 asNorth Head onSydney Harbour, 1972 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | |
| Operator | |
| Port of registry | Sydney |
| Route | Manly |
| Builder | Mort's Dock |
| Cost | £32,000 |
| Yard number | 39 |
| Launched | 8 May 1913 |
| In service | 20 September 1913 |
| Out of service | 12 December 1985 |
| Identification | IMO number: 5256939 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 499 GRT |
| Decks | 2 |
| Capacity | 1,262 |
MVNorth Head (formerlySSBarrenjoey) was aferry operated by thePort Jackson & Manly Steamship Company and its successors on theManly service from 1913 until 1985.
The vessel was launched asBarrenjoey, asteamer and one of the sixBinngarra-type Manly ferries which were built between 1905 and 1922. In 1951, she was converted to diesel-electric power, completely rebuilt and renamedNorth Head. She was removed from service in 1985 following the introduction of theFreshwater-class ferries. She spent time in Hobart as a floating restaurant and, in 2000, she was taken toCairns where she remains grounded and in deteriorating condition.
The name "Barrenjoey" was taken fromthe headland at the northern tip ofPittwater. "North Head" isthe northern headland at the entrance toSydney Harbour.
The Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company's fleet transitioned comparatively late to screw propelled vessels and the fleet comprised mostly paddle steamers until the early years of the twentieth century. The difficulty of turning in the narrow bays of Sydney Harbour—particularly in the busy Circular Quay terminus inSydney Cove—required the use of double-ended vessels. However, a double-ended screw configuration was particularly difficult for the fine bows that Manly ferries required for both speed and heavy seas. Further, a propeller at the leading forward end of a vessel reduced speed considerably. In the prosperous early twentieth century, this speed drawback was overcome by increasing engine size and power.
The first screw ferries on the Manly run were two innovativeWalter Reeks-designed vessels; theSS Manly (1896) andSS Kuring-gai (1901), which were to become the fore-runners of theBinngarra-class ferries. They both had highforecastles at either to help her run through the deep-sea conditions across theSydney Heads. The steel-hulledKuring-gai was larger and she further refined the basic design to be similar to the subsequent and largerBinngarra-class vessels.Manly andKuring-gai had both, however, followed paddle steamer design with their bridges around the midshipsfunnels. Whereas theBinngarra-class vessels would have their wheelhouses at either end of their promenade decks.
TheBinngarra-class ferries,Binngarra (1905),Burra-Bra (1908),Bellubera (1910),Balgowlah (1912),Barrenjoey (1913) andBaragoola (1922), were designed byMort's Dock and Engineering, initially under the guidance of former chief draughtsman Andrew Christie. The first five were built at Mort'sWoolwich yard andBaragoola was built at theBalmain yard. They were among the largest ships built in Australian yards at the time and, on the admission of Mort's executives, were built by the dock more for prestige than profit. Build costs were higher in Australia than in the United Kingdom, but this was offset by the cost of sailing them out to Australia.
FollowingBellubera's success (she was bigger and faster than the precedingBinngarra andBurra-Bra), in 1911 the Company placed an order for two new vessels,Balgowlah andBarrenjoey, which were largely the same design. The three would represent the largest, fastest and most refined of the sixBinngarra-class vessels. Like the previous four of the class,Barrenjoey was built byMort's Dock at theirWoolwich yard.
The three vessels all had riveted steel hulls with single screws at either end, and steam steering equipment.Barrenjoey was 500 tons, 64.0 metres (210 ft 0 in) in length and had a passenger capacity of 1,512. Her 112-horsepower triple expansion steam engines were also built by Mort's Dock could push her at up to 15 knots. The vessels had "navy-type" boilers with corrugated furnaces in both.
The ships' promenade (upper) decks were entirely open except for two small shelters and the canopy formed by the sun deck. All of theBinngarra class would later have their upper decks enclosed except the first two,Binngarra andBurra Bra. The main (lower) decks were enclosed and had outside perimeter seating. The two decks were connected by two double internal staircases. The ladies' cabin was located at the aft end of the main deck, while the crew spaces were placed on a flat forward of the boiler room. Electric lighting was fitted throughout.
