Timeline of Sydney Harbour ferries

Last updated

Top to bottom and left to right, Kuramia (1914-1934), PS Brighton (1883-1916), Herald (1855-1884), K-class ferries in Sydney Cove, hydrofoil Curl Curl (1973-1992), South Steyne (1938-1974), Collaroy (1988-) Sydney Harbour ferry collage.jpg
Top to bottom and left to right, Kuramia (1914-1934), PS Brighton (1883-1916), Herald (1855-1884), K-class ferries in Sydney Cove, hydrofoil Curl Curl (1973-1992), South Steyne (1938-1974), Collaroy (1988-)

Sydney Harbour ferry services date back to the first years of Sydney's European settlement. Slow and sporadic boats ran along the Parramatta River from Sydney to Parramatta and served the agricultural settlements in between. By the mid-1830s, speculative ventures established regular services. From the late-nineteenth century the North Shore developed rapidly. A rail connection to Milsons Point took alighting ferry passengers up the North Shore line to Hornsby, New South Wales via North Sydney. Without a bridge connection, increasingly large fleets of steamers serviced the cross harbour routes and in the early twentieth century, Sydney Ferries Limited was the largest ferry operator in the world.

Contents

However, arguably the most well-known is the Manly ferry service, and its large ship-like ferries that negotiate the beam swells of the Sydney Heads. From the mid-nineteenth century, the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company and its forerunners ran commuter and weekend excursion services to the beach-side suburb.

The 1932 opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge dramatically and permanently changed Sydney Harbour. Sydney Ferries Limited annual patronage fell from 40 million to 15 million almost immediately. The hardships of the Great Depression and Second World War slowed the ferries' decline, but by 1951 the NSW State Government was forced to take over the ailing Sydney Ferries Limited. The Manly service fared better, and the Port Jackson company's peak year was 1946, after which a slow decline saw it too taken over by the NSW State Government in the 1970s. Ferry operations were privatised in 2015 with vessels and facilities remaining in public ownership.

Sydney's first ferries were sail and/or oar powered and by the mid-19th century, paddle steamers were well established. Double-ended ferries became common as they did not require turning at terminating wharves in Sydney's busy but narrow bays, including the main hub at Circular Quay. Double-ender ferries, however, provided technological challenges for screw (propeller) propulsion and Sydney's shift from paddle steamers to screw ferries in the closing years of the nineteenth century was relatively late. Diesel power first came to Sydney Harbour ferries mainly through the conversion of existing steam ferries to diesel in the 1930s and the 1950s, as ferry companies could generally not afford new ferries in the slow post-Bridge decades. Hydrofoils were introduced to the Manly run in the 1960s and 1970s halving travel times for those willing to pay a premium fare. Government investment in new vessels during the 1970s and 1980s saw the replacement of the surviving early twentieth century vessels. New vessels included modern Lady-class ferries, four large Manly ferries, and nine First-Fleet ferries. The most recent decades have seen the introduction of the RiverCats, JetCats, SuperCats and in 2017, the Emerald-class ferries. Apart from the four Manly "Freshwater-class" ferries, the current Sydney Ferries fleet comprises all catamarans.

Early days

Ocean-going steamer, Sophia Jane, was used sporadically on the Parramatta River. SophiaJane.jpg
Ocean-going steamer, Sophia Jane , was used sporadically on the Parramatta River.

1840s and 1850s

1860s and 1870s

1880s

1890s

Circular Quay, 1890s Arrival of NSW Governor Lord Beauchamp at Circular Quay 1899 Japanese liner YAWATA MARU and ferries NARRABEEN and BIRKENHEAD.tiff
Circular Quay, 1890s

1900s

Circular Quay, 1900s Circular Quay and Sydney Ferry KOREE and BRIGHTON and LILY.jpg
Circular Quay, 1900s

1910s

A busy early twentieth century pre-Bridge Circular Quay Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour Ferries.jpg
A busy early twentieth century pre-Bridge Circular Quay

1920s

A busy Circular Quay in 1926 with K-class ferries inner harbour ferries and two "Binngarra-class" Manly ferries. Harbour Bridge construction is well-underway in the background. Circular Quay from south eastern corner with view of Sydney Harbour Bridge under construction, c 1926 (8165886240).jpg
A busy Circular Quay in 1926 with K-class ferries inner harbour ferries and two "Binngarra-class" Manly ferries. Harbour Bridge construction is well-underway in the background.

1930s

Vehicular ferries, Koondooloo and Kooroongaba at Jeffrey Street wharf, Kirribilli, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge under construction behind, 1930. Sydney Harbour Bridge under construction.jpg
Vehicular ferries, Koondooloo and Kooroongaba at Jeffrey Street wharf, Kirribilli, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge under construction behind, 1930.

