Baragoola
Baragoola

Type :
 Steel screw steamer
Launched  :
14/02/1922
Builder :
 Mort's Dock
Woolwich, NSW
Gross :
 498 tons
Dimensions :
 60.00 x 10.00 x 3.75 (metres)
Passenger capacity :
 1523
Speed :
 14 knots

Baragoola was the last of of six similar sister ships built by Mort's Dock between 1905 and 1922. She was built nine years after the Barrenjoey in response to growing passenger demand. She was the last Manly ferry built by Mort's and the last Manly ferry built in Australia until the Freshwater class in the 1980's. When built, she cost 72,000 pounds and was the 41st vessel built by Mort's. She was the eighth vessel built by Mort's for the PJandMSS Co. over a 35 year period, Mort's made no money on the construction of the ferry and the next three vessels would be built overseas due to the high local cost.

With the launch of the Baragoola, the Manly company was capable of carrying 10,250 passengers per trip - this was sorely needed as Manly was undergoing a tourist boom (mainly due to the ferry trade) and many people ended up settling in the area.

 Baragoola was probably the most popular Manly ferry, this was evidenced by the massive turnout for her farewell trip in 1983 when she was so loaded that passengers were on the top wheelhouse deck (normally not allowed). Apart from Barrenjoey/North Head, no other Manly ferry had a longer career on the harbour, she easily outlasted Curl Curl and Dee Why and her career was longer than South Steyne. She was known by her masters as an excellent sea-going vessel.

Baragoola's look changed little over her lifetime, the only major change being that her smoke stack was shortened after she was re-engined between 1958 and 1961. Baragoola's name means "Flood Tide" in a local Aboriginal dialect. Baragoola was one of the slowest of the Manly fleet, although she managed 15 knots at the builders' trials, she was only rated for 14 knots. Burra Bra was the slowest at only 13 knots.

Baragoola had been, during the early 1930's the subject of an experiment involving the use of pulverised coal in the boilers. In common with similar experiments involving steam locomotives, the venture did not prove to be a success and was abandoned. One consequence had been the covering of the ship with coal dust. Between 8 March and 3 August 1939 Baragoola was altered to an oil burner using tar under natural draught, like the three Scottish steamers. Propellers of improved design were also fitted at this time. For a period during World War II, the vessel reverted to burning coal owing to difficulties in obtaining supplies of tar. In about 1948 Baragoola was fitted with Brown Bros. Electro-hydraulic telemotor steering.

Baragoola had several incidents during her lifetime, the first such occurred on Christmas Eve 1926 off Kirribilli Point when she had a collision with the Kosciusko (later to go to Hobart after the collapse of the Derwent River bridge), the Kosciusko's master was held at fault and reprimanded by the Marine Court. On the 12/09/1927 Baragoola ran down a lifeboat from the French steamer Ville D'Amiens, five people where thrown out of the lifeboat, one was later hospitalised. The people where rescued by two fishing trawlers in the vicinity. The lifeboat was severely damaged in the event.
Baragoola holds the dubious "record" of hitting the strangest object in the harbour when she hit a whale on 28/08/1934 which ended up causing no end of grief for several days afterwards. The ferry sliced into the whale and almost came to a halt due to the impact, no damage to the Baragoola, but the same could not be said of the whale. After the collision near the Heads, the whale swam off towards Flagstaff Point, trailing a wake of blood in its path. After being spotted following an erratic path, observers lost sight of the whale until three days later, when the carcass surfaced near Old Mans Hat. It was towed out to sea, but by evening had drifted to within a kilometre of Bondi Beach. The whale was then towed out to around five kilometres off the coast, but by next morning, it was drifting back towards the heads. The carcass was again towed well out to sea, however, two days later it was back again on the rocks at South Head. Again, it was towed out to sea, this time nearly 18 kilometres. A report at the time had the Harbour Master saying "We'll get rid of it this time if we have to take it to New Zealand". But next day, it was back, this time stranding at the entrance to Botany Bay. On the 5th of September, the whale was towed around 25km out to sea and finally, after 9 days, was never seen again. On 23rd June, 1974 Baragoola was one of several ferries damaged when a severe storm front hit Sydney - wind speeds in excess of 60 mph were recorded and waves topped 40 feet between the Heads.

Twice in her career, Baragoola overshot her berth at Circular Quay and continued into the footpath. In 1973, she came out of an overhaul and developed a leak, on the afternoon of the opening of the Opera House, she was forced to wait nearly two hours as traffic was so heavy. A week later, it was noticed that she was taking on a large amount of water through a sprung plate and that the bilge pumps were not working. After offloading her passengers at the Quay, she was taken to Balmain depot where the fire brigade managed to pump her out, just keeping her afloat.

After her withdrawal from service, there were several attempts made to preserve her in some function. In 1980, a group of Manly businessmen had attempted to secure her for use as a floating museum, however, Manly Chamber of Commerce didn't want her, believing that she would be an eyesore. The project never got off the ground. In 1983, an offer of $100,000 was made for her to be used as a floating restaurant, again, Manly Council did not want it in Manly Cove, where it would likely be an obstruction. At the end of 1983 a group from Melbourne planned on taking her to Port Phillip Bay, but this again fell through. In 1984, a plan was mooted to turn her into a floating university, again this came to nothing. After some months being shuffled around from Cockatoo Island, to Rozelle Bay, where she remained for several years, she is currently tied up at the old Ball's Head coal loader, apparently undergoing restoration. Her upper decks appear to have been repainted, although her hull is badly affected by rust. She has had her engines removed and her propeller shafts stopped up. The engine, pulled apart more than 20 years ago, is in pieces and the boat is dangerous to board.

When the Baragoola was retired in 1983, it was sold off to become a floating university. Five years later, it was sold again to a businessman, David Ashton, who is still the owner. After devoting 12 years and more than a million dollars to its restoration, Mr Ashton has abandoned it, blaming bureaucrats and damage to the hull during a demolition (of the wharf Baragoola was tied up to) in 2003.
"People ask me every day what's happening with it," he said. "I haven't been across there in two years. It upsets me too much. I haven't got the strength any more. I will just leave it there." (Sydney Morning Herald 23/06/2006)

M.V. Baragoola provides rare evidence of the large ferry system which stimulated the growth of suburban Sydney, the development of its recreational patterns and the formation of its popular urban culture. It is a surviving example of a characteristic twentieth century Manly steamer demonstrating evolution of technology for fast double-ended navigation in deep-sea conditions. The fabric demonstrates the changing nature of service over the period, 1922-1983. The machinery technology is unique in the Australian shipping industry. It is an extremely rare surviving example of ship construction by Mort's Dock and Engineering Co. Ltd. Superstructure in good repair, but hull requires replating and stabilisation.

Baragoola is heritage listed - details are here.
Navigation