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Lady class
Lady Northcott at Circular Quay in July 2013
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Completed7
Active3
Laid up1
Scrapped3

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 five wooden-hulled double-ended ferries[a] that were operated on Sydney Harbour, from the 1910s to the early 1970s.

History

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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In the 1990s, the first three were withdrawn and placed in store at Rozelle Bay.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 It moved to the Solomon Islands in 2011.[7] Lady Street was withdrawn in October 2002.[10] and was sold in December 2004 to be broken up with her scrapping being completed at Goat Island in 2007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.[citation needed] After returning to Sydney, 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 her repaint, the Lady Northcott has operated harbour cruises for events such as New Year's and Vivid. On the 25th of January[year needed], Lady Northcott was renamed Wirawi, the Aboriginal word for woman. The rename was accompanied by traditional Aboriginal ceremonies and celebrations.[citation needed]

In May 2023 after being stored in Tin Can Bay for around 12 years, Lady Woodward was scrapped.[citation needed]

Lady Herron was broken up for scrap between April and May 2024 after a lack of interest was shown in purchasing the vessel for reuse.[12][better source needed][13][better source needed]

Vessels

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Name Image MMSI Date launched Namesake Status
Lady Cutler 503334800 10 August 1968 Helen Cutler Active, Port Phillip[14]
Lady Woodward 7027813 19 October 1970 Eric Woodward Scrapped in May 2023[citation needed]
Lady McKell 7029122 19 October 1970 William McKell Renamed Victoria Star, active Port Phillip[15]
Lady Wakehurst 7343449 6 July 1974 John Wakehurst Laid up in Avi Avi Marina Solomon Islands.[citation needed]
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.[16]
Lady Street 7810806 8 May 1979 Laurence Street Withdrawn October 2002.[10][17] Scrapped at Goat Island, Sydney in 2007.[citation needed]
Lady Herron 503601000 23 August 1979 Leslie Herron Withdrawn October 2017, Harbour City Ferries[18] Scrapped in May 2024.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Refers to Lady Chelmsford, Lady Denman, Lady Ferguson, Lady Edeline, and Lady Scott.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Fifty Years of Sydney's Public Ferries Archived 5 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Afloat Magazine May 2009
  2. ^ a b History Lady Cutler
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "History Victoria Star". Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  5. ^ Sydney Ferries Fleet Facts Archived 2015-04-12 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW
  6. ^ a b Mead, Tom (1988). Manly Ferries. Brookvale: Child & Associates. pp. 166–167. ISBN 0 86777 091 0.
  7. ^ a b Squat new ferry Lady Wakehurst kept the Manly service afloat Manly Daily 31 October 2014
  8. ^ Home Archived 23 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Victoria Star Cruises
  9. ^ Introducing the Bay's new Lady Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Fraser Coast Chronicle 24 December 2010
  10. ^ a b Lady's not for returning: budget worries cuts ferry fleet Sydney Morning Herald 17 September 2003
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "MV Lady Herron - SCRAPPING UPDATE [PART 8]: HUGE UPDATE". www.youtube.com. 27 April 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  13. ^ "MV Lady Herron - SCRAPPING UPDATE [PART 11]". www.youtube.com. 11 May 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  14. ^ Lady Cutler Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ferries of Sydney
  15. ^ Lady McKell Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ferries of Sydney
  16. ^ Lady Northcott Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ferries of Sydney
  17. ^ "Lady Street names her namesake" Sydney Morning Herald 9 May 1979
  18. ^ Lady Herron Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ferries of Sydney
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Media related to Lady ferry class at Wikimedia Commons

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