History of the Baragoola - "Flood Tide"
In the beginning
On the 7th of October 1920, the manager of the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company (F J Doran) wrote the following letter to the manager of Mort's Dock & Engineering Company at Balmain:
"Dear Sir,
I am instructed by my Board to acknowledge your letter of the
30th ultimo (ed - September) offering to construct a double-
ended screw steamer of the Barrenjoey type, length 199 ft,
breadth 34 ft and depth 14 ft 4 inches, and all other particulars
as per your letter. My Board will accept your offer to build the
vessel for the sum of seventy two thousand pounds under the
conditions mentioned in your letter, the time to finalise the
work to be 18 months from the landing of the material."
The agreed upon contract stated that the new vessel was to be broadly the same as the Barrenjoey with modifications taken into account for her shorter and wider lines.
The new vessel would be called Baragoola, an Aboriginal word meaning Flood Tide.
Baragoola's hull was launched on Valentine's Day (14th February) 1922 by Mrs Hunter McPherson and was the eighth Manly ferry built over a period of 35 years. She was also the 41st Mort's vessel built.
Her first sea trial was on the 11th of August, 1922.
On the 31st of August 1922, having completed her fit-out and speed trials, she was delivered to her new owners.
She would be the last Manly ferry constructed in Australia for another 62 years.
Motive power
Baragoola's original engines were three cylinder, triple-expansion steam engines, supplied and built by Mort's. They deliver 1300 horsepower and drove her at a maximum speed of 15 knots. The steam to drive her was supplied by two boilers. As built, she was (like her sisters), a coal buner. In the 1930's an attempt was made to trial her on burning pulverised coal. This had the unwanted effect of covering the ferry and her passengers in coal dust and was abandonded. For a brief time starting in 1939 she was converted to burn tar but was reverted to coal when tar became expensive during World War 2. In December of 1958 she was returned to her builder to be fitted with new engines originally destined for the older Balgowlah.
A little over two years later she returned to service sporting a new top speed of 16 knots and being powered by four English Electric seven cylinder diesel electric generators driving electric motors at her bow and stern.
Changing looks
When built the Baragoola had the same look as her older siblings; a closed in lower deck and completely open promenade deck. Baragoola became the first of the manly fleet to have her promenade deck enclosed in the early 1930's. This refit also extended the crew accomodation behind her wheel-houses. The only other change made to her lines was the change from her tall smoke stack to a shorter funnel following her conversion to diesel-electric. Baragoola still maintains what is basically the same look she has had for nearly 80 years. Baragoola was also the first Manly ferry to lose the distinctive bottle green colour scheme that had branded the fleet for nearly a century when, in 1974, she was painted in the blue and white of the PTC. The new colour scheme didn't exactly improve her looks, being described by one observer as having the look of an Italian fishing fleet.
Misadventures
Baragoola led a reasonably uneventful life during her service on the Manly run.
Her first stoush with trouble came on 24/12/1926 when she collided with the Kosciusko off Kirribilli Point. Needless to say, Kosciuko suffered more damage. The Marine Court later found that the master of the Kosciusko was at fault.
On the 12/09/1927 Baragoola ran down a lifeboat from the liner Ville D'Amiens that was anchored in Athol Bight. The accident threw five people in the small boat into the water, one later required hospitilisation for shock. Fortunately no deaths resulted from the accident.
Baragoola holds the dubious "record" of hitting the strangest object in the harbour when she hit a whale on 28/08/1934 which ended up causing no end of grief for several days afterwards. The ferry sliced into the whale & almost came to a halt due to the impact, no damage to the Baragoola, but the same could not be said of the whale. After the collision near the Heads, the whale swam off towards Flagstaff Point, trailing a wake of blood in its path. After being spotted following an erratic path, observers lost sight of the whale until three days later, when the carcass surfaced near Old Mans Hat. It was towed out to sea, but by evening had drifted to within a kilometre of Bondi Beach. The whale was then towed out to around five kilometres off the coast, but by next morning, it was drifting back towards The Heads. The carcass was again towed well out to sea, however, two days later it was back again on the rocks at South Head. Again, it was towed out to sea, this time nearly 18 kilometres. A report at the time had the Harbour Master saying "We'll get rid of it this time if we have to take it to New Zealand". But next day, it was back, this time stranding at the entrance to Botany Bay. On the 5th of September, the whale was towed around 25km out to sea & finally, after 9 days, was never seen again.
