Vaucluse(ferry)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Vaucluse |
| Operator |
|
| Builder | Rock Davis,Blackwall |
| Launched | 1905 |
| Out of service | 1931 |
| Fate | to Newcastle |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 121 tonnes |
| Length | 42.5 m |
| Speed | 14 knots |
| Capacity | 500 |
Vauclusewas a ferry onSydney Harbourthat served on theCircular QuaytoWatsons Bayrun. She was launched in 1905, and was one of the fastest ferries in Sydney. She was sent toNewcastleafter which her fate is unknown. She was named after the Sydney suburb,Vaucluse.
Background
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In 1790, a signal station was established atSouth Headand ships' boats were used to carry passengers and cargo to the area. As theWatsons BayandVaucluseareas grew,Edye Manningprovided a ferry to local hotel and picnic grounds. In 1876, a regular service was in place and run by W Harmer until 1881 withGolden RoseandSwanseaand by 1884 three competing companies were running ferries to the area includingGolden Rose,Swansea,Coombra,PhantomandVictor.Two of the companies combined in 1887 into the Watsons Bay and South Shore Steam Ferry Co Ltd, which in 1912 became the Watsons Bay and South Shore Ferry Co Ltd.
The company boughtBald Rockfrom the Balmain Company in 1900 and renamed itVaucluseuntil a new boat of the same name was built. She was sold back to the Balmain Company and was reverted toBald Rockin 1905 whenVaucluse(II) was introduced.King Edwardhad joined the fleet in 1901, and the company commissionedGreycliffein 1911 andWoollahrain 1913. The latter was delivered with high bows and raised wheelhouses having been intended for a short-lived Manly to Watsons Bay service.
Service history
[edit]The Watsons Bay and South Shore Ferry Company commissioned thenaval architectWalter Reeksto design a new vessel,Vaucluse,his first double-ended screw steamer. She was built in 1905 byRock DavisinBlackwall(Brisbane Water). The 121 ton, timber-hulled ferry could carry 500 passengers, and had a 70 hp steam engine by Chapman & Co. Ltd. This pushed her to bursts of 15 knots, which made her one of the fastest ferries on the harbour and ideal for the long run fromCircular QuaytoWatsons Bay.She carried a brass rooster on her jackmast to identify her as the fastest boat on the harbour, and was said to overtake larger Manly ferries on their way to Manly. However, she was expensive to run.
On a 5:35 pm service from Circular Quay on 4 October 1916 with 100 passengers aboard,Vauclusecollided with theRoyal Australian Navysteam yacht,Franklin.RoundingBennelong Pointand heading toGarden Island,she headed into a blinding rain squall.Franklinwas travelling the other way up the harbour and her sharp bow cut halfway through the ferry. As the boats separated, water rushed intoVaucluseand she began to sink. The passing Mosman ferry,Kirawa,was able to tow her to Garden Island where she was made fast.Vauclusewas kept a float using the dock's fire engine pumps, and the fireboatHydracame with more powerful pumps. Two passengers were injured and the remainder were to their destination byGreycliffe.
Vauclusewas taken over bySydney Ferries Limitedin 1920 when they bought out the Watsons Bay and South Shore Ferry Company. Three running mates,King Edward,Greycliffe,andWoollahra,were also included in the take over and the company's other ferries were sold.Greycliffewas sunk and 40 passengers killed ina 1927 collisionwith the linerTahiti.
With the Watsons Bay run declining for much of the 1920s due to competition from trams and private cars,WoollahraandVauclusewere sold in 1931, the latter to the Employees' Welfare Committee of theWalsh Island Dockyard & Engineering WorksinNewcastle,where she carried workers from Newcastle to the dockyard[1]prior to its closure in 1933.[2]Vauclusesurvived a storm in September 1934[3]but her fate after this is unknown. The Watsons Bay service was abandoned on 31 July 1933.King Edwardwas sold in 1934 andWoollahrawas used on other routes until 1934.
Citations
[edit]- ^"DOCKYARD EMPLOYEES".Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate.1931-08-31. p. 4.Retrieved2020-04-18.
- ^"PROTEST MEETING SUGGESTED".Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate.1933-01-20. p. 8.Retrieved2020-04-18.
- ^"SUNG PENG IN PORT, AFTER STORM TOSSED VOYAGE".Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate.1934-09-06. p. 5.Retrieved2020-04-18.
References
[edit]- Andrews, Graeme (1975).The Ferries of Sydney.A.H. & A.W. Reed Pty Ltd.ISBN0589071726.
- Andrews, Graeme (1982).A Pictorial History of Ferries: Sydney and Surrounding Waterways.Sydney: AH & AW Reed Pty Ltd.ISBN0589503863.
- Gunter, John (1978).Across the harbour: the story of Sydney's ferries.Rigby.ISBN0727007157.
- Prescott, AM (1984).Sydney Ferry Fleet.Magill South Australia: Ronald H Parsons.ISBN0909418306.
External links
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Media related toVaucluse (ship, 1905)at Wikimedia Commons