earlier vessels they owned or represented include steamers "elfie", "florence annie", "lady of the lake", "moira", "pioneer", "rothbury", and "victoria" and barges "bantam", "cobar", "cutty sark", "duck", "ferrett" (sic in 1896 advt.), "golconda", "howlong", "mcintyre", "paragon", "shamrock" and "walgett". the company later became hales ltd.