1940s

1950s

Old ferries laid up at McMahon's Point during the 1950s slump in ferry travel KIRRULE and other ferries laid up at McMahons Pt. ferry base.jpg
Old ferries laid up at McMahon's Point during the 1950s slump in ferry travel

1960s

1970s

Circular Quay in 1970, when the majority of the fleet were still pre-World War I timber ferries. They were replaced in the 1970s and 80s following government investment in new ferries. Sydney ferries KAMERUKA - LADY DENMAN - KARINGAL at Circular Quay Sydney 15 Feb 1970.jpg
Circular Quay in 1970, when the majority of the fleet were still pre-World War I timber ferries. They were replaced in the 1970s and 80s following government investment in new ferries.

1980s

Karingal, Lady Street and Freshwater in Urban Transit Authority colours, Circular Quay, 1983 Sydney ferries KARINGAL, LADY STREET, FRESHWATER at Circlular Quay 23 October 1983.jpg
Karingal , Lady Street and Freshwater in Urban Transit Authority colours, Circular Quay, 1983

1990s and 2000s

2010s and 2020s

Much of the contemporary Sydney Ferries fleet at Circular Quay at dawn, including a SuperCat, two "Freshwater-class" Manly ferries, and eight of the nine First Fleet-class ferries, 2013 Ferries, Circular Quay, sydney.JPG
Much of the contemporary Sydney Ferries fleet at Circular Quay at dawn, including a SuperCat, two "Freshwater-class" Manly ferries, and eight of the nine First Fleet-class ferries, 2013

