Parramatta and Lane Cove River Ferries

The Bill Allen Collection comprises a comprehensive collection of photographs of Sydney’s Ferries from the 1800’s to the present.

Parramatta and Lane Cove River Ferries

17 ferries operated on the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers between 1885 and 1920.

They included Pelican, Swan, Nautilus, Eagle, Aleathea, Halcyon, Gannet, Cygnet, Lotus, Pheasant, Bronzewing, Birkenhead, Daphne, Lobella, Shamrock (later Wattle) and Pearl.

A sample of photos from the collection is shown below.

For costs and availability of obtaining any of these photos without watermark, as an electronic file, as a print from the original negative (where available) or as some other format, contact the Maritime Records and Research Centre’s Curator on 02 8204 3500  or email:mrrc@shf.org.au, quoting the full file name and giving details of format wanted.

Copyright for the majority of these images from the collection is vested in the Sydney Heritage Fleet. For the remaining images every attempt has been made to ensure correct attribution. If any originator of an image notes an error the Sydney Heritage Fleet would welcome any notification and will remove that image or modify its attribution.

Click on any image to enlarge

001 Aleathea @ Ferry St.Wharf c.1885
003 Aleathea 1905
004 Aleathea B1881 circa 1901 a
010 Aleathea Mortlake Punt

001 Birkenhead Iron Cove Bridge c.1900
002 Birkenhead approach Mornington Whf.c.1910
003 Birkenhead Lane Cove River c.1908
007 Birkenhead leaving Bay St.Wharf c.1910 LCHS

003 Bronzewing circa.1910
006 Bronzewing near Mortlake
009 Bronzewing circa.1912
010 Bronzewing @ Gladesville Bridge Wharf c.1915

002 Cygnet c.1905
003 Cygnet x Eagle Pmatta River c.1910
005 Cygnet Pmatta River c.1910
006 Cygnet @ Tennison Whf.c.1912

001 Daphne circa 1895
002 Daphne @ Fig Tree Terminus c.1898
004 Daphne aground in fog c.1903
007 Daphne Lane Cove River c.1900

001 Gannet leaving Redbank Whf.c1890
002 Gannet Pmatta River c1910
004 Gannet Ryde Railway Bridge 1912
006 Gannet Pmatta River @ Ryde c1912

002 Halcyon @ Redbank Whf.c.1905
004 Halcyon @ Circ.Quay
007 Halcyon @ Yarralla Wharf c.1905
010 Halcyon Gladesville Whf.1912

001 Lobelia @ Fig Tree c.1886
002 Lobelia @ Greenwich Wharf c.1890
003 Lobelia on Lane Cove R.c.1895
006 Lobellia leaving Circ.Quay circa.1905

003 Lotus c.1905
004 Lotus 1886-1918
005 Lotus @ Abbotsford collapse of deck
006 Lotus without top deck

003 Trams SF-Motor No.1-Parramatta-c.1900te
005 Trams SF – Steam @ Pmatta Park Gates c.1930 vs
034 Trams SF-Steam @ Redbank Wharf. c.1940
039 Trams SF-Steam at Redbank Wharf circa.1940

001 Pearl @ Fig Tree Depot c.1886
004 Pearl nearing Greenwich c.1904
005 Pearl @ Fig Tree Depot c.1905
006 Pearl 1884-1906 circa.1906 rscott

001 Pheasant c.1890
003 Pheasant Ferry St.Whf.c.1895
004 Pheasant circa 1905
012 Pheasant Mortlake Whf.1912

PS Pelican & PS Emu 1855
PS Pelican 1854-1888

PS Swan x Adelaide Pmatta River c.1880
Swan Parramatta River 1850s

011 Shamrock-Fig Tree Depot c.1908rscott
012 Shamrock leaving FigTree circa.1908
020 Shamrock-circa.1911
034 Wattle ex Shamrock in Newcastle c.1935 – rscott

Ermington 1888File0002
Success

Eagle
Nautilus 1905
New Era x Psyche later Drummoyne 1884 ga