Baragoola twice managed to overshoot her birth at Circular Quay during her career. Both times saw her collide with the footpath but fortunately, little damage was done. This is a perennial pastime for ferries; in days past the ferry was simply backed (or pulled) out and went about its business. Nowadays if it happens a full accident investigation with countless recommendations is held.
Times change.
In 1973 the Opera House was opened and a week later the Baragoola was nearly lost. Just out from a refit, she began taking on water faster than it could be pumped out. She limped into the Quay, unloaded her passengers and was rushed off to Balmain. Only the attentions of the local fire brigade prevented her from sinking. As it turned out, one of the Baragoola's two pumps was not working and the bilge pump could not cope with the amount of water she was taking on after springing a leak. The pump was repaired and the suspect hull plate was patched. Baragoola had over a dozen patches by the time she left service; contrast this with the North Head which had none.
On 23/06/1972 ferry services to Manly were suspended due to rough weather. Wind gusts of up to 100 km/h were recorded and wave heights measured 12 metres inside the Heads. Baragoola had seats torn out, 10 metres of the South Steyne's bulwark was ripped off, windows and a door on the Bellubera were damaged and a bollard on the hydrofoil Fairlight was snapped off. One passenger on the Baragoola suffered head injuries. Today's Freshwater class ferries are incapable of operating in conditions like those.
Three people attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the Baragoola, only one succeeded.
Final run
MV Baragoola operated her last run from Circular Quay to Manly on the 8th of January 1983. She carried a huge number of passengers on her last trip - so many that there were people standing on the roof of the promenade deck. For her las trip a pennant bearing the name "Baragoola" streamed from her front mast and she carried on her rear mast the house flag of the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company. No other Manly ferry has received the send-off that she received. As was traditional with the Port Jackson Company vessels, she operated bow first to Manly.
Retirement
Prior to her retirement in 1983 plans were already afoot to preserve the vessel. As early as 1980 a group of Manly businessmen had wanted to aquire her for use as a floating museum, permanently moored at Manly. The Manly Chamber of Commerce opposed the plan believing that it would be an eyesore.
In March 1983 an offer of $100k was made for the ferry by a Fairlight man who wanted to turn her into a floating restaurant. This time Manly Council blocked the attempt as they didn't want something as large as the Baragoola permanently moored in Manly Cove where, they claimed, "it could obstruct the possible rebuilding of the harbour pool and be in the way of ferries and water taxi operations."
By late 1983 she was tied up at Cockatoo Island (the same berth would later be used by North Head after her withdrawal in 1987) looking neglected. Negotiations with a group from Melbourne who wanted to use her as a floating attraction had fallen through.
At the end of 1983 she was solf for $12k to the Eureka Education Foundation who planned to use her as Australia's first floating university. However permission was not granted for her to use public wharves and this fell through as well.
Finally in 1988 she was sold to David Ashton (Waterview Wharf Pty Ltd) and moved to Rozelle Bay. Later she was moved to Simmons Wharf, Mort's Bay. In the next fifteen years Mr Ashton spent one million dollars on refurbishing her until Baragoola was evicted from her home following the demolition of her berth. The demolition also damaged her hull.
On 17/01/2003 she was moved to the Balls Head Coal Loader at Berry's Bay. Mr Ashton stated in an interview that he has abandoned it, blaming bureaucrats and damage to the hull during the demolition in 2003.
"People ask me every day what's happening with it," he said. "I haven't been across there in two years. It upsets me too much. I haven't got the strength any more. I will just leave it there." (Sydney Morning Herald 23/06/2006).
Grays Online are auctioning the ferry starting on the 17th of November, 2008.
Comparison
The following table is a comparison of three Manly ferries; Baragoola, South Steyne and Freshwater. The first and third are Australian built vessels, the middle was built in Scotland. Speed representations are top speed, not cruising speed. There is a common misconception that all early Manly ferries were built in the UK due to the high profile of the South Steyne and the twinned Curl Curl and Dee Why. South Steyne is also slower than the twins.
