Manly ferry services, Sydney

Public transport infrastructure in Sydney
logo=
name=Manly
transport_mode=Ferry route
line_owner=Sydney Ferries
operation_area=Manly, Sydney
fleet_names=Freshwater, JetCat
wharves_number=2
operator_names=Sydney Ferries

Manly ferry services connect the suburb of Manly, New South Wales with Circular Quay by commuter ferry. The services are provided by Sydney Ferries Corporation, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The route is coloured light blue on the current Sydney Ferries network map. Vessels in the Freshwater and JetCat classes generally operate these services.

Wharves

Circular Quay

Circular Quay is a major Sydney transport hub, with a large ferry, rail and bus interchange. The Cahill Expressway is a prominent feature of the quay, running from the east, over the elevated railway station to join the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the west. Sydney Cove was the site of the initial landing of the First Fleet in Port Jackson. Circular Quay was originally mainly used for shipping and slowly developed into a transport, leisure and recreational centre.

Sydney Ferries services use wharves 2, 3, 4 and 5 at Circular Quay. Each wharf has ticket vending machines and ticket barriers, and is wheelchair-accessible.

Manly

This wharf serves the suburb of Manly, New South Wales and is located opposite the harbour end of the Corso on The Esplanade. The wharf has ticket vending machines and ticket barriers, and is wheelchair-accessible. Local bus services depart from stands in front of the wharf.

History

The ferry service was started by Henry Gilbert Smith in 1855, using the chartered paddle-steamer "Huntress".

The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company was established in 1877 and acquired the existing services. The Company operated the Manly ferries for nearly a century and was instrumental in promoting the development of Manly. It famously coined the expression about Manly being “Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care”.

The service has long been integral to the development of Manly—and the core business of the ferry network. From 1967 to 1991, a regular rapid hydrofoil service was offered alongside the larger, slower ferries. In 1991, the four remaining hydrofoils were replaced with three fast catamarans called JetCats.

ee also

*MV "Queenscliff"