Summary
The Lady class is a class of ferry that were operated by Harbour City Ferries and its predecessors on Sydney Harbour. The term 'Lady class' was also used to describe four wooden-hulled double-ended ferries that were operated on Sydney Harbour, from the 1910s to the early 1970s.
 Lady Northcott at Circular Quay in July 2013
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | |
| Operators | |
| Completed | 7 |
| Active | 3 |
| Laid up | 2 |
| Scrapped | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
History edit
In late 1967, the Sydney Harbour Transport Board placed an order for three ferries with the State Dockyard, Newcastle. Continuing the tradition of naming ferries after the wives of the Governors of New South Wales, Lady Cutler was launched on 10 August 1968 and arrived in Sydney on 19 September 1968.[1][2][3]
It was followed in 1970 by Lady Woodward and Lady McKell.[4] These two differed from Lady Cutler in having reverse sloped wheelhouses.[1]
In 1974/75, two enlarged versions were built by Carrington Slipways, Lady Wakehurst and Lady Northcott. These were followed in 1979 by Lady Street and Lady Herron that were built at the State Dockyard.[1][3][5][6]
Following a fire that gutted the South Steyne in August 1974, the Lady Wakehurst and Lady Northcott were pressed into on the Manly service after having their bows built up to contend with the rougher conditions while crossing Sydney Heads and extra gangway openings cut into the upper deck. Following the Tasman Bridge disaster, Lady Wakehurst was sent to Hobart in January 1975 to operate services on the River Derwent, not returning until November 1977.[3][6][7]
In the 1990s, the first three were withdrawn and placed in store at Rozelle Bay. A deal to sell them to Hong Kong fell through. Today, Lady Cutler and Lady McKell operate as cruise vessels on Port Phillip, the latter having had one wheelhouse removed and renamed Victoria Star.[2][8] Lady Woodward was sold to Tasmania and converted for use as a salmon farm tender vessel. In 2010, it was sold to a citizen of Tin Can Bay for use as a houseboat.[9]
Lady Wakehurst was sold to Auckland in 1997, before returning to Sydney in 2001. It briefly returned to the Manly run in 2006 when chartered by Sydney Ferries. It moved to the Solomon Islands in 2011.[7] Lady Street was withdrawn in October 2002.[10] and was sold in December 2004 to be broken up with her scrapping being completed at Goat Island in 2007
Lady Northcott and Lady Herron were removed from service in October 2017.[11] In 2020 Lady Northcott was donated to Aboriginal Cruise company Tribal Warrior and sailed from Newcastle to Sydney, on the 26th of September 2022, under her own power after works were completed to get her back into service. After returning to Sydney the Lady Northcott was painted in a full black Livery with traditional aboriginal art decorating the superstructure. Other parts of the vessel including the funnel and masts are still in the Sydney Ferries cream colour and have yet to be repainted. Since its repaint the Lady Northcott has operated harbour cruises for events such as New Year's and Vivid. On the 25th of January the Lady Northcott was given a second name that being "Wirawi" the aboriginal word for woman. The rename was accompanied by traditional aboriginal ceremonies and celebrations.
In May 2023 after being stored in Tin Can Bay for around 12 years the Lady Woodward was scrapped. The vessel was tugged from Tin Can Bay to the old slipways in Marybrough where it was swiftly scrapped. Plans from the Transport Heritage Australia group were underway to restore the vessel and return it to Sydney however after an engine room flood damaged the vessel it was deemed uneconomical to repair and the project was cancelled. With the vessel in a state of disrepair it was decided that the only option was to scrap it.
Vessels edit
| Name | Image | MMSI | Date launched | Namesake | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Cutler |  |
503334800 | 10 August 1968 | Helen Cutler | Active, Port Phillip[12] |
| Lady Woodward |  |
7027813 | 19 October 1970 | Eric Woodward | Scrapped in May 2023 |
| Lady McKell |  |
7029122 | 19 October 1970 | William McKell | Renamed Victoria Star, active Port Phillip[13] |
| Lady Wakehurst |  |
7343449 | 6 July 1974 | John Wakehurst | Laid up in Avi Avi Marina Solomon Islands. Future unknown. |
| Lady Northcott |  |
503602000 | 26 September 1974 | John Northcott | Withdrawn from Sydney ferries fleet in October 2017. Donated to the Aboriginal cruise company Tribal Warrior and was converted to a cruise vessel. The vessel was given a second name "Wirawi".[14] |
| Lady Street |  |
7810806 | 8 May 1979 | Laurence Street | Withdrawn October 2002.[10][15] Scrapped at Goat Island, Sydney in 2007. |
| Lady Herron |  |
503601000 | 23 August 1979 | Leslie Herron | Withdrawn October 2017, Harbour City Ferries[16] Moored at Kooragang, Newcastle awaiting to be scrapped. |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c Fifty Years of Sydney's Public Ferries Archived 5 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Afloat Magazine May 2009
- ^ a b History Lady Cutler
- ^ a b c Andrews, Graeme (1975). The Ferries of Sydney. Terry Hills: AH & AW Reed. pp. 58, 59, 65, 66. ISBN 0 589 07172 6.
- ^ "History Victoria Star". Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ Sydney Ferries Fleet Facts Archived 2015-04-12 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW
- ^ a b Mead, Tom (1988). Manly Ferries. Brookvale: Child & Associates. pp. 166–167. ISBN 0 86777 091 0.
- ^ a b Squat new ferry Lady Wakehurst kept the Manly service afloat Manly Daily 31 October 2014
- ^ Home Archived 23 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Victoria Star Cruises
- ^ Introducing the Bay's new Lady Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Fraser Coast Chronicle 24 December 2010
- ^ a b Lady's not for returning: budget worries cuts ferry fleet Sydney Morning Herald 17 September 2003
- ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (24 October 2017). "Fate of Sydney's last ladies of the harbour finally sealed". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ Lady Cutler Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ferries of Sydney
- ^ Lady McKell Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ferries of Sydney
- ^ Lady Northcott Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ferries of Sydney
- ^ "Lady Street names her namesake" Sydney Morning Herald 9 May 1979
- ^ Lady Herron Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ferries of Sydney
External links edit
Media related to Lady ferry class at Wikimedia Commons