Baragoola

Baragoola at Balls Head
History
Name	Baragoola
Owner	1922—1972: The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company Limited 1972-1974 Brambles Industries Limited 1974-1980 New South Wales Public Transport Commission 1980-1983 New South Wales Urban Transit Authority 1983-1987 Bob Hyde 1987-2008 David Ashton 2008-2010 Adrian Thompson 2010 onwards Baragoola Preservation Association Incorporated
Operator	1922—1972: The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company Limited 1972-1974: Brambles Industries Limited 1974-1980: New South Wales Public Transport Commission 1980-1983: New South Wales Urban Transit Authority
Port of registry	1922-1983: Sydney, Australia
Route	1922—1983: Circular Quay-Manly
Ordered	1920
Builder	Mort's Dockyard and Engineering Company Limited, Balmain, New South Wales
Cost	Seventy two thousand pounds
Yard number	41
Launched	14th February 1922
Christened	14th February 1922
Maiden voyage	3rd September 1922
In service	1922
Out of service	1983
Identification	O/N 150182
Fate	Retired
Status	Under preservation
General characteristics
Class and type	Binngarra class ferry
Tonnage	498 GT
Displacement	798 t DWT
Length	60.92 m (199 ft 10 in)
Beam	10.30 m (34 ft)
Draught	3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
Decks	2
Installed power	4 × English Electric 7SKM diesels 600 bhp (450 kW) @ 600RPM
Speed	16 kn (29.63 km/h) maximum speed
Capacity	1523 passengers
Crew	11 (as SS), 7 (as MV)

MV Baragoola is an under restoration Manly ferry owned by the Baragoola Preservation Association Incorporated and currently statically moored at Balls Head, Waverton. She was built in 1922 by Mort's Dockyard and Engineering Company Limited Balmain in New South Wales for The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company Limited as SS Baragoola.

Concept and construction

Baragoola was the sixth ship of the Binngarra type (the former five being SS Binngarra, SS Burra Bra, SS Bellubera, SS Balgowlah and SS Barrenjoey (later MV North Head) built at Mort's for the Manly company. Unlike her five earlier sisters who had been constructed at Woolwich, she was the only one of her class built at Balmain.

Internal layout

Typical of all Manly ferries constructed until 1938, Baragoola's public spaces are laid out to a specific format. On the lower deck, aft, there is a segregated Ladies Salon with toilets, a Main Cabin and forward is the Smoking Saloon (usually reserved for men) with toilets. This area also contains the original Mail Room and was the site of the Crew's Mess. The upper deck is completely open. The internal hull arrangement has two void spaces at either end, a hold immediately aft of the forward void, the engine room behind the hold connected to the control room and (second from the aft) a compartment that contains batteries, auxiliary diesel tank, fresh water tank and the Engineer's Quarters.

• 
  Battery Compartment
• 
  Control Room
• 
  Engine Room
• 
  Main Cabin
• 
  Smoking Saloon
• 
  Upper Deck

Service history

Baragoola entered service for the first time on the 3rd of September 1922 for the Manly company and operated on their Circular Quay to Manly route as well as regularly advertised cruises on Sydney Harbour.

Like her sisters, Bellubera and North Head, she was modified in the early 1930's with a closed upper deck, thus improving passenger amenities. She was also subject to an experiment at the same time where she was modified to run on pulverised coal; this was stopped when it was discovered that the vessel and passengers were being showered in coal dust. She was then the first of the fleet to be modified to burn bunker oil and coal tar; 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. Other modifications included in 1948 the removal of her chain operated steering gear that were replaced with Brown Brothers (later known as Vickers) hydraulic equipment.

Withdrawn from service in 1958, she re-emerged in early 1961 after being stripped of her steam engines and equipped with four English Electric 7SKM diesel electric engines.

In 1974, she was one of two Manly ferries sold to the New South Wales government and remained in service until 1983.

