Darling Harbour Ferry Trip Guide
This ferry trip visits a number of harboursideside inner suburbs, all of which played a maqjor role in the development of both Sydney asnd the nation of Australia. Except for those on the lower north shore, all began live as industrial suburbs, hosting everything from shipyards to wharves, factories to warehouses, powerhouses to coal mines, not to mention the humble working men's cottages that today give these areas their unique character and appeal.
As the ferry departs Circular Quay it passes the Overseas Passenger Terminal, then the Sydney Harbour Bridge as it turns east and heads down the Harbour past the suburbs of Kirribilli, Neutral Bay and Cremorne Point.
Governor Phillip's first step upon arival of the First Fleet in 1788 was to fortify the entrance to Sydney Cove. He did this as much to provide defence should there be a convict uprising as to engage any enemy ships that might came in close to the town in a hostile manner. He gave the task to Lieutenant William Dawes, an Officer of Engineers and Artillery in the staff of Major Robert Ross of the detachment of Marines. As well as building the fort, Dawes established an observatory there. Remnants of more recent fortifications remain on the point below the Harbour Bridge approaches.
Acclaimed as one of the most remarkable feats of bridge construction in the world at the time it was built, until recently the Sydney Harbour Bridge was the longest single span steel arch bridge in the world and is still in a general sense the largest. Since its completion in 1932, it has been an icon and an internationally recognised symbol of the the city of Sydney.
The first sod was ceremoniously turned on the site of the North Sydney Railway Station on 28th July 1923. The acquisition and demolition of buildings in the path of the new bridge and its approaches on both the northern and southern shores commenced on 28th July 1924.
The bridge was opened to roadway, railway and pedestrian traffic by the then Premier of New South Wales, Mr JT Lang, on Saturday 19th March 1932. The time taken to complete the whole work, including bridge and approaches was eight years. The contract for the bridge construction provided for six months' maintenance by the contractors from the date of opening, after which maintenance became the responsibility of the State.
Built at a cost of $20 million, it was only paid off in 1988, much of the cost being raised by tolls placed on vehicular traffic using the bridge. Tolls collected after the bridge was paid for has gone towards the cost of the construction of the harbour tunnel.
One of Sydney's smallest suburbs, Milsons Point is 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, next to North Sydney. It is named after the geographical feature that juts into Sydney Harbour from the northern side, It is home to a number of Sydney's icons, including Luna Park, North Sydney Pool, the picturesque Lavender Bay and the northern pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
- Comprehensive Guide to Milsons Point.
- Comprehensive Guide to North Sydney.
- Comprehensive Guide to MacMahons Point.
- Comprehensive Guide to Balmain.
- Comprehensive Guide to Pyrmont.
North Sydney is both a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney. It sits across the waters of Sydney Harbour opposite Millers Point, 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district. Though dominated by commercial office towers, parts of old North Sydney still survive, and searching out the 19th century cottages in the back streets can be quite rewarding, especially forb those with an interest in the past.
The first peninsula to the east of Milsons Point and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, McMahons Point is named after Maurice McMahon, an Irish manufacturer of brushes and combs who, in 1864, built his home on the headland. The suburb of McMahons Point is flanked by Berrys Bay to the west and Lavender Bay to the east.
From MacMahons Point, the ferry cross back across the harbour past Goat Island to the suburb of Balmain. One of Sydney's iconic inner suburbs, it is one of Sydney's oldest industrial areas. Over time, industry left Balmain, and is now synonymous with avant garde cafes, bookshops and galleries. There are several renowned restaurants in Balmain, and the area is well-served by interestingly revamped former workers pubs, with music and other entertainment.
Since European settlement, Goat Island played an important and fascinating role in the development of Sydney's cityscape. In the 1800s, the island was used as a home for convict work gangs and as a gunpowder storage depot. Later, Goat Island was the site of the first water police station and harbour fire brigade. Following this, the island served as a shipyard, and in more recent years it has been a location for filming and concerts, including the television series 'Water Rats'. National Parks And Wildlife Service operate tours of the island from time to time.
See their website for details.
Within 2 km of the CBD and commanding outstanding Harbour views, Balmain is one of Sydney s oldest waterfront areas. It has a strong maritime, artistic and community/political heritage, and is today is well-served by interestingly revamped former workers pubs, with music and other entertainment. This all makes the Balmain Rozelle area one of the most fascinating and exciting areas to visit in Sydney.
At its peak the area had over 80 pubs! Today it still has something for everyone from traditional to trendy, neighbourhood friendly to chic and all serving a wide range of beers, ales and often cocktails. Make a night or day of it! The areas pubs are also great places to eat with a range of food from simple to sophisticated. Most pubs also cater for a variety of functions from christenings or birthdays to weddings to wakes or company events.
Balmain and its close neighbour - Birchgrove - is serviced by four ferry wharves - Balmain, Balmain East, Balmain West and Birchgrove, two of which are servied by this ferry. Balmain East Wharf is at the foot of Darling Street, the main street, which climbs its way up the hill and into the main shopping area. About a kilometre from the wharf you'll find the next kilometre is full of cafes, restaurants, character pubs, bookshops, galleries and antique shops.
Balmain Wharf, known by the locals as Thomas Street Wharf, is in an area where factories and shipyards lined the shores of Mort Bay, which was named after one of the most prominant business owners in the area, Thomas Sutcliff Mort. He operated a major shipbuilding yard here. His shipyard has now been replaced by modern houses and parkland, but the outline of his dry dock can be seen on the waterfront of Mort Bay Park, a reminder of days gone by.
Like Balmain, the ferry's next stop - Darling Harbour - was one of Sydney's busiest industrial areas in the 19th and early 20th centuries, during which time it was extensively developed into Australia's busiesr port. Containerisation changed everything, and by the early 1970s, became an industrial wasteland, like so many docklands around the world. The Darling Harbour port area, along with the neighbouring suburbs of Ultimo and Pyrmont, was totally redeveloped in time for Australia's bicentennial celebrartions (1988) into an area known for its recreational facilities and museums.
Darling Harbour is a precinct on the city's doorstep, encircling the first bay to the west from Sydney Cove. Once a busy port area surrounded by extensive railway marshalling yards, in the 1980s the whole are was razrd and totally rebuilt. Today, Darling Harbour is one of those places that not only attempts to be all things to all people it actually pulls it off. It was built primarily as recreational space for the people of Sydney, and fulfills that role so well, but it soon became aparent after its opening that its appeal extends to the city s visitors also. Thus, over the last 20 years the flavour of Darling Harbour has changed somewhat to accommodate the needs and requirements of the growing number of interstate and overseas visitors using its facilities. These include a number of hotels dotted around its preimiter.
Anyone familiar with 1980s Pyrmont would find it hard to believe that what had degenerated at that time into a blue-collar area surrounded by derelict industrial waterfronts was once a popular and picturesque picnic spot frequented by the early colonists of Sydney. But after being scarred beyond redemption by five decades of intensive quarrying on its shorelines, Pyrmont was given a new lease of life, and became the focus of Australia s largest urban renewal programme of the 1990s. Its redevlopment as an inner suburban residential area included the revamping warehouses, establishing parks and harbourside walkways, Star Casino, the National Maritime Museum and the Powerhouse Museum, all serviced by light rail which used a long abandoned goods railway line.
The ferry stops at both Darling Harbour and Pyrmont before making its return journey to Circular Quay.
