page_title: Ferry transport in Queensland
section_title: History & Former Ferries
hierarchical_section_title: Ferry transport in Queensland / Department of Transport & Main Roads Regions / Metropolitan / Brisbane River / History & Former Ferries
caption_attribution_description: Indooroopilly ferry crossing the Brisbane River.
context_page_description: Ferry transport in Queensland provides both historical and current information relating to scheduled public passenger ferry services in Queensland. The first ferry started on 1 January 1843 at Russell Street with a service across the Brisbane River.
  Crossings in the Brisbane central business district and at Bulimba, Dutton Park, Indooroopilly and Moggill were needed for road transport to develop in a growing town. Before the Story and Gateway Bridges were constructed ferries transported vehicles across the river at these locations. Some of the more significant services vital to various communities, include the Daintree River Ferry, services to Thursday Island, Magnetic Island, Fraser Island, North Stradbroke Island and other islands in Moreton Bay.
  Ferry services in Queensland are regulated by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. Services in Brisbane, including the CityCat are operated by Transdev Brisbane Ferries under a contract with Brisbane City Council.
context_section_description: In 1838, Brisbane was opened up to free settlers, one of the biggest obstacle to its expansion at the time was the Brisbane River. In February 1842, the first real wave of settlers up the river followed the proclamation of the free settlement of Moreton Bay District. Only a fitful rowboat ferry connected North Brisbane to the more industrial settlement of Kangaroo Point, and another to South Brisbane, which became known particularly for its wayfaring inns. Early settlers crossing the river by row boats often had their horse swimming behind.
  In 1844, a service started operating between Customs House and Kangaroo Point. By the 1860s, services operated from Brisbane to Kangaroo Point, Alice Street to Naval Stores and Charlotte Street to Russell Street, Brisbane. Around 1883, the first steam ferry commenced operation between Charlotte Street and Kangaroo Point.
  The early ferry services were privately run until Brisbane City Council created by-laws in 1860 governing their operation. By 1893 the Council had taken control of all ferry services and leased them out to private operators. In 1925, with the merger of all the local Brisbane councils into the Brisbane City Council, all ferry services from the Moggill Ferry to the mouth of the river came under its control.
  Samuel and Matthew Buckley began a row boat service in 1850. Later in 1864 John Watson commenced a vehicular ferry service with the steam paddleboat Advance. The 1893 Brisbane flood saw this transferred to the city with the loss of the Victoria Bridge, a winch and cable punt continued in its place. In 1928 the steam ferry Hetherington enter service and it carried passengers and vehicles, between Bulimba and Teneriffe until its demise in 1952. Bulimba village was served by a vehicular steam ferry (1886), connecting with the Newstead horse-tram service (1888) which was electrified during the late 1890s. A walk down Oxford Street to the ferry remained the sole means of convenient public transport to Brisbane until the 1930s.
  The Dutton Park Ferry was operational between the University of Queensland, St Lucia and Dutton Park. As a prank, the University of Queensland's Student Union created a petition with approximately 4,000 signatures, largely gathered from the Regatta Hotel, and convinced Lord Mayor Clem Jones of the need for the ferry service. Upon completion of the Pamela Sue ferry the service began in March 1967. Six months after it commenced the number of passengers was well short of expectations. In 1967, the fare was 5 cents, the service had limited running hours and catered for 300 passengers a day. At its highpoint the service had two boats, a fare of $1.40, four captains, serviced 1,900 passengers per day and running hours from 06:30 until 21:55, five days a week. Over the years 3 boats serviced the crossing. The 1974 Brisbane Flood washed away landings and destroyed ferries. The Dutton Park crossing was Brisbane's only wholly privately run ferry service. Its closure occurred on 17 December 2006, when the new Eleanor Schonell Bridge opened.
  Travellers between Ipswich and Brisbane, prior to the opening of the Indooroopilly rail bridge in 1876, would travel by train to Oxley Point (renamed Riverton in 1888, and replaced by Chelmer Station, just to the south, in 1889), catch the ferry across the river then finish their journey by coach. On 11 June 1891 the ferry service was interrupted as a result of floodwaters. Increasing motor traffic meant the Indooroopilly ferry was perceived as overtaxed and local associations and bodies as far away as Ipswich formed a bridge league, headed by the president of the Graceville progress association, Walter Taylor. They wanted the Chelmer-Indooroopilly ferry service replaced by a road bridge and they won their battle, the ferry continued to operate until the opening of the Walter Taylor Bridge on 14 February 1936.
  At Queensport Road, Murarrie was a vehicular ferry named the James Holt that was launched in 1966 by the Lord Mayor Clem Jones who named it after the architect of Brisbane's Story Bridge, Sir James Holt, as he believe
caption: Indooroopilly ferry, 1906
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