Sydney Ferries
Encyclopedia
Sydney Ferries is an agency of the New South Wales Government
Department of Transport, providing ferry
services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River
in Sydney
, Australia
.
Having operated on Sydney Harbour and its related waterways since 1875, today Sydney Ferries carry over 14 million customers each year to destinations in and around Sydney.
Sydney Ferries can trace its roots as far back as the arrival of the First Fleet
at Sydney Cove
where in 1789, the first ferry service was established from the Cove to 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. Trips inland from Sydney Cove to Parramatta typically took up to one 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, the North Shore Ferry Company was established which operated the very first commercial ferry service across Sydney Harbour.
In 1899, ferry services were integrated into Sydney Ferries Limited, which became the world's largest ferry operator by fleet size. After the Sydney Harbour Bridge
opened on 19 March 1932, ferry patronage dropped almost overnight, decreasing from 30 to 13 million passengers per year.
In 1951, the NSW Government intervened in response to the financial difficulty of the operator and agreed to take over Sydney Ferries Limited.
In 2004, Sydney Ferries Corporation was formed out of the State Transit Authority. On 1 January 2009, Sydney Ferries became a NSW Government agency. In 2012, Sydney Ferries will be franchised under a plan by the NSW Government to improve ferry services.
There are also a number of privately-owned ferry companies providing services throughout NSW provided under a service contract with NSW Department of Transport (DoT) in line with the Passenger Transport Act 1990 (NSW).
As with all other NSW transport agencies, amendments to the Transport Administration Act 1988 (NSW) [TA Act] established a new framework for the administration and governance of the delivery of transport services and infrastructure.
The Sydney Ferries Board was abolished in line with the 2010 amendments to the TA Act and a new Audit and Risk Committee, independent from operational management or internal audit and risk management, was constituted.
The Executive of Sydney Ferries – formed by the Chief Executive, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the General Manager, Engineering and the General Counsel and Company Secretary – is responsible for organisational strategy, policy and performance and meets weekly to discuss operational, and performance issues. The members of the Executive are joined by the Director, Strategy and Communications; the Director, Human Resources; the Customer Relations Manager and the Facilities Manager.
Sydney Ferries entered into a seven year service contract with the NSW Department of Transport for the operation of ferry services in Sydney commencing 1 April 2010.
The contract sets out the service routes and schedules for operation by Sydney Ferries with all ticket revenue managed under the MyZone system.
Sydney Ferries maintains a strategic focus on three areas: safety, service and efficiency. Sydney Ferries also supports two of the priority outcomes under the NSW State Plan, being to improve the public transport system (through increased share of commute trips made by public transport), and to provide reliable public transport (by running 99.5% of ferry services on time).
Sydney Ferries is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), accredited with the NSW Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB). Sydney Ferries assures compliance with its international maritime safety training obligations under these RTO quality standards.
Passengers comprise a mixture of commuters and leisure travellers, travelling to 40 destinations over 20 hours per day, seven days per week.
Services on Saturdays (417 services) and Sundays (297 services) mainly cater for leisure travel. Demand is greatest on Sundays when a large number of Sydney residents and visitors take advantage of the popular $2.50 Family Funday Sunday tickets, which offer discounted travel for family groups.
The most popular destination is Manly with almost six million passengers travelling on this route in 2009-10.
Sydney Ferries record for a single day was last set on Sunday 2 January 2011, when 94,918 passenger validations were recorded across the harbour with almost half making the trip to Manly.
. The report of the Office of Transport Safety Investigations findings stated 'the Merinda was not exhibiting the navigation lights it was required to, it did not become visible to the Master of the Pam Burridge until it was too late for him to take effective collision-avoidance action, and ii. because a proper look-out was not maintained onboard the Merinda, the approach of the Pam Burridge was either not detected, or was detected in insufficient time for the Helmsman to give way to, or avoid, the ferry. The summary of the Coroner’s Report noted “It was the error made in failing to illuminate the navigation lights [on the private vessel Merinda] that allowed the other causal factors to align to create a cascading causal effect resulting in the collision.
The death toll of the accident was four, including a fourteen year-old girl. The passengers on the private vessel were a group from a figure skating
seminar at a local rink, who were on a sightseeing cruise of the harbour. Australian champion Sean Carlow
was among the survivors of the accident. His mother and coach, former Australian Olympic competitor Liz Cain, had her leg amputated, while one of the dead was a skating judge who had returned from officiating at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships
the previous week. On 3 April 2007, then Premier of New South Wales Morris Iemma
appointed Bret Walker, a Senior Counsel, to undertake a special commission of inquiry into Sydney Ferries' operations, following the HarbourCat tragedy.
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
Department of Transport, providing ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Having operated on Sydney Harbour and its related waterways since 1875, today Sydney Ferries carry over 14 million customers each year to destinations in and around Sydney.
History
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
at Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson , on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia....
where in 1789, the first ferry service was established from the Cove to the farming settlement of Parramatta.
The first ferry, officially named the Rose Hill Packet
Rose Hill Packet
The Rose Hill Packet named after the little packet boats, was a marine craft built in Australia, launched in Sydney Cove in September and commissioned on the 5 October 1789, intended for running the first Parramatta River trade ferry, passenger, cargo, and mail service between the Cove and the...
(otherwise known as 'The Lump'), was crafted by convicts and powered by sails and oars. Trips inland from Sydney Cove to Parramatta typically took up to one 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, the North Shore Ferry Company was established which operated the very first commercial ferry service across Sydney Harbour.
In 1899, ferry services were integrated into Sydney Ferries Limited, which became the world's largest ferry operator by fleet size. After the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
opened on 19 March 1932, ferry patronage dropped almost overnight, decreasing from 30 to 13 million passengers per year.
In 1951, the NSW Government intervened in response to the financial difficulty of the operator and agreed to take over Sydney Ferries Limited.
In 2004, Sydney Ferries Corporation was formed out of the State Transit Authority. On 1 January 2009, Sydney Ferries became a NSW Government agency. In 2012, Sydney Ferries will be franchised under a plan by the NSW Government to improve ferry services.
Structure and Governance
Sydney Ferries operates services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River as an agency of the NSW Department of Transport.There are also a number of privately-owned ferry companies providing services throughout NSW provided under a service contract with NSW Department of Transport (DoT) in line with the Passenger Transport Act 1990 (NSW).
As with all other NSW transport agencies, amendments to the Transport Administration Act 1988 (NSW) [TA Act] established a new framework for the administration and governance of the delivery of transport services and infrastructure.
The Sydney Ferries Board was abolished in line with the 2010 amendments to the TA Act and a new Audit and Risk Committee, independent from operational management or internal audit and risk management, was constituted.
The Executive of Sydney Ferries – formed by the Chief Executive, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the General Manager, Engineering and the General Counsel and Company Secretary – is responsible for organisational strategy, policy and performance and meets weekly to discuss operational, and performance issues. The members of the Executive are joined by the Director, Strategy and Communications; the Director, Human Resources; the Customer Relations Manager and the Facilities Manager.
Contract and Obligations
The contract sets out the service routes and schedules for operation by Sydney Ferries with all ticket revenue managed under the MyZone system.
Sydney Ferries maintains a strategic focus on three areas: safety, service and efficiency. Sydney Ferries also supports two of the priority outcomes under the NSW State Plan, being to improve the public transport system (through increased share of commute trips made by public transport), and to provide reliable public transport (by running 99.5% of ferry services on time).
Sydney Ferries is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), accredited with the NSW Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB). Sydney Ferries assures compliance with its international maritime safety training obligations under these RTO quality standards.
Maintenance
Sydney Ferries' fleet maintenance is conducted at the Sydney Ferries’ Maintenance Facility at Balmain Shipyard in Mort Bay. A major works upgrade to the shipyard was completed in February 2011 to improve operational safety, functionality and environmental compliance of the yard.Services
In 2009-10, 172,627 Sydney Ferries services were scheduled, carrying more than 14 million passengers.Passengers comprise a mixture of commuters and leisure travellers, travelling to 40 destinations over 20 hours per day, seven days per week.
