| Type : |
Wooden steam ship |
| Launched : |
1893 |
| Builder : |
Dunn Brothers Berry's Bay, NSW |
| Gross : |
92 tons |
| Dimensions : |
81.00 x 18.00 x 9.50 (feet) |
| Passenger capacity : |
unknown |
| Speed : |
13 knots |
Conqueror was a single screw wooden steamer. Her name indicates the high hopes her owner had for the new vessel.
By 1892 passenger traffic to Manly was booming and the dominant player was the Port Jackson Steamship Company. The company at this stage was charging one shilling and sixpence for a return trip and decided to announce a fare increase, obviously feeling that the market could handle the rise. Locals were outraged. A local tug owner by the name of John Brown set up a competing service, Manly Co-operative Steam Ferry Company and used Cygnet, Admiral, Conqueror and Marramarra (Murra Murra) to take on the dominant player. This was the time when competition was so fierce that competing ferry crews took to throwing rocks and other missiles at other ferries to discourage passengers from boarding them.
Fares were lowered by both companies to sixpence return and droves of passengers took advantage of the cheap fares. Mr Brown ordered another new ferry, to be called Manly, but the company collapsed in 1895 before she could be delivered. By this time, fares were down to threepence return. As a result, in 1896, both companies amalgamated to form the Port Jackson Co-operative Steamship Company.
Conqueror, being much smaller than the other boats on the run (for example, Brighton) was sold out of service to a gentleman by the name of James Wallace. She worked around the harbour until 1916 when she was bought by the New South Wales government for use as a tug. She later went to South Australia.
She was hulked in 1932.