Barrenjoey was launched on 8 May 1913 by the daughter of Mr. B. McBride (a director of the Port Jackson Company). The name "Barrenjoey" was taken fromthe headland at the northern tip ofPittwater. Her sea trials were run on 17 September 1913 from nearLong Nose Point to the Sow and Pigs and back. A newspaper report said that she exceeded the speed stipulated in the contract by one knot. Following the trials, guests of the company were entertained at a luncheon held on board with her moored offCremorne Point. The chairman noted that since the paddle steamerNarrabeen (1886), the combined value of new steamers delivered by Mort's Dock for the company was £170,000. In 1901, the fleet comprised five steamers with a combined capacity of 4,300 passengers. Twelve years later withBarrenjoey's introduction, there were eight vessels with a combined capacity of 10,500. The new steamer was placed in service on 20 September 1913, at which time the company's capacity was sufficient andBaragoola wasn't delivered until 1922.[1]
The cost and difficulty of replacing the large steel-hulled Manly ferries saw them upgraded and modified rather than replaced. In line with regulations requiring improved crew accommodation, facilities were progressively removed from the poorly ventilated spaces below the main deck. In the 1920s,Barrenjoey along withBellubera,Balgowlah andBaragoola had officers' cabins attached to their wheelhouses. In the 1940s additional cabins were added to the wheelhouses for the entire crews, which affected the vessels' stability and resulted in reduced passenger capacities from the 1950s.[1] Also in the 1920s,Barrenjoey and the rest of theBinngarra-class ferries were fitted with small cafeterias below the main deck aft, but the cafeterias were removed from the vessels in the 1930s.[1]
In August 1930,Barrenjoey had much of her open upper deck enclosed with reversible and upholstered seating provided, making the vessels more suitable for the heavy business traffic, and was of benefit to the travelling public during the colder months and at night.[2][3][4]Balgowlah,Bellubera andBaragoola also received enclosed upper decks between 1931 and 1932; however, the olderBinngarra andBurra-Bra did not receive the upgrade.[1]Curl Curl andDee Why (both 1928) had been built with the enclosed upper saloon.
In 1946, the company decided to convertBalgowlah andBarrenjoey from steam to diesel-electric propulsion, as the cost of replacing the two vessels with new boats was by then prohibitive to the company.Barrenjoey's last trip as a steamer was on 12 April 1948, when she was withdrawn from service for a survey, which subsequently failed her boilers. By 30 June 1949, the ferry's original builder, Mort's Dock and Engineering, had fitted new hull plates, altered the hull framing and provided foundation beds for the new equipment. Post-war shortages of labour and materials prolonged the work and increased costs to £261,772 which almost bankrupted the company.
Four seven-cylinderBritish Thomson-Houston diesel engines were provided which drove twoEnglish Electric electric engines. Her new engines generated 2,000 bhp and could push her to 16 knots. Her tall single-steam funnel was replaced with two short funnels. Her formerly timber superstructure was completely rebuilt with a fully enclosed steel upper deck, wheelhouses further extended, and bows rebuilt to resemble theSouth Steyne's (1938). With the exception of the outside seating on the main deck, all seating was enclosed and upholstered. The camber on the upper deck was removed, and with the transverse seating being removable, it was possible to hold dances on board while limited catering facilities were provided.[1]
The vessel's new gross and net tonnages was 465.66 and 183.78, respectively. She was permitted to carry 904 on the main deck and 358 persons on the promenade deck with a total seated capacity of 1,005. The rebuild also provided a raked bow and stern in place of the former straight stems. Following sea trials on the 5 May 1951, she was commissioned on 7 May 1951 having been renamedNorth Head. The vessel's stability had been affected by the new heavier steel superstructure and larger wheelhouses. Life rafts were moved from the sun deck to the fore and aft ends of the promenade deck and sections of the bulwarks were hinged to allow the wooden rafts to be pushed overboard.
The last fourBinngarra-class ferries (Balgowlah,Bellubera,Barrenjoey andBaragoola) were all to be modernised and converted to diesel-electric propulsion. However, the company's post-war economic difficulties and the cost of theBarrenjoey's rebuild and diesel conversion almost bankrupted the company. As such,Balgowlah was decommissioned and sold to ship breakers in 1953 and the engines acquired for her went toBaragoola. Upgrades toBellubera andBaragoola in future years were much more modest in scope retaining their original hull shape and timber superstructures.Bellubera was withdrawn from service in 1973.
In 1964, it was sent toMelbourne under her own power for theMoomba Festival for six weeks. It returned to Melbourne in 1965 and 1967.[2][3][4]North Head andBaragoola were included in the sale of the Manly ferry business toBrambles in April 1972 (South Steyne was not). With Brambles having allowed the ferries' condition and service to deteriorate while suggesting that the service would be closed completely, thePublic Transport Commission took over the service in December 1974 acquiringNorth Head andBaragoola.[2][3] With the arrive of the first twoFreshwater-class ferries in 1982 and 1983,Baragoola was retired. In 1984, a third new ferry,Narrabeen, arrived and with the new ferries having settled down,North Head was withdrawn on 12 December 1985, 72 years after entering service.
On 26 March 1987,North Head departed under its own steam forHobart for use as a floating restaurant and convention centre. She underwent significant restoration; however, the venture failed. In 2000, it was sold and moved toCairns to be used in the same manner. However, after the venture failed, the ship rotted in a Cairns dock until 2005, when it was sold oneBay to a landscape contractor, who dug a pit and put it in his front yard.
Over her 73 years as a Sydney Harbour ferry,Barrenjoey/North Head had her fair share of largely minor collisions and other incidents:[2]
Media related toIMO 5256939 at Wikimedia Commons16°57′13″S145°47′51″E / 16.953601°S 145.797374°E /-16.953601; 145.797374
