''Kameruka'' and ''Kamiri'' were near identical ferries that served on

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...

. ''Kamiri'' was built in 1912 and ''Kameruka'' was launched on 8 February 1913. They were double-ended " K-class" steam ferries, a type that was prolific on Sydney Harbour in the early 20th century boom in cross-Sydney Harbour ferry transport before the 1932 opening of the

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North ...

. ''Kamiri'' was laid up in 1951 following the New South Wales government take-over of the

Sydney Ferries Limited Sydney Ferries Limited operated ferry services on Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from 1900 until June 1951. The company grew out of the North Shore Steam Ferry Company and took over smaller ferry operators to become the largest ferry operator i ...

. ''Kameruka'' was converted to diesel in 1954 and was laid up in 1984. Both ferries were part of a Sydney Ferries Limited tradition of naming their "K-class" ferries with Australian Aboriginal words beginning with "K". "Kamiri" is the name of an Aboriginal tribe and "Kameruka" is thought to mean 'wait til I come'.

Design and construction

Both were timber vessels built by Morrison & Sinclair Ltd in Balmain. ''Kamiri'' was built in 1912 and used the engine and timbers from the ferry '' Kaludah'' which had been gutted by fire the previous year. ''Kameruka'' was built in 1913 for a cost of £13,178. The vessels were 144 tons, 34.1m long and had beams of 7.9 m. Both were provided with triple expansion steam engines by Campbell and Calderwood. ''Kamiri's'' 50 hp engine pushed her to 11 knots, and ''Kameruka's'' 53 hp engines pushed her to 12 knots. The two ferries were rated to carry 594 passengers.

Service history

Both ferries were initially used on the Parramatta River run. Little is known about ''Kamiris service history. She is featured in a well-known photo of

Mosman Bay Mosman Bay is a bay of Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour adjacent to the suburb of Mosman, New South Wales, Mosman, 4 km north-east of the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD in New South Wales, Australia. Three ferry wharves are withi ...

by acclaimed Australian photographer,

Max Dupain Maxwell Spencer Dupain AC OBE (22 April 191127 July 1992) was an Australian modernist photographer. Early life Dupain received his first camera as a gift in 1924, spurring his interest in photography. He later joined the Photographic Society ...

. She was laid up in 1946. In poor condition, she was broken up between 1951 and 1953 along with a number of other old "K-class" steamers as part of a fleet rationalisation following the NSW State Government's 1951 takeover of

. ''Kameruka'' was a relatively fast ferry and thus was worked on the

Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo Sydney is a government-run public zoo located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in the Lower North Shore suburb of Mosman, New South Wales, Mosman, on the shores of Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour. It offers great views of Sydney ...

and

Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, Ria, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average Altitude, height, and depth, depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour ...

routes. She was burnt out almost to the waterline on the night of 8 December 1918 while tied up at Gladesville Wharf. The local fire brigade and the fire float ''Pluvius'' attended. and rebuilt in 1919. In 1938, her

boiler crown A boiler is a closed pressure vessel, vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including Boiler ...

s collapsed and she was not returned to work until 1945. She was one of the few of the formerly large Sydney Ferries Ltd fleet to survive both the 1932 opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the 1951 State Government takeover of Sydney Ferries. In 1954, she was converted to diesel (60 hp Crossley Brothers 6-cylinder, 11 knots) and given a more modern looking makeover. ''Kameruka'' was pulled from service in October 1984 along with the other few remaining wooden-hulled ferries after fellow "k-class" wooden ferry, '' Karrabee'' sank at Circular Quay in January of that year. ''Karrabee'' was refloated and sold, and ''Kameruka'' given free to the buyer as part of the deal. She sank in 1986 while laid up alongside ''Karrabee'' at Pyrmont. She was broken up and pulled from the bottom of the harbour by grab dredge. Her 71 years of ferry service was one of the longest for any ferry on Sydney Harbour.

Timeline

File:Sydney Ferry KAMIRI leaving Circular Quay 1912.jpg, A new ''Kamiri'' in her original varnished timber with white trim livery, likely 1912 her launch year. File:Sydney Ferry KAMERUKA at Circular Quay between 1913 and early 1930s.jpg, ''Kameruka'' in her original varnished timber and white trim livery, Circular Quay pre early 1930s. Prior to her first re-built with her original rounded (not squared) roof life returns to wheelhouse File:Sydney Ferry KAMIRI laid up at McMahons Point early 1950s.jpg, ''Kamiri'' laid up at McMahons Point following the State Government takeover of Sydney Ferries Ltd File:Sydney ferry KAMERUKA before conversion from steam to diesel 1950s.jpg, ''Kameruka'' steaming to Cremorne Point, 1950s File:Sydney Ferries KANANGRA and KAMERUKA pre 1954.jpg, ''Kameruka'' (right) alongside the larger steel-hulled '' Kanangra'' in 1954 her last year as a steamer. Sydney Ferry KAMERUKA entering Sydney Cove UNILEVER HOUSE 1964.tif, ''Kameruka'' in 1964 after her 1954 rebuild and conversion to diesel. File:00443 101271 Sydney Ferries ferry Kameruka just after leaving Valentia St Wharf Woolwich on Sydney Harbour.jpg, ''Kameruka'' in her

Sydney Harbour Transport Board The Sydney Harbour Transport Board was a statutory of the Government of New South Wales responsible for the provision of ferry services on Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from July 1951 until November 1974. History With its Port Jackson, Sydney Ha ...

livery leaving Valentia Street wharf. 1971 File:Sydney ferry KAMERUKA in the 1981 Great Ferry Boat Race.jpg, ''Kameruka'' in her

Urban Transit Authority The Urban Transit Authority, a former statutory authority of the Government of New South Wales, was responsible for the operation and maintenance of buses and ferries in Sydney and Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle from July 1980 until Janu ...

livery competing in the 1981 Great Ferry Boat Race File:Sydney Ferries KAMERUKA and KARRABEE laid up in Pyrmont 1984.jpg, ''Kameruka'' (left) laid up alongside '' Karrabee'' at Pyrmont, 1984 File:Sydney ferry KAMERUKA sunk alongside KARRABEE at Pyrmont circa 1985.jpg, Sunken at her mooring alongside ''Karrabee'', Pyrmont circa 1985 or 86 File:The remains of Sydney ferry KAMERUKA after she sunk and was broken up by grab dredge April 1986.jpg, ''Kameruka's'' remains after being pulled from the harbour by grab dredge.

Citations

References

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