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Gunter (1978), p. 11
  2. Mead, Tom (1988). Manly Ferries of Sydney Harbour. Sydney Child & Associates. ISBN   978-0-86777-091-9. Unknown ID 386.6099441 MEA.
  3. Prescott (1984), p 11
  4. 1 2 Andrews (1982), p. 12
  5. "Smith, Henry Gilbert (1802–1886)". Biography – Henry Gilbert Smith. A.F. Pike. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  6. "Myall Lakes Shipwrecks" (PDF).
  7. Gunter, John (1978). Across the harbour : the story of Sydney's ferries. Rigby. p. 14. ISBN   0727007157.
  8. Clark, LA (1976). North of the Harbour. Broadmeadow NSW: Newey & Beath Printers Pty Ltd. pp. 38–44. ISBN   0909650055.
  9. "Hindsight", Mosman Magazine, pp. 28–29, February 2010
  10. Andrews, Graeme (1982). A Pictorial History of Ferries: Sydney and Surrounding Waterways. Sydney: AH & AW Reed Pty Ltd. p. 20. ISBN   0589503863.
  11. Sydney Living Museums
  12. Gunter, John (1978). Across The Harbour: The Story of Sydney's Ferries. Sydney: Rigby Ltd. p. 37. ISBN   0-7270-0715-7.
  13. Sydney Ferries Transport for NSW
  14. Andrews, Graeme (1975). The Ferries of Sydney. Terry Hills: AH & AW Reed. pp. 16–32. ISBN   0-589-07172-6.
  15. Prescott, AM (1984). Sydney Ferry Fleet. Magill South Australia: Ronald H Parsons. pp. 15–16. ISBN   0909418306.
  16. Morcombe, John (26 May 2019). "The Bellubera Had Its Fair Share of Controversies During Its Time". The Manly Daily. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  17. Elbourne, Wonderful Kuttabul
  18. Jenkins, Battle Surface, pp. 213–5
  19. "Ferries bought for £25,000". The Daily Telegraph . Vol. XVI, no. 71. New South Wales, Australia. 14 June 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 30 September 2021 via National Library of Australia.
  20. 1 2 Andrews, Graeme (1975). The Ferries of Sydney. Terry Hills: AH & AW Reed. pp. 54–55. ISBN   0-589-07172-6.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mead, Tom (1988). Manly Ferries. Brookvale: Child & Associates. pp. 166–167. ISBN   0-86777-091-0.
  22. 1 2 3 Down Under Foils Classic Fast Ferries June 2002
  23. 1 2 Do you remember the Hydrofoils Part 1 Afloat Magazine June 2007
  24. 1 2 3 Tom Mead (1994). Manly Ferries of Sydney Harbour: The Seven Mile Ships. Sydney: Dolphin Books.
  25. Sydney Harbour Transport Board NSW State Records
  26. Andrews, Graeme (1994). Ferries of Sydney. Sydney: Sydney University Press. p. 76. ISBN   0-424-00202-7.
  27. 1 2 Sydney Ferries Fleet Facts Archived 2015-04-12 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW
  28. Urban Transit Authority of New South Wales NSW Government State Records
  29. Andrews (1982), p. 9
  30. Sydney Ferries Fleet Facts Archived 12 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW
  31. Andrews, Graeme (1982). A Pictorial History of Ferries: Sydney and Surrounding Waterways. Sydney: AH & AW Reed Pty Ltd. p. 47. ISBN   0589503863.
  32. "New name for Urban Transit" Fleetline February 1989 page 22
  33. Do you remember the Hydrofoils Part 2 Afloat Magazine July 2007
  34. History Sydney Ferries
  35. Parramatta RiverCat Ferry Services New South Wales Legislative Assembly Hansard 25 February 1992
  36. Fifty Years of Sydney's Public Ferries Afloat Magazine June 2009
  37. Supercat makes rare appearance at Manly Manly Daily 19 July 2013
  38. Fiasco afloat: ferries dead in the water Sydney Morning Herald 9 April 2007
  39. "Captain forced to ground vessel at Chowder Bay to avoid sinking after collision with collier". The Manly Daily. 11 March 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  40. "Crash ferries face special inquiry". The Daily Telegraph. 3 April 2007.
  41. Bret Walker (2007). "Sydney Ferries Report" (PDF). NSW Transport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  42. Deborah Cornwall (2009-04-20). "Rees paralysed over Sydney Ferry reform". ABC 7.30 Report. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  43. Linton Bessera & Robert Wainwright (2001-11-01). "Sydney Ferries' day of reckoning". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  44. Calls for Expressions of Interest for Manly Fast Ferry Minister for Transport 9 December 2008
  45. Jet Car Withdrawal and Manly Fast Ferry Commencement NSW Ministry of Transport
  46. Manly High Speed Ferry Service NSW eTendering 10 August 2009
  47. Contract Notice Award Detail Archived 13 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine NSW eTendering 8 March 2010
  48. About us Archived 4 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine Sydney Fast Ferries
  49. "Transfield JV wins Sydney Ferries contract". news.com.au. 3 May 2012.
  50. Harbour City Ferries Transport for NSW
  51. "Harbour City Ferries". Harbour City Ferries. 2013. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  52. Private Operator to take control of ferry services Sydney Morning Herald 3 May 2012
  53. Steady as he goes: ferries sail into private hands Sydney Morning Herald 28 July 2012
  54. Rough seas in new fast ferry deal involving the two current operators Daily Telegraph 26 March 2015
  55. Tasmanian shipbuilder Incat wins contract to build four Manly fast ferries ABC News 2 May 2015
  56. Incat scores multi-million dollar Manly ferry coup Hobart Mercury 3 May 2015
  57. 1 2 TRANSDEV AUSTRALASIA ACQUIRES 100% OF HARBOUR CITY FERRIES, Transdev Australasia, Published 8 December 2016, Retrieved 19 January 2018
  58. Hull 092 Incat
  59. "Fred Hollows enters service". Transport for NSW. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  60. McPhee, Sarah (26 June 2017). "New Barangaroo Wharf open for ferries". news.com.au. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  61. Manly Fast Ferry ASIC 23 June 2018
  62. My Fast Ferry ASIC 28 September 2017
  63. O'Sullivan, Matt (24 October 2017). "Fate of Sydney's last ladies of the harbour finally sealed". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  64. NRMA invests in Manly Fast Ferry NRMA 7 December 2017
  65. NRMA acquires Fantasea Cruising NRMA 25 October 2018
  66. NRMA buys Palm Beach ferry service Coast Community News 5 November 2018
  67. More ferry services for Sydney after government awards $1.3b contract Sydney Morning Herald 27 February 2019
  68. "Transdev secures €815 million Sydney Ferries renewal contract until 2028". Transdev. 7 March 2019. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  69. Rubbo, Luisa (19 June 2020). "Sydney ferries get a facelift at Port Macquarie to extend life 'just shy of 50 years'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  70. 1 2 Ship Technology
  71. "Live: NSW Now: Sydney ferry saved from mothballs after underperformance of new models". ABC News. 9 December 2021.
  72. "St Mary's ferry retires". 24 January 2022.
  73. "Live: NSW Now: More than 40 defects identified across Sydney's River-class ferries". ABC News. 16 January 2022.
  74. "Historic former Manly ferry sinks in Sydney Harbour". 2 January 2022.
  75. "Ferries pass test". 12 March 2022.
  76. "multiple steering failures in 2 days". The Guardian. 27 September 2022.
  77. "Ferries kept in Operation". 6 June 2023.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Ferries</span> Public transport ferry service

Sydney Ferries is the public transport ferry network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales. Services operate on Sydney Harbour and the connecting Parramatta River. The network is controlled by the New South Wales Government's transport authority, Transport for NSW, and is part of the authority's Opal ticketing system. In 2017–18, 15.3 million passenger journeys were made on the network.

