 | |
.jpg) MVShortland in September 2015 | |
| Locale | Newcastle, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Waterway | Hunter River |
| Owner | Transport for NSW |
| Operator | Newcastle Transport |
| System length | 600 metres |
| No. of vessels | 2 |
| No. of terminals | 2 |
| Website | www.newcastletransport.info |
TheStockton ferry service is a ferry service inNewcastle, New South Wales. Operated byNewcastle Transport under contract toTransport for NSW, it crosses theHunter River from the Newcastle CBD atQueens Wharf toStockton.
Prior to the construction of various road projects connecting the outer western suburbs ofNewcastle and crossing theHunter River, including theStockton Bridge, numerous ferry services, both privately run and publicly operated, shuttled across the Hunter River to link the locality ofStockton with the rest of Newcastle during the 19th and 20th centuries,[1] including a car ferry service from the former Market Street Wharf and Stockton.[2] This relatively vast network of wharves and services on the river included many wharves on the Newcastle foreshore,Bullock Island, the Stockton foreshore, andPort Waratah.[3]
The passenger ferry service that operated betweenQueens Wharf and Stockton, which runs in an area further downstream of the river from the bridge, is the only ferry service in Newcastle that still operates, surviving a wave of service decommissions prompted by the opening of the Stockton Bridge in 1971.[2] Having become unprofitable, it was discontinued in July 1982.[4] It was revived in February 1983 by theGovernment of New South Wales ownedNewcastle Buses & Ferries.[5] Initially theEdith Walter andWest Head, two ferries previously used by the former operator, were chartered to operate the service until two new vessels were delivered in 1986.[6][7]
In July 2017, it was included in the transfer of Newcastle Buses & Ferries' operations toNewcastle Transport.[8][9][10]
Ferries operate every 15 minutes during peak periods and every 20–30 minutes outside peak periods. No services operate during a period varying from 50 to 60 minutes at noon depending on the day of the week. The journey time between the two wharves is five minutes.[11]
| Name | Travel Time | Waterway | Serving Suburbs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton Ferry | ||||||
| Queens Wharf | dep. | Hunter River | Newcastle CBD | |||
| Stockton | 5 minutes | Stockton | ||||
The fleet comprises two 127 seat ferries built in 1986 at theCarrington Slipways,Tomago as single-deck versions of theFirst Fleet class built for theUrban Transit Authority for use onSydney Harbour at the same time.[7] Both were refurbished inPort Macquarie in 2018.[12]
| Name | Registration | MMSI | Shipyard no | Completed | Namesake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shortland | 24155 | 503006950 | 187 | May 1986 | John Shortland |
| Hunter | 15194 | 503707100 | 188 | June 1986 | John Hunter |
...as well as stairs for the various ferry-steamers travelling to Stockton, Bullock Island, Waratah and Raymond Terrace.
Media related toFerries in Newcastle, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons
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