The Manly ferry Binngarra was designed by Captain Christie of Mort’s Dock.[1] She was launched by Mrs A Howie, wife of the chairman of directors of the Port Jackson Co-operative Steamship Company in 1905. The ferry’s average speed in trials was 14 knots. She made her first trip to Manly on 29 October 1905. Her hull was fitted with five watertight bulkheads; the upper deck was open and downstairs was enclosed. She was insured for £23,000. At the time of launch, the Binngarra was the largest steamer built in NSW.
It was calculated that Binngarra ran an estimated 78,279 trips to Manly and carried 30 million passengers over 639,124 miles.
On 1 November 1905, she crashed into the stone sea wall at Circular Quay, dislodging great blocks of masonry.[2] It took the combined efforts of tugs Leveret and Hero, towing for over an hour to dislodge her. In December 1906, the Binngarra collided with the 163-ton Wallaby.
She was sold out of service in May 1933 as a store-ship, and she was towed to Port Stephens with her engines removed. She was requisitioned by the US Navy in WW2 as a cargo-carrying hull in the New Guinea region, and remarkably at this point she came under the command of a Manly man, Mr I MacGillivray-Elder of Fairlight.
He described his emotions at coming across the Binngarra at Dreger Harbour. Her superstructure had been removed, and two tall masts and derricks had been installed. Both propellers had been removed. The vessel now had considerable cargo capacity, and when properly loaded assumed an even keep and rode surprisingly well.[3] She had no anchor windlass. Her armament consisted of four ancient Browning machine-guns. “It was amazing how fond one can become of such an extraordinary ship”, he commented.
The hull was sunk at sea 18 miles off the Heads on 11 December 1946.[4]
[1] Manly Daily 19 August 1971.
[2] Manly Daily 19 August 1971.
[3] Manly Daily 7 February 1974.
[4] Manly Daily 28 October 1981, p22.
It was calculated that Binngarra ran an estimated 78,279 trips to Manly and carried 30 million passengers over 639,124 miles.
On 1 November 1905, she crashed into the stone sea wall at Circular Quay, dislodging great blocks of masonry.[2] It took the combined efforts of tugs Leveret and Hero, towing for over an hour to dislodge her. In December 1906, the Binngarra collided with the 163-ton Wallaby.
She was sold out of service in May 1933 as a store-ship, and she was towed to Port Stephens with her engines removed. She was requisitioned by the US Navy in WW2 as a cargo-carrying hull in the New Guinea region, and remarkably at this point she came under the command of a Manly man, Mr I MacGillivray-Elder of Fairlight.
He described his emotions at coming across the Binngarra at Dreger Harbour. Her superstructure had been removed, and two tall masts and derricks had been installed. Both propellers had been removed. The vessel now had considerable cargo capacity, and when properly loaded assumed an even keep and rode surprisingly well.[3] She had no anchor windlass. Her armament consisted of four ancient Browning machine-guns. “It was amazing how fond one can become of such an extraordinary ship”, he commented.
The hull was sunk at sea 18 miles off the Heads on 11 December 1946.[4]
[1] Manly Daily 19 August 1971.
[2] Manly Daily 19 August 1971.
[3] Manly Daily 7 February 1974.
[4] Manly Daily 28 October 1981, p22.
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