<i>Dee Why</i>-class ferry

The Dee Why and Curl Curl, were two identical steam ferries servicing Sydney Harbour's Circular Quay to Manly service. Both commissioned in 1928, they were the largest ferries on Sydney Harbour until the 1938 introduction of the South Steyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manly ferry services</span> Ferry services on Sydney Harbour

Manly ferry services operate on Sydney Harbour connecting the Sydney suburb of Manly with Circular Quay in the CBD, a journey of seven nautical miles.

Baragoola Australian ferry

MV Baragoola was a ferry formerly operated by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company and its successors on the Manly service.

Sydney Ferries Limited operated ferry services on Sydney Harbour from 1900 until June 1951.

MV <i>North Head</i> Australian ferry

The MV North Head was a ferry operated by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company and its successors on the Manly service from 1913 until 1985.

Bellubera Ferry operated by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company

Bellubera was a ferry operated by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company on the Manly service. Launched in 1910, she was the third of six "Binngarra-type" vessels. Upon her 1936 conversion from steam power, she became the first diesel-electric vessel in Australia. She was decommissioned in 1973, and scuttled at sea in 1980.

<i>Kirawa</i>

Kirawa was a ferry on Sydney Harbour. She was a near identical sister vessel with Kanangra both of which were launched in 1912 during the early-twentieth pre-Sydney Harbour Bridge boom years of Sydney Ferries Limited.

<i>Koree</i>

Koree was a "K-class" ferry on Sydney Harbour. Launched in 1902, the timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited during the boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

<i>Binngarra</i>

Binngarra was a ferry operated by Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company on the Manly service. Launched in 1905, she was the first of six similar vessels built for the company–the Binngarra class—the success of which saw three of her sister vessels serving through to the 1970s and 1980s.

SS <i>Manly</i>

Manly (II) was a ferry that served on the Sydney to Manly run from 1896 to 1924.

<i>Kirrule</i>-type ferry

The Kirrule-type ferries - Kiandra, Kirrule and Kubu - were three identical K-class ferries that operated on Sydney Harbour by Sydney Ferries Limited.

<i>Lady Scott</i>

Lady Scott, later John Cadman and Harbour Queen, was a Sydney Harbour ferry built in 1914 for the Balmain New Ferry Company. She and four similar ferries, Lady Chelmsford (1910), Lady Denman (1912), Lady Edeline (1913), and Lady Ferguson (1914), were a new series of "Lady-class", designed by renowned naval architect, Walter Reeks.

<i>Lady Edeline</i>

Lady Edeline was a Sydney Harbour ferry built in 1913 for the Balmain New Ferry Company. She and four similar ferries, Lady Chelmsford (1910), Lady Denman (1912), Lady Ferguson (1914), Lady Scott (1914) were a new series of "Lady-class", designed by renowned naval architect, Walter Reeks.

<i>Kareela</i> (ferry)

Kareela was a "K-class" ferry on Sydney Harbour. Launched in 1905, the double-ended timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited in response to the early twentieth century boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. She was the first of Sydney Ferries Limited's boats to have a fully enclosed upper deck.

<i>Lady Ferguson</i>

Lady Ferguson was a Sydney Harbour ferry built in 1914 for the Balmain New Ferry Company. She and four similar ferries, Lady Chelmsford (1910), Lady Denman (1912), Lady Edeline (1913), and Lady Scott (1914), were a new series of "Lady-class" ferries designed by renowned naval architect Walter Reeks.

<i>Kosciusko</i> (ferry)

Kosciusko was a "K-class" ferry on Sydney Harbour. Launched in 1911, the timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited during the boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

<i>Kurraba</i> and <i>Kirribilli</i> Steamers for SYDNEY HARBOUR

Kurraba and Kirribilli were two similar "K-class" ferries on Sydney Harbour. Launched in 1899 and 1900 respectively, the two timber-hulled steamers were built for Sydney Ferries Limited during the boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

<i>Kaludah</i> Sydney K-class ferry, burned in 1911

Kaludah was a K-class ferry on Sydney Harbour, Australia. Commissioned in 1909, the timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited during the boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the 1932 opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Like the other "K-class" ferries, she was double-deck, double-ended, steam-powered screw ferry. However, she and the larger but otherwise similar Kookooburra (1907), were the only two K-class ferries designed by naval architect Walter Reeks and not Sydney Ferries Limited's Captain Summerbell.

<i>Karingal</i> (ferry)

Karingal was a ferry operated by Sydney Ferries Limited and its NSW State Government operated successors on Sydney Harbour from 1913 until 1984. A wooden ferry built at the time of Sydney Ferries' rapid early twentieth century, she was the smallest of the round-end "K-class ferries".

References