The enthusiasm with which engineers attacked the Fitzroy and other rivers in that era reflected nineteenth century ideas about Nature. The prevailing mentality was that Nature could and should be tamed and controlled by modern technology for the benefit of humankind. In the thinking and language of the Victorian era, and as expressed in both engineers' report and newspapers, Nature was an uncooperative, 'disorderly' and 'devious' creature which, like a child or a woman, required a firm disciplining hand for 'training' and 'husbanding'. 'Dame Nature', one news report stated, should not be allowed to follow 'her own laws'9 and the Archer was believed to be the weapon to ensure she conformed to the will of man. A belief in Progress similarly inspired local civic leaders and politicians in the form of local and regional development. To allow such development, further fuelled by jealousy of Brisbane and Townsville's burgeoning success and rivalry of nearby Gladstone, the Fitzroy had to be made navigable irrespective of the financial cost.	However, Rockhampton's aspirations for major port status grew not from engineering success but rather in anticipation of it. Nisbet's initial assurance of 10ft depth fostered the belief that Rockhampton could become a deep-water port. As subsequent engineers promised increasingly greater depths to an astounding 24ft at low tide, the vision of securing direct trade to England grew accordingly. When the Archer commenced operations in 1901, RHB members envisaged that within two years they would be holding a grand luncheon to welcome the first ocean-going British-India liner to Rockhampton.10
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