DEAR News Of The Area,

IT is heartening to read an article acknowledging the role of the Tea Gardens ferry service (NOTA 27/2/2025).

I served as a deckhand and then as a fully certified coxswain on the ferries from 1999 to 2004.

The service was initiated by Harry Littler, a retired Manly ferry skipper, in 1985.

With expert help from Steve Lovell (an experienced captain) the ferry run was perfected.

The original ferry was the “Dolphin”, a former Sydney customs boat.

Harry summoned his son Steve, his son-in-law Tim, and daughter Jenny to run the ferry (and what a formidable combination this was).

“Jesse” made its first run on 12/5/1999 direct from Lakes Entrance.

“Dolphin” was trucked to Manly for the “Quarantine” run in November 2000.

In December 2021 Harry purchased the “Tea Gardens” (formerly on the Brooklyn-Wobby run) and sailed it to “the Bay”.

The rest is history.

P.S. “Les” ran the “Viking” irregularly in the 1950s as a “ferry”.

Sincerely,
Bob ADAMS,
Hawks Nest.