Her last day of service on the Manly run was 8th January 1983. At the end of this day she was given a well attended official final trip, for which Baragoola was specially turned on departure from Manly Wharf, so she ran bow first to Circular Quay. (Normally Manly ferries operate with their bows (end with anchors) facing in the direction of Manly.) Her withdrawal from service was well publicised and she featured on the ABCTV Sydney evening news on the 8th January.

Baragoola (aboriginal for Flood Tide) was regarded as the most popular Manly ferry, this was shown by the large number of people who turned out for her farewell trip in 1983 when she was so loaded that passengers were on the top wheelhouse deck. Apart from Barrenjoey/North Head and Bellubera, no other Manly ferry had a longer career, outlasting the Scottish steamers Curl Curl, Dee Why and South Steyne.

Motive power

As a steamer, Baragoola was powered by a three cylinder triple expansion steam engine with characteristics of 18", 28", 47.5" and 27" cylinders developing 1,300 ihp (970 kW). She had two marine horizontal multitubular (navy type) boilers. She was fitted with electro hydraulic steering equipment after World War 2 which replaced her earlier chain steering.

After conversion to diesel her motive power was four English Electric 7SKM diesels generating 600 bhp (450 kW) at 600RPM. These engines are the only remaining operational ones of their type, having only ever been installed in three Manly ferries.

Incidents in service

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 (an inner harbour ferry later to go to Hobart after the collapse of the Derwent River bridge), the Kosciusko's master was held at fault & 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 and the lifeboat was severely damaged in the event.

On August 28th, 1934, Baragoola struck and killed a whale. The event garnered media interest when the disposal of the corpse took nine days and multiple attempts.

Retirement

Following her withdrawal, she was sold to Bob Hyde for use as a floating university, an enterprise that never took off and following which she was laid up at Rozelle Bay until 1988 when she was again sold, this time to David Ashton of Waterview Wharf. In late 2003 she was ejected from Waterview Wharf and relocated to the Coal Loader at Waverton.

In 2009, following a period of animosity from NSW Maritime, Mr Ashton offered the vessel for sale by auction and she passed into ownership of Adrian Thompson, who considered scrapping the vessel.

Restoration

In March 2010, Baragoola was sold to the Baragoola Preservation Association Incorporated, a not for profit organisation who have undertaken the task of restoring the Manly veteran. Restoration to an operating condition is proceeding as of 2011.

Baragoola is moored at the old Coal Loader facility at Balls Head Bay in Waverton.

Historical Significance

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 the evolution of technology for fast double-ended navigation in deep-sea conditions. Her fabric demonstrates the changing nature of service over the period, 1922-1983 and the machinery technology is unique in the Australian shipping industry. Baragoola is an extremely rare surviving example of ship construction by Mort's Dock & Engineering Co. Ltd.

The vessel is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels (HV000409).Baragoola's ARHV entry

Gallery

• 
  MV Baragoola, forward weather deck
• 
  Lower deck, starboard bulwarks
• 
  Aft propulsion motor
• 
  Engine controls
• 
  Bow
• 
  Baragoola in April 2012
• Baragoola's launch on February 14th, 1922
  Baragoola's launch on February 14th, 1922
• 
  Baragoola as built in 1922
• 
  Upper deck passenger accommodation

Bibliography

• Mead, Tom (1988), The Seven Mile Ships, Manly Ferries of Sydney Harbour, Sydney Child & Associates, ISBN 386.6099441 MEA {{citation}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help).

• Prescott, Anthony (1984), Sydney Ferry Fleets, Ronald H. Parsons, ISBN 0909418306.

• Andrews, Graeme (1994), The Ferries of Sydney (3 ed.), Trident Publication, ISBN 0424002027, 9780424002026 {{citation}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help).

External links

• Baragoola's official website
• Bargagoola's restoration photo gallery
• English Electric 7SKM diesel electric engines in Australia
• David Ashton - Travesty & Tragedy
• Baragoola's last day of service
• Video of Baragoola in service