of Rumbelow and Sons. 

All eight of his children would help prepare and smoke the fish in the family fish shed on the shore. The girls Alice, Jane, Ada and Grace would scale the fish and the brothers would gut and fillet the mullet in preparation for smoking. Less inviting jobs were carried out in the Fish Shop (known as Bachelors' Hall) and in the Fish Shed. Young Grace used to help scale the mullet  while Henry would 'cut' and Malen would 'gut'. 

After that part of the process the fish would be spread out on benches to drain for a certain time, then sliced down the back right through from the tail to the head and lastly threaded on wire through the eyes. Once this grisly procedure was over the fish were hung up in the three smokerooms in which the smell of burnt sawdust filled the air.

As there was no ice or refrigeration in those days, smoking was the only way of keeping fish. That meant first of all filling kerosene tins with water and then putting in enough salt until a fresh egg would float in it. There was then enough brine to cure the fish.

Godfrey, who was also always badly seasick, had the task of taking the smoked fish to market in Adelaide by horse and trolley, changing horses at Willunga. He also hawked the fish locally in place of his Aunt Alice.

After the Adelaide to Victor railway service was inaugurated in 1884, they sent fresh fish and some rock lobster by rail to the various auctioneers and shops. Once the Edwin Daws Adelaide Fish Market commenced operations this brought an assured market and regularly sent their catch there by rail.  Guaranteed buyers and the means of getting the catch to market in wholesome condition, basic requirements for a viable industry, were aided by the coming of steamers and railways, plus the building of ice works and the advent of refrigeration. 

In 1905 Malen David Rumbelow (Malen 3rd) died suddenly at sea. It  was reported he leaned forward to pull in a large King Schnapper, fell forward, and died of a heart attack. Malen's son Stanley Malen Rumbelow (Malen 4th) was just one week old when his father died at sea. Ween spent over 60 years as a fisherman, mainly in local waters, and is well remembered huddling around a small fire in the lee of a bank near the Bluff with his brother Lionel and their mates Bill and George Ewen looking out to sea for a school of mullet. They then scurried into the flatties moored below them and surrounded the school with their nets.

He had spent all his life fishing, first as a young man on the larger fishing boats but, after marrying, he settled down and fished the waters of Encounter Bay and the South Coast. He was more easily recognisable in his later years because he continued to use a net from his small, flat-bottomed dinghy rather than convert to modern fishing tackle. 

Skippered by Henry Rumbelow's son  Walter Rumbelow, the Ferret provided the Rumbelow family many years of useful service during which time she featured in some very adventurous incidents, missions of mercy, and pleasure trips on the River Murray.

Walter Rumbelow was born at Encounter Bay, and lived in the district all his life with the exception of a few years fishing at the lakes near Meningie.  He became one of the most experienced fishermen in the area.

In 1932, whilst on a fishing trip along the coast the Ferret was struck by a heavy squall. High seas were whipped up in a few minutes, and, according to Lionel Rumbelow, the boat capsized and began to break up immediately. Two brothers, Walter and David Rumbelow were drowned whilst Lionel Rumbelow escaped death.

Lester Malen Rumbelow was 18 when his father Walter Malen drowned when The Ferret was wrecked off Waitpinga Beach, SA, Lester fished with his father for rock lobster at Victor Harbor and as far away as Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island. All fishing was under sail and all thirty pots were lifted by hand. Prices varied with most selling for six pence to a shilling per pound. In 1931, Lester was sent by his father to Lake Alexandrina to teach several new fishermen to sail and handle small ketches of twenty five to thirty feet. 

After his father’s death, Lester returned to live at Narrung and fish the lake for the rest of life.

Graham Toleman Rumbelow (Rummy) was born  in 1927, was the only son of Lionel Toleman Rumbelow. Graham, aqualified carpenter, turned to building fishing boats and eventually to the occupation of fisherman.  Graham Rumbelow built a 22 ft Carvel Hull craft named Mae-Don (after his children) which he used with his father Lionel.  Graham built the Gra-lin and took up professional fishing in 1962 in partnership with his cousin, Lin Shannon.  

Graham became a very successful cray and shark fisherman and was president of the Southern Fishermen's Association and a member of the Crayfish Advisory Council of SA. After selling his share of Gra-lin to Lin Shannon, his son Don joined him fishing on a larger boat, the Taperoo but bad health later saw them sell the Taperoo and buy J & R Joinery.  Graham’s health continued to decline so he bought another crayfish boat the Azalea and fished locally. 

In 1984, Graham sold his fishing boat The Taperoo for his semi-retirement after seven years of working as a full-time carpenter.  He then decided to build a 40-foot riverboat, which he did without plans on the floor of his shed. After about 4 years Graham and Jean launched Rums Rambler at the marina on Hindmarsh Island and started many wonderful trips up the river with friends and family. Graham loved the sea and was fishing with his close friend and cousin, Don Bartel on the day he went to hospital, passing away in 1995 at age 68.

Kevin James Rumbelow was born at Victor Harbor in 1946. Fishing was in his blood so he crewed for Lionel Puckridge and worked on the Gralin owned by Graham Rumbelow. He then became skipper of Graham’s boat Taperoo. He became an experienced and capable professional fisherman and obtained all the necessary certificates and licences to manage and skipper fishing vessels. In 1981 he realised his dream and bought his own boat, a 10 metre craft called Galini.  In 1981, he was caught in a violent storm on his way back from Kangaroo Island. A massive search was made and his body was found seven days later, washed up on Shannon’s Gully Beach near Parsons Beach. Kevin was  35 years of age.

Ween and his wife Gwen Rumbelow built up a fresh fish business at Yilki, which grew into a large cray distribution business when their son became involved. The large water tanks, refrigeration and filtering systems and a well-organised kitchen for cooking were, at the time, probably the largest operation of its type in the State. 

The Rumbelow Fish Shop (& Art Gallery) was situated on Franklin Parade overlooking the sea. The venture started when Mrs. Gwen Rumbelow and her son Malen, decided to rebuild their fish processing and selling area to cope with the growing demand for fish caught by Malin Rumbelow senior (Ween).

This grew into a large cray distribution business when their son Malen 5th and his wife Merrie became involved.  The large water tanks, refrigeration and filtering systems and a well-organised kitchen for cooking were, at the time, probably the largest operation of its type in the State.  Rumbelows supplied many local hotels, and cooked crays go to Adelaide.

Gary Ian Hera-Singh was born 16 January 1956 at  Meningie, SA. Gary is a commercial fisherman of the lakes and Coorong like his Grandfather Lester Rumbelow. Gary first started fishing during the mid 1970’s working as a deckhand with his grandfathers.  There are very few 5th generation fishermen in Australia, fewer still who can claim they are fishing using the same methods for the same catch as their forefathers.  

In 1984 he became a full-time fisherman when he invested into the industry. He continues the tradition of static net fishing but has deferred to a boat with an outboard. Gary has served as the President of the Southern Fishermen’s Association (SFA). The SFA represents the interests of  commercial licence holders in the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery. 

The fishery has existed for over a century and has developed  into a diverse multi-species, multi-method fishery that accesses native and  non-native fish stocks within Lakes Alexandrina and Albert, the Coorong and  adjacent ocean beaches.  Gary is a recognised OceanWatch Master Fisherman. He harvests seafood respecting the aspects of responsible and sustainable fishing incorporated in the Master Fisherman Program including quality assurance, bycatch reduction devices and techniques, animal welfare and threatened species management. 

​The Memorial to Lost Fisherman