Services on Saturdays (417 services) and Sundays (297 services) mainly cater for leisure travel. Demand is greatest on Sundays when a large number of Sydney residents and visitors take advantage of the popular $2.50 Family Funday Sunday tickets, which offer discounted travel for family groups.
The most popular destination is Manly with almost six million passengers travelling on this route in 2009-10.
Network
Patronage is generally highest in January with 1.71 million passengers travelling on Sydney Ferries in January 2011 and 1.53 million in January 2010.Sydney Ferries record for a single day was last set on Sunday 2 January 2011, when 94,918 passenger validations were recorded across the harbour with almost half making the trip to Manly.
Fleet
| Sydney Ferries fleet | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessel | Class | Service | Capacity | Speed | Length | Displacement | Routes | Origin of name |
| Collaroy | Freshwater | 1988 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70.4 m | 1140 t Tonne The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI... |
Manly | Collaroy Beach Collaroy, New South Wales Collaroy is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Collaroy is located 22 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Warringah Council and part of the Northern Beaches region... |
| Freshwater | Freshwater | 1982 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70.4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Freshwater Beach |
| Narrabeen | Freshwater | 1984 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70.4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Narrabeen Beach Narrabeen, New South Wales Narrabeen is a beachside suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Narrabeen is located 23 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Warringah Council and is part of the Northern Beaches region.-History:There are a... |
| Queenscliff | Freshwater | 1983 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70.4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Queenscliff Beach Queenscliff, New South Wales Queenscliff is a beachside suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Queenscliff is located 16 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Warringah Council and is part of the Northern Beaches region.- History... |
| Alexander | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Alexander Alexander (ship) The Alexander was a First Fleet transport of 452 tons, barque-built with quarterdeck, built at Hull in 1783. She was the largest transport ship in the First Fleet. Before leaving England, fever broke out on board, and sixteen men died. She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, carrying 195 male convicts.... , part of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Borrowdale | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Borrowdale Borrowdale (ship) The Borrowdale was a First Fleet storeship of 272 tons, built in Sunderland in 1785. She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, and arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia on 26 January 1788. She left Port Jackson on 14 July 1788 to return to England via Cape Horn... , part of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Charlotte | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Charlotte Charlotte (ship) The Charlotte was a First Fleet transport ship of 335 tons, built on the River Thames in 1787. She was a light sailer, and had to be towed down the English Channel for the first few days of the voyage... , part of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Fishburn | First Fleet | 1985 | 403 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Fishburn Fishburn (ship) The Fishburn was the largest of the three First Fleet storeships. She was built at Whitby in 1780, and was of 378 tons. Her master was Robert Brown. She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, and arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, on 26 January 1788... , part of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Friendship | First Fleet | 1986 | 403 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Friendship Friendship (ship) Friendship was an Australian First Fleet transport ship, built in Scarborough, England, in 1784.A brig of 278 tons, she was among the smallest of the transports. Her master was Francis Walton and surgeon Thomas Arndell. She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, carrying seventy-six male and twenty-one... , part of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Golden Grove | First Fleet | 1986 | 403 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Golden Grove Golden Grove (ship) The Golden Grove was a First Fleet storeship built at Whitby in 1780. Her master was William Sharp, while the Fleet's chaplain Richard Johnson and his wife and servant also travelled to New South Wales on this ship. She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, and arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney,... , part of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Scarborough | First Fleet | 1986 | 403 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Scarborough Scarborough (ship) 'Scarborough' was a transport ship of 430 tons, built at Scarborough in 1782. She formed part of the First Fleet, which commenced European settlement of Australia in 1788.... , part of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Sirius | First Fleet | 1984 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | HMS Sirius HMS Sirius (1786) HMS Sirius was the flagship of the First Fleet, which set out from Portsmouth, England, in 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales, Australia. Sirius was wrecked off the coast of Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean in 1790.... , flagship of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Supply | First Fleet | 1984 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | HMS Supply, part of the 1787 First Fleet First Fleet The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ... |
| Lady Herron | Lady Class | 1979 | 554 | 11 kn | 38.71 m | 287 t | Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo is the city zoo of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Officially opened on 7 October 1916, it is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman... |
Wife of Sir Leslie Herron, former Lieutenant Governor of NSW |
| Lady Northcott | Lady Class | 1974 | 815 | 12 kn | 43.79 m | 383 t | Taronga Zoo, Manly Relief Vessel & Cruises | Wife of Sir John Northcott, a NSW Governor |
| Betty Cuthbert | RiverCat | 1992 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Betty Cuthbert Betty Cuthbert Elizabeth Cuthbert AM, MBE is an Australian athlete, and a fourfold Olympic champion.... , Australian World Champion athlete |
| Dawn Fraser | RiverCat | 1992 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Dawn Fraser Dawn Fraser Dawn Fraser AO, MBE is an Australian champion swimmer. She is one of only two swimmers to win the same Olympic event three times – in her case the 100 meters freestyle.... , Australian World Champion swimmer |
| Evonne Goolagong | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Evonne Goolagong Evonne Goolagong Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley, AO, MBE is a former World No. 1 Australian female tennis player. She was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s, when she won 14 Grand Slam titles: seven in singles , six in women's doubles, and one in mixed doubles.-Early life:Goolagong is the... , Australian World Champion tennis player |
| Marlene Mathews | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Marlene Mathews, Australian World Champion athlete |
| Marjorie Jackson | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Marjorie Jackson Marjorie Jackson Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete... , Australian World Champion athlete |
| Nicole Livingstone | RiverCat | 1995 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Nicole Livingstone Nicole Livingstone Nicole Dawn Livingstone OAM is a retired Australian Olympic swimmer and a television sports commentator and radio presenter. Livingstone competed for Australia in three summer Olympics - 1988, 1992, and 1996 - winning both individual and team medals... , Australian World Champion swimmer |
| Shane Gould | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Shane Gould Shane Gould Shane Elizabeth Gould, MBE is an Australian former swimmer who won three gold medals, a silver and bronze in 1972 Summer Olympics. It was the greatest performance by an Australian at a single Olympics.-Biography:... ,Australian World Champion swimmer |
| Anne Sargeant | HarbourCat | 1998 | 150 | 22 kn | 29.6 m | 35 t | Inner Harbour/ Parramatta | Anne Sargeant Anne Sargeant Anne Sargeant, OAM, is a retired Australian netball player and current sports commentator. Sargeant played in the Australian national team from 1978–1988, captaining the side for six years.... , a netballer |
| Pam Burridge | HarbourCat | 1998 | 150 | 22 kn | 29.6 m | 35 t | Inner Harbour / Parramatta | Pam Burridge Pam Burridge Pam Burridge was one of the pioneers of women's surfing in Australia. She was born in 1965 and competed in her first competition in 1977. She continued competitive surfing up until 1999. Burridge won the women's World Surf Riding Championships in 1990.... , a surfer |
| Louise Sauvage | SuperCat | 2001 | 250 | 26 kn | 37.76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Louise Sauvage Louise Sauvage Alix Louise Sauvage OAM is an Australian paralympic wheelchair racer.Sauvage is often regarded as the most renowned disabled sportswoman in Australia. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic games in front of a home crowd... , a paralympian |