Masters of the Baragoola
This is not a complete list of all of Baragoola's capatains, I would appreciate any help in fleshing this out.
Ron Hart, Russell (Rus) Jones (1968 - 1983), Alan Victor Hobbs, Roger Smith, John Hart (first master in 1922), J Clarke (1926), Jack Parsons (relieving master under Ron Hart), Graeme Andrews (1980).
Heritage value
Baragoola is heritage listed, the following quote is from the heritage report that can be found here.
"M.V. Baragoola provides rare evidence of the large ferry system which stimulated the growth of suburban Sydney, the development of its recreational patterns and the formation of its popular urban culture. It is a surviving example of a characteristic twentieth century Manly steamer demonstrating evolution of technology for fast double-ended navigation in deep-sea conditions. The fabric demonstrates the changing nature of service over the period, 1922-1983. The machinery technology is unique in the Australian shipping industry. It is an extremely rare surviving example of ship construction by Mort's Dock & Engineering Co. Ltd. Superstructure in good repair, but hull requires replating and stabilisation."
Time line of Manly ferries
As a comparison, this table shows the "life cycles" of all Manly ferries since the iconic Brighton. This list does not include the contemporary Lady class vessels, hydrofoils or Cats. Ferries in blue are Australian built, red denotes a foreign built vessel.
On the 7th of October 1920, the manager of the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company (F J Doran) wrote the following letter to the manager of Mort's Dock & Engineering Company at Balmain:
"Dear Sir,
I am instructed by my Board to acknowledge your letter of the
30th ultimo (ed - September) offering to construct a double-
ended screw steamer of the Barrenjoey type, length 199 ft,
breadth 34 ft and depth 14 ft 4 inches, and all other particulars
as per your letter. My Board will accept your offer to build the
vessel for the sum of seventy two thousand pounds under the
conditions mentioned in your letter, the time to finalise the
work to be 18 months from the landing of the material."
The agreed upon contract stated that the new vessel was to be broadly the same as the Barrenjoey with modifications taken into account for her shorter and wider lines.
The new vessel would be called Baragoola, an Aboriginal word meaning Flood Tide.
Baragoola's hull was launched on Valentine's Day (14th February) 1922 by Mrs Hunter McPherson and was the eighth Manly ferry built over a period of 35 years. She was also the 41st Mort's vessel built.
Her first sea trial was on the 11th of August, 1922.
On the 31st of August 1922, having completed her fit-out and speed trials, she was delivered to her new owners.
She would be the last Manly ferry constructed in Australia for another 62 years.
Motive power
Baragoola's original engines were three cylinder, triple-expansion steam engines, supplied and built by Mort's. They deliver 1300 horsepower and drove her at a maximum speed of 15 knots. The steam to drive her was supplied by two boilers. As built, she was (like her sisters), a coal buner. In the 1930's an attempt was made to trial her on burning pulverised coal. This had the unwanted effect of covering the ferry and her passengers in coal dust and was abandonded. For a brief time starting in 1939 she was converted to burn tar but was reverted to coal when tar became expensive during World War 2. In December of 1958 she was returned to her builder to be fitted with new engines originally destined for the older Balgowlah.
A little over two years later she returned to service sporting a new top speed of 16 knots and being powered by four English Electric seven cylinder diesel electric generators driving electric motors at her bow and stern.
Changing looks
When built the Baragoola had the same look as her older siblings; a closed in lower deck and completely open promenade deck. Baragoola became the first of the manly fleet to have her promenade deck enclosed in the early 1930's. This refit also extended the crew accomodation behind her wheel-houses. The only other change made to her lines was the change from her tall smoke stack to a shorter funnel following her conversion to diesel-electric. Baragoola still maintains what is basically the same look she has had for nearly 80 years. Baragoola was also the first Manly ferry to lose the distinctive bottle green colour scheme that had branded the fleet for nearly a century when, in 1974, she was painted in the blue and white of the PTC. The new colour scheme didn't exactly improve her looks, being described by one observer as having the look of an Italian fishing fleet.
Misadventures
Baragoola led a reasonably uneventful life during her service on the Manly run.
Her first stoush with trouble came on 24/12/1926 when she collided with the Kosciusko off Kirribilli Point. Needless to say, Kosciuko suffered more damage. The Marine Court later found that the master of the Kosciusko was at fault.
