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Kanangra

Vessel numberHV000355

Builder Mort's Dock and Engineering Company (Australian, 1855 - 1968)

Owner Sydney Heritage Fleet

Previous owner Sydney Ferries Ltd

Previous owner Sydney Harbour Transport Board

Previous owner Public Transport Commission

Previous owner Urban Transport Authority

Date1912

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 45.47 m x 9.66 m x 2.9 m, 299.8 tonnes (149.2 ft x 31.7 ft x 9.5 ft, 295 tons)

DescriptionKANANGRA was launched in 1912 from the Woolwich yard operated by Morts Dock and Engineering. It was commisioned by Sydney Ferries and built as a coal fired steam powered vessel. The hull was rivetted steel, making it one of the first inner harbour ferries to be built in steel. The decks and superstructure were of timber. The 45.5 metre vessel was commissioned in January 1913 and during trials reached 13.3 knots, an excellent speed for the period.

The hull is double-ended, with propellers at both ends. The identical bow and stern have a soft-flared,almost scow shape, in contrast to other ferries such as LADY DENMAN (HV000021) which feature a sharp plumb stem and stern, and a propeller at only one end. It also has the upper deck sheer or profile line curved parallel to the hull sheer, in contrast to many contemporay ferries whose upper deck was built straight fore and aft.

KANANGRA and its sistership KIRAWA were built to service the Mosman and Cremorne commuter service to the Quay, and both craft were affectionately known by their passengers. In 1951 KANANGRA was taken out of service for a major refit and it was at this time that the NSW State Government took over Sydney Ferries. Diesel had also taken the place of steam. It was too costly to replace the coal-fired KANANGRA and it was not scrapped, the fate of some other K class ferries. Instead, in 1959 it was converted to diesel power and a Crossley engine installed. As part of the conversion the tall smoke stack was replaced with a smaller exhaust funnel, and the boilers became the fuel tanks.

The lower diesel operating costs allowed KANANGRA to remain in operation until 1985. Consideration was given to restoring the ferry to its original steam powered configuration as a Bicentennial Project, but this was considered too costly and in 1987 the NSW Government presented KANANGRA to the Sydney Heritage Fleet.

In 2009 full restoration of KANANGRA to the 1960s period and therefore retaining the diesel configuration was being planned by the Fleet with preventative preservation work ongoing.

Prepared with assistance from the Register of Australian and New Zealand Ships and Boats compiled by Mori Flapan; www.boatregister.net
SignificanceKANANGRA is a large inner-Sydney Harbour steel ferry built in 1912 at Morts Dock and Engineering, Sydney, New South Wales. It is the only remaining K class Sydney Harbour ferry. The K class (a titled derived from the ferry's Indigenous names beginning with K) was the largest of the double-ended inner-harbour ferries which served for almost 40 years. KANANGRA, which could carry more than 900 passengers and survived to operate until the mid-1980s, serving the public for 68 years.