| Saint Mary MacKillop | SuperCat | 2000 | 250 | 26 kn | 37.76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Saint Mary MacKillop, Australia's firstsaint Saint A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth... cannonised in 2010 |
| SuperCat4 | SuperCat | 2001 | 250 | 26 kn | 37.76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | No name decided for this vessel |
| Susie O’Neill | SuperCat | 2000 | 250 | 26 kn | 37.76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Susie O’Neill Susan O'Neill Susan O'Neill is an Australian former competitive swimmer from Brisbane, Queensland. She was nicknamed "Madame Butterfly". She won the 200 m butterfly at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 200 m freestyle in Sydney. She trained under Scott Volkers at the Commercial Swimming Club in Brisbane... , a swimmer |
| Fantasea Crystal* | Fantasea Charter Vessel | 2002 | 222 | 22 kn | 23.94 m | 32 t | Parramatta River | N/A |
| Fantasea Spirit* | Fantasea Charter Vessel | 2002 | 222 | 22 kn | 23.94 m | 32 t | Parramatta River | N/A |
- Charter vessels on contract from Fantasea Palm Beach Ferry Company, however operate on behalf of Sydney Ferries
Incidents
On Wednesday, 28 March 2007, the Sydney Ferries HarbourCat Pam Burridge and a private vessel Merinda collided beneath the Sydney Harbour BridgeSydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
. The report of the Office of Transport Safety Investigations findings stated 'the Merinda was not exhibiting the navigation lights it was required to, it did not become visible to the Master of the Pam Burridge until it was too late for him to take effective collision-avoidance action, and ii. because a proper look-out was not maintained onboard the Merinda, the approach of the Pam Burridge was either not detected, or was detected in insufficient time for the Helmsman to give way to, or avoid, the ferry. The summary of the Coroner’s Report noted “It was the error made in failing to illuminate the navigation lights [on the private vessel Merinda] that allowed the other causal factors to align to create a cascading causal effect resulting in the collision.
The death toll of the accident was four, including a fourteen year-old girl. The passengers on the private vessel were a group from a figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
seminar at a local rink, who were on a sightseeing cruise of the harbour. Australian champion Sean Carlow
Sean Carlow
Sean Carlow is an Australian figure skater. He is the 2006-2007 Australian national champion. He also competed in pairs at the novice level, winning the 2001 novice title with Wafa Asmar....
was among the survivors of the accident. His mother and coach, former Australian Olympic competitor Liz Cain, had her leg amputated, while one of the dead was a skating judge who had returned from officiating at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships
2007 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships. Skaters compete in the...
the previous week. On 3 April 2007, then Premier of New South Wales Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
appointed Bret Walker, a Senior Counsel, to undertake a special commission of inquiry into Sydney Ferries' operations, following the HarbourCat tragedy.
- Two accidents were recorded in 2007. In January, one man was killed when a Sydney RiverCat collided with a dinghy, he later died in hospital. In March, a Sydney Ferries vessel crashed into a whale-watching ship before hitting Pyrmont Bridge in Darling Harbour.
- On 23 November 2008, at 5:15pm the Lady Northcott ran into the stern of Friendship while the former was berthing behind the latter at Circular Quay. No one was on board the Friendship, and no passengers were injured on the Lady Northcott.
- On 6 April 2009 the Lady Northcott crashed into rocks after it overshot Taronga ZooTaronga ZooTaronga Zoo is the city zoo of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Officially opened on 7 October 1916, it is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman...
wharf. No one was injured in the accident, and it was blamed on driver error.
- On 11 October 2010 at 8:47am the HarbourCat ferry Anne Sergeant ran into the Kirribilli Jeffrey Street Wharf. One passenger was taken to hospital with some other passengers receiving minor injuries.
- On Sunday, 7 November 2010, the Fantasea Spirit (owned and operated by Palm Beach FerriesPalm Beach FerryFantasea Palm Beach is a ferry boat company which is based in Palm Beach, a northern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The company operates scheduled ferry services, whale watching cruises and charters.-Fleet:...
, on loan to Sydney Ferries), was operating on the Parramatta River route when it crashed into a speedboat, near the Meadowbank Wharf. It is believed that the speedboat was attempting to play 'ChickenChicken (game)The game of chicken, also known as the hawk-dove or snowdrift game, is an influential model of conflict for two players in game theory...
' with the ferry, and lost control.