Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...
that served on the Circular Quay to Watsons Bay run. She was launched in 1905, and was one of the fastest ferries in Sydney. She was sent to Newcastle after which her fate is unknown. She was named after the Sydney suburb,
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.South Head and ships' boats were used to carry passengers and cargo to the area. As the Watsons Bay and
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Edye Manning provided a ferry to local hotel and picnic grounds. In 1876, a regular service was in place and run by W Harmer until 1881 with ''Golden Rose'' and ''Swansea'' and by 1884 three competing companies were running ferries to the area including ''Golden Rose'', ''Swansea'', ''Coombra'', ''Phantom'' and ''Victor''. Two of the companies combined in 1887 into the Watsons Bay and South Shore Steam Ferry Co Ltd, which in 1912 became the Watsons Bay and South Shore Ferry Co Ltd.
The company bought ''Bald Rock'' from the Balmain Company in 1900 and renamed it ''Vaucluse'' until a new boat of the same name was built. She was sold back to the Balmain Company and was reverted to ''Bald Rock'' in 1905 when ''Vaucluse'' (II) was introduced. ''King Edward'' had joined the fleet in 1901, and the company commissioned ''Greycliffe'' in 1911 and ''Woollahra'' in 1913. The latter was delivered with high bows and raised wheelhouses having been intended for a short-lived Manly to Watsons Bay service.
Service history
The Watsons Bay and South Shore Ferry Company commissioned the
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Walter Reeks
Walter Reeks (1861-1925) was one of the earliest Naval architecture, naval architects in Australia and is known for designing yachts, ferries and coastal ships.,
He was born in Christchurch, Dorset, Christchurch, England and migrated to Australi ...
to design a new vessel, ''Vaucluse'', his first double-ended screw steamer. She was built in 1905 by
Rock Davis
Rock Davis (1833-1904) was a shipbuilder, mainly associated with his shipyard, the Rock Davis shipyard, colloquially known as 'the Big Shed', on Brisbane Water at Blackwall, New South Wales, Australia. After his death, the business of ship building ...
in Blackwall ( Brisbane Water). The 121 ton, timber-hulled ferry could carry 500 passengers, and had a 70 hp steam engine by Chapman & Co. Ltd. This pushed her to bursts of 15 knots, which made her one of the fastest ferries on the harbour and ideal for the long run from Circular Quay to Watsons Bay. She carried a brass rooster on her jackmast to identify her as the fastest boat on the harbour, and was said to overtake larger Manly ferries on their way to Manly. However, she was expensive to run.
On a 5:35 pm service from Circular Quay on 4 October 1916 with 100 passengers aboard, ''Vaucluse'' collided with the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
steam yacht, ''
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
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* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
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* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
''. Rounding Bennelong Point and heading to Garden Island, she headed into a blinding rain squall. ''Franklin'' was travelling the other way up the harbour and her sharp bow cut halfway through the ferry. As the boats separated, water rushed into ''Vaucluse'' and she began to sink. The passing Mosman ferry, '' Kirawa'', was able to tow her to Garden Island where she was made fast. ''Vaucluse'' was kept a float using the dock's fire engine pumps, and the fireboat ''Hydra'' came with more powerful pumps. Two passengers were injured and the remainder were to their destination by ''Greycliffe''.
''Vaucluse'' was taken over by Sydney Ferries Limited in 1920 when they bought out the Watsons Bay and South Shore Ferry Company. Three running mates, ''King Edward'', ''Greycliffe'', and ''Woollahra'', were also included in the take over and the company's other ferries were sold. ''Greycliffe'' was sunk and 40 passengers killed in a 1927 collision with the liner ''
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
''.
With the Watsons Bay run declining for much of the 1920s due to competition from trams and private cars, ''Woollahra'' and ''Vaucluse'' were sold in 1931, the latter to the Employees' Welfare Committee of the Walsh Island Dockyard & Engineering Works in Newcastle, where she carried workers from Newcastle to the dockyard prior to its closure in 1933. ''Vaucluse'' survived a storm in September 1934 but her fate after this is unknown. The Watsons Bay service was abandoned on 31 July 1933. ''King Edward'' was sold in 1934 and ''Woollahra'' was used on other routes until 1934.