History
The changing face of Sydney Ferries
Sydney Ferries can trace its roots as far back as the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove.
In 1789 the first ferry service was established between Sydney Cove and the farming settlement of Parramatta.
The first ferry, officially named the Rose Hill Packet (otherwise known as ‘The Lump’), was crafted by convicts and powered by sails and oars.
Parramatta was the the furthest navigable point inland and trips typically took up to a week to complete.
As time progressed, a series of rowboat ferrymen set up small operations to transport people from either side of Sydney Harbour.
In 1861, Sydney welcomed the establishment of the North Shore Ferry Company, which operated the very first commercial ferry service across Sydney Harbour. Less than 1,000 people at the time were residing on the northern shores of Sydney Harbour.
The North Shore Ferry Company underwent an enormous restructure in 1878 and, as a result, was renamed the North Shore Steam Ferry Company.
The North Shore Ferry Company was revolutionary for its time and, by ordering the first double-ended propeller-driven ferry in the world to be built, was recognised for its progressive approach.
The decision set a design benchmark and the basic original design concept was retained and applied to today’s Lady Class ferries.
After a string of mergers, most of the ferry services were integrated into a new organisation called Sydney Ferries Limited in 1899.
Sydney Ferries Limited
Sydney Ferries Limited became the world’s largest ferry operator shortly after the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened on 19 March 1932.
Unfortunately, the opening of the bridge saw ferry travel drop from 30 million passengers a year to 13 million passengers a year.
With the private proprietors facing financial ruin, the NSW Government intervened and agreed to take over Sydney Ferries Limited in 1951 to keep the Aussie icon afloat.
Sydney Ferries and the hydrofoil
In an effort to boost revenue, the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company introduced hydrofoils in 1965 to provide an express service to Manly, but they proved to be mechanically unreliable and were substituted with JetCats in the early 1990's.
Sydney Ferries: the 90’s and beyond
The Sydney Ferries fleet had gradually transformed and became extremely versatile in its ability to battle a variety of different elements, from choppy seas and heavy swells between Sydney Heads to the calm waters of the Parramatta River.
Sydney Ferries added two new RiverCat vessels to its fleet in 1992 and launched a RiverCat service from Circular Quay to Parramatta in the same year. This new service experienced unrivaled success and added over one million passengers to Sydney Ferries' figures that year.
The following year saw another four RiverCats joining the fleet; the addition of the Nicole Livingstone in 1995 completed the fleet that services the Parramatta River to this day.
Suggested further reading
Manly Ferries by Tom Mead.