- a photo on Flickriver

untitled

            The 1938-built Manly Ferry South Steyne during her time moored in Cockle Bay @ Sydney's Darling Harbour.   These days this same spot is the bustling hub of Sydney's world-famous Darling Harbour Precinct - and is virtually unrecognisable from the time of this photo (1979).  A nice line-up of desirable and highly collectable vintage cars can be seen parked in front, all apparently belonging to members of the South Steyne Steamship Club.

South Steyne had been out of service as an operating Manly Ferry since the 'accidental' fire of August 1974.  Her exact location here is Wharf 35b Darling Harbour - which in the late 1970s was a deserted and seldom-visited backwater of Sydney Harbour.  Along with Wharf 35 there were several other finger wharves in Cockle Bay at this time, most complete with shelters or full warehouses.

This place was once the very centre of the vast NSW wool export trade and many old wool bond stores - now converted into apartments - still exist around Pyrmont.  The wharves and disused railyards were a fascinating place to visit and hang around in those times and I am very glad to have had the opportunity.

Wharf 35 is now of course long gone as are its immediate neighbours - having all been demolished during the mid 1980s as part of the redevelopment of the old Darling Harbour Goods Railway Yard in the leadup to the 1988 Bicentennial.

South Steyne was towed to this location from elsewhere on the Harbour in late December 1978 / early January 1979 and was to reside here until her subsequent tow out Sydney Harbour up the coast to Newcastle in 1982 or 83.  The South Steyne Steamship Club was active in preservation efforts during this period in Darling Harbour.

In the end it was a corporate white knight with the necessary very deep pockets that ultimately came to the rescue of this significant and magnificent vessel, and is for this reason she is still with us today.  Having been a part of the South Steyne Steamship Club as a junior member in my mid-to-late teens I have come to appreciate the vast enormity of the task of preserving and restoring such a vessel as I have looked back and reflected on those days.

It is all very well to say "Such-and-such a vessel should be saved" - as indeed some of them must indeed be saved and be preserved.  The financial commitment in current-day dollars however is prodigious and inevitably going to run into the millions.   Even potentially past the $10 million mark in some instances.  These are very serious operations and not to be taken lightly.

The Sydney Heritage Fleet is notable and commendable as a global leader in this field, and has been operating now with success and distinction and the achievement of runs on the board for more than 50 years.  Beyond this, I wholeheartedly take my hat off to anybody prepared to accept such a vast but worthy challenge.

Stuart McPherson photo.    Saturday 10 November 1979.

Taken on: June 11, 2021

Tags:

ferry

SydneyFerry

SydneyHarbour

DarlingHarbour

DarlingHarbourSydney

CockleBay

CockleBaySydney

SouthSteyne

SouthSteyneFerry

ManlyFerrySouthSteyne

ManlyFerry

ManlyWharf

Manly

CircularQuay

1938

1979

SouthSteyneSteamshipClub « less

Groups appears in: • Marine (3 per day) • Ferries more » • Ships and Vessels • "Ports, Harbours and Moorings" • Analog Photography • Old Photographs • White and Black Photography • Trove: Australia in Pictures • Flickr Australia • Sydney Harbour • Black and White Australia • Boats, the older the better • Maritime (anything sea related from all around the globe) • ANYTHING Transportation Related (Cars, Airplanes, Bicycles etc.) • Boats of All Kind • Harbours • White/Black • FerryPhotos • "Unlimited Photos: No Rules" • Australian Night Images • BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS (P1/A2) • Ship,ship,ship • Worldwide Ship Spotters (WSS) • "Black and White Unlimited" • Only Black And White • Film Only • FlickrCentral With No Posting Limit • ₪ BOATS + SHIPS ꖿꖿ PhotoGallery ₪ • Black and White All Over • MARITIME FAVORITES (Post 1 - Try to Award 3) • Nautical pictures of interest. • Your world of Ships, Boats, Yachts, Etc. Group • Ships & Boats • Black and White Photography Art • BLACK AND WHITE ONLY! - (POST 1, MUST COMMENT 3) • Black & White Done Right !. • Sydney in B&W and Monochromatic tones • barcos,ships,boats!!! Post 1 award 1. • Ferries Across Australia (No 30/60 Groups Limit) • Sydney's older buildings and structures. • I love Boats • The Best of Black & White ☯ • Simply Boats • Rare Historic Pics • All Ships/ Schiffe - No 30/60 • 10 Million MORE Photos • Black&White Photo Group • On Board a Ship or Boat • Ferries Of The World • This is Why I Bought A Camera • Today's Flickr • World in Black & White... • Ferries of Australia & New Zealand (No 30/60 rule) • Boats, Yachts And Ships (No 30/60 Groups Rule) • Darling Harbour - Sydney AU • 1,000,000 Ships • Interesting Aeroplanes and Boats • Stuff on Water • SHIPS, BOATS AND WATERWAYS • NSW (New South Wales) Unlimited • An Unlimited Black & White Photography Group • Sydney's Ferries • Ships and their Stories • 1 Million Ship Photos • Ferries + Water Taxis From Around The World • All Your Photos and Mine (No 30/60 limit - Photos from anywhere) • "All Australian Album" « less

Stats: 2,880 views / 8 comments

go back

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: