Mess Room
SHF Rozelle Bay Site is a work site and requires caution when moving around to ensure personal safety whilst on site.
- Always wear a hard hat — to prevent injury from falling objects, bumping into protruding objects or equipment.
- Wear closed toe solid footwear — to prevent injury from trip hazards and sharp debris on the ground.
- Do not walk backwards — there are trip hazards and protruding equipment everywhere and you may not see them behind you.
- Always keep your eyes on whatever is in front of you — when you see a hazard you can avoid it.
- Three points of contact on steps, stairs, ladders and gangways — 2 hands & 1 foot, or 1 hand & 2 feet.
- Go down steep ladders backwards — facing the ladder.
SHF treats safety as a high priority and we are proud of our good safety record. Your support will help us maintain that good safety record.
Kanangra is the last K class ferry left — the only vessel present at the completion of the Harbour Bridge, the Japanese submarine attack and the opening of the Opera House.
The story
‘August 14, 1912. The ferry Kanangra was launched at high water on a beautifully fine morning at the Woolwich yard of Mort’s Dock and Engineering Co Ltd. Miss Dorothea Walker, the 11-year old daughter of Mr F. W. Walker, a shareholder in Sydney Ferries Ltd … gracefully christened the vessel as it slid joyfully with fluttering flag from its tresselled threshold into the buoyant waves.’
Kanangra was towed up to Balmain later in the morning by the tug Hero, and fitted out at Morts Dock & Engineering Works, Balmain. She was commissioned and in commercial operation early in 1913.
Kanangra was in service during the First World War (1914–1918), the Spanish Flu epidemic (1918–1920), the Great Depression (1929–1934), the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (1932), the Second World War (1939–1945) and the opening of the Sydney Opera House (20 October 1973).
Why restore her?
- Last K class ferry left.
- Only vessel present at the completion of the Harbour Bridge, the Japanese submarine attack and the opening of the Opera House.
- Steam to diesel conversion demonstrates technological progress.
- Double ended technology important internationally.
- Direct coupled, reversing engine typical of modern cargo vessels.
- 8 million people come to Sydney to see the harbour — what better way to show and explain it to them than from the deck of Kanangra.
The deep dive
The steel sisters
On December 18, 1911, Sydney Ferries Ltd inaugurated a new service to Cremorne Point, coinciding with the opening of a tramway to that locality. To serve on the new route, Sydney Ferries called tenders for the construction of five 1100 passenger timber ferries. However, due to a severe shortage of shipwrights in Sydney at the time, tenders were only received for three. The company was compelled to approach the shipbuilders Morts Dock and Engineering Company to build the remaining two from steel — the first such vessels in the company’s fleet.
The two steel ferries were built to a design similar to the three timber boats but adapted to steel. On July 2, 1912, the first was launched and named Kirawa. She was soon followed by the second, Kanangra. The word Kanangra means ‘beautiful view’.
Kanangra was built of steel to Lloyd’s highest class with five watertight bulkheads. Dimensions were length overall 155 ft, breadth 31 ft, depth moulded 11 ft, gross tonnage 295 and net tonnage 201. Sydney Ferries Ltd’s 43rd vessel, she was built at a cost of £17,873.
At Kanangra’s launching it was mentioned that the company’s works manager, Mr Brown, ‘had considerable doubt as to whether they, as steel boats would be able to stand the 260 bumps they received a day at the quays. He felt that wooden ships would be much more easily and quickly mended than a boat built of steel.’ History was to prove Mr Brown’s fears unfounded.
On Friday, January 24, 1913, Kanangra ran trials over the measured mile attaining a speed of 13.33 knots — one third of a knot in excess of the design speed.
Retirement or rejuvenation?
It was on January 22, 1984 that the 64 year-old Karrabee sank at Circular Quay just minutes after having completed the Festival of Sydney Ferrython with 350 passengers aboard. Though nobody was injured, public attention became focused on the safety of the older vessels. Within a year, the remaining five old ferries were out of commission.
In 1984 concerned members of the Sydney Maritime Museum made submissions to the museum CEO that the Kanangra should be preserved by the Museum. Kanangra was chosen because of the relative ease of restoring and maintaining her steel hull. That same year Mosman Council launched a plan to preserve Kanangra as a Bicentennial project, and she was classified by the National Trust.
Kanangra was withdrawn from service in 1985. In February 1987 she was handed over to the Sydney Maritime Museum by Minister for Transport, Ron Mulock, with a grant of $85,000.
World class & unique
SHF, to our knowledge, is the only volunteer organisation in the world that restores, displays and operates a fleet of historic vessels of this size without Government financing.
The Museum was established in 1965 with the purchase of Lady Hopetoun. It is financed by membership fees, private donations and commercial operation of our heritage vessels, and the State Government provides this site at a ‘Community Rent’. SHF has approximately 1000 members, 400 volunteers and 8 staff.
The Fleet is always short of money!
FROM THE COLLECTION
8 photos · tap to enlarge- Dorothea Walker, who launched Kanangra on 14 August 1912 aged elevenCredit to confirm
- Kanangra, c.1930As filed: “moliver” · via David Logie display · CREDIT TO CONFIRM
- Kanangra off Cremorne, 1956Credit to confirm
- Kanangra at Mortlake Gas Works, Parramatta River, 1957Bill Allen
- Kanangra at Mosman Wharf, 1958As filed: “mathieson” · to confirm
- Kanangra near Middle Harbour, 20 Jan 1961DDE Collection – SHF
- Kanangra, c.1964Credit to confirm
- Sydney Heritage Fleet vesselsCredit to confirm · VESSEL NAMES & DATE TO CONFIRM