On the 12/09/1927 Baragoola ran down a lifeboat from the liner Ville D'Amiens that was anchored in Athol Bight. The accident threw five people in the small boat into the water, one later required hospitilisation for shock. Fortunately no deaths resulted from the accident.
Baragoola holds the dubious "record" of hitting the strangest object in the harbour when she hit a whale on 28/08/1934 which ended up causing no end of grief for several days afterwards. The ferry sliced into the whale & almost came to a halt due to the impact, no damage to the Baragoola, but the same could not be said of the whale. After the collision near the Heads, the whale swam off towards Flagstaff Point, trailing a wake of blood in its path. After being spotted following an erratic path, observers lost sight of the whale until three days later, when the carcass surfaced near Old Mans Hat. It was towed out to sea, but by evening had drifted to within a kilometre of Bondi Beach. The whale was then towed out to around five kilometres off the coast, but by next morning, it was drifting back towards The Heads. The carcass was again towed well out to sea, however, two days later it was back again on the rocks at South Head. Again, it was towed out to sea, this time nearly 18 kilometres. A report at the time had the Harbour Master saying "We'll get rid of it this time if we have to take it to New Zealand". But next day, it was back, this time stranding at the entrance to Botany Bay. On the 5th of September, the whale was towed around 25km out to sea & finally, after 9 days, was never seen again.
Baragoola twice managed to overshoot her birth at Circular Quay during her career. Both times saw her collide with the footpath but fortunately, little damage was done. This is a perennial pastime for ferries; in days past the ferry was simply backed (or pulled) out and went about its business. Nowadays if it happens a full accident investigation with countless recommendations is held.
Times change.
In 1973 the Opera House was opened and a week later the Baragoola was nearly lost. Just out from a refit, she began taking on water faster than it could be pumped out. She limped into the Quay, unloaded her passengers and was rushed off to Balmain. Only the attentions of the local fire brigade prevented her from sinking. As it turned out, one of the Baragoola's two pumps was not working and the bilge pump could not cope with the amount of water she was taking on after springing a leak. The pump was repaired and the suspect hull plate was patched. Baragoola had over a dozen patches by the time she left service; contrast this with the North Head which had none.
On 23/06/1972 ferry services to Manly were suspended due to rough weather. Wind gusts of up to 100 km/h were recorded and wave heights measured 12 metres inside the Heads. Baragoola had seats torn out, 10 metres of the South Steyne's bulwark was ripped off, windows and a door on the Bellubera were damaged and a bollard on the hydrofoil Fairlight was snapped off. One passenger on the Baragoola suffered head injuries. Today's Freshwater class ferries are incapable of operating in conditions like those.
Three people attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the Baragoola, only one succeeded.
Final run
MV Baragoola operated her last run from Circular Quay to Manly on the 8th of January 1983. She carried a huge number of passengers on her last trip - so many that there were people standing on the roof of the promenade deck. For her las trip a pennant bearing the name "Baragoola" streamed from her front mast and she carried on her rear mast the house flag of the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company. No other Manly ferry has received the send-off that she received. As was traditional with the Port Jackson Company vessels, she operated bow first to Manly.
Retirement
Prior to her retirement in 1983 plans were already afoot to preserve the vessel. As early as 1980 a group of Manly businessmen had wanted to aquire her for use as a floating museum, permanently moored at Manly. The Manly Chamber of Commerce opposed the plan believing that it would be an eyesore.
In March 1983 an offer of $100k was made for the ferry by a Fairlight man who wanted to turn her into a floating restaurant. This time Manly Council blocked the attempt as they didn't want something as large as the Baragoola permanently moored in Manly Cove where, they claimed, "it could obstruct the possible rebuilding of the harbour pool and be in the way of ferries and water taxi operations."
By late 1983 she was tied up at Cockatoo Island (the same berth would later be used by North Head after her withdrawal in 1987) looking neglected. Negotiations with a group from Melbourne who wanted to use her as a floating attraction had fallen through.
At the end of 1983 she was solf for $12k to the Eureka Education Foundation who planned to use her as Australia's first floating university. However permission was not granted for her to use public wharves and this fell through as well.
