Lady-class ferry
Lady Northcott at Circular Quay in July 2013
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| Class overview | |
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| Builders: | |
| Operators: | |
| Completed: | 7 |
| Active: | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
The Lady class is a class of ferry operated by Harbour City Ferries and its predecessors on Sydney Harbour.
In late 1967, the Sydney Harbour Transport Board placed an order for three ferries with the State Dockyard, Newcastle. Continuing the tradition of naming ferries after the wives of the Governors of New South Wales, Lady Cutler was launched on 10 August 1968 and arrived in Sydney on 19 September 1968.
It was followed in 1970 by Lady Woodward and Lady McKell. These two differed from Lady Cutler in having reverse sloped wheelhouses.
In 1974/75, two enlarged versions were built by Carrington Slipways, Lady Wakehurst and Lady Northcott. These were followed in 1979 by Lady Street and Lady Herron that were built at the State Dockyard.
Following a fire that gutted the South Steyne in August 1974, the Lady Wakehurst and Lady Northcott were pressed into on the Manly service after having their bows built up to contend with the rougher conditions while crossing Sydney Heads and extra gangway openings cut into the upper deck. Following the Tasman Bridge disaster, Lady Wakehurst was sent to Hobart in January 1975 to operate services on the River Derwent, not returning until November 1977.
In the 1990s, the first three were withdrawn and placed in store at Rozelle Bay. A deal to sell them to Hong Kong fell through. Today, Lady Cutler and Lady McKell operate as cruise vessels on Port Phillip, the latter having had one wheelhouse removed and renamed Victoria Star.Lady Woodward was sold to Tasmania and converted for use as a salmon farm tender vessel. In 2010, it was sold to Tin Can Bay for use as a houseboat.
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