Finally in 1988 she was sold to David Ashton (Waterview Wharf Pty Ltd) and moved to Rozelle Bay. Later she was moved to Simmons Wharf, Mort's Bay. In the next fifteen years Mr Ashton spent one million dollars on refurbishing her until Baragoola was evicted from her home following the demolition of her berth. The demolition also damaged her hull.
On 17/01/2003 she was moved to the Balls Head Coal Loader at Berry's Bay. Mr Ashton stated in an interview that he has abandoned it, blaming bureaucrats and damage to the hull during the demolition in 2003.
"People ask me every day what's happening with it," he said. "I haven't been across there in two years. It upsets me too much. I haven't got the strength any more. I will just leave it there." (Sydney Morning Herald 23/06/2006).
Grays Online are auctioning the ferry starting on the 17th of November, 2008.
Comparison
The following table is a comparison of three Manly ferries; Baragoola, South Steyne and Freshwater. The first and third are Australian built vessels, the middle was built in Scotland. Speed representations are top speed, not cruising speed. There is a common misconception that all early Manly ferries were built in the UK due to the high profile of the South Steyne and the twinned Curl Curl and Dee Why. South Steyne is also slower than the twins.
| Ferry |
Years in service |
Length |
Weight |
Capacity |
Speed |
| Baragoola |
1922 - 1983 |
60.45 m |
506 mt |
1523 |
16 knots |
| South Steyne |
1938 - 1974 |
66.70 m |
1222 mt |
1781 |
17 knots |
| Freshwater |
1982 - |
70.03 m |
1140 mt |
1100 |
18 knots |
Masters of the Baragoola
This is not a complete list of all of Baragoola's capatains, I would appreciate any help in fleshing this out.
Ron Hart, Russell (Rus) Jones (1968 - 1983), Alan Victor Hobbs, Roger Smith, John Hart (first master in 1922), J Clarke (1926), Jack Parsons (relieving master under Ron Hart), Graeme Andrews (1980).
Heritage value
Baragoola is heritage listed, the following quote is from the heritage report that can be found here.
"M.V. Baragoola provides rare evidence of the large ferry system which stimulated the growth of suburban Sydney, the development of its recreational patterns and the formation of its popular urban culture. It is a surviving example of a characteristic twentieth century Manly steamer demonstrating evolution of technology for fast double-ended navigation in deep-sea conditions. The fabric demonstrates the changing nature of service over the period, 1922-1983. The machinery technology is unique in the Australian shipping industry. It is an extremely rare surviving example of ship construction by Mort's Dock & Engineering Co. Ltd. Superstructure in good repair, but hull requires replating and stabilisation."
Time line of Manly ferries
As a comparison, this table shows the "life cycles" of all Manly ferries since the iconic Brighton. This list does not include the contemporary Lady class vessels, hydrofoils or Cats. Ferries in blue are Australian built, red denotes a foreign built vessel.
| Ferry |
Launched |
Disposed |
Age (2008) |
Service Years |
| Brighton |
1882 |
Still extant (wreck) |
126 |
34 |
| Narrabeen I |
1886 |
1917 |
31 |
|
| Conqueror |
1893 |
1932 |
3 |
|
| Manly II |
1896 |
1926 |
30 |
|
| Kuring-gai |
1901 |
Still extant (wreck) |
107 |
27 |
| Binngarra |
1905 |
1946 |
25 |
|
| Burra Bra |
1905 |
1972 |
37 |
|
| Bellubera |
1910 |
1980 |
63 |
|
| Balgowlah |
1912 |
1953 |
39 |
|
| Barrenjoey |
1913 |
Still extant (static) |
95 |
74 |
| Baragoola |
1922 |
Still extant (laid up) |
86 |
61 |
| Dee Why I |
1927 |
1976 |
41 |
|
| Curl Curl I |
1928 |
1969 |
32 |
|
| South Steyne |
1938 |
Still extant (static) |
70 |
36 |
| Freshwater |
1982 |
In service |
26 |
26 |
| Narrabeen III |
1983 |
In service |
25 |
25 |
| Queenscliff |
1984 |
In service |
24 |
24 |
| Collaroy |
1988 |
In service |
20 |
20 |