Historic moment for ferry and slipway in Tea Gardens Myall Coast Myall Coast by News Of The Area - Modern Media - August 15, 2024August 15, 2024 The historic timber ferry makes her debut on the Marine Drive slipway. Photo: Myall Times. FOR the first time in her storied history, the MV Tea Gardens Ferry appeared on the Tea Gardens Slipway on Marine Drive last week. The historic timber ferry, which has been gracing local waterways for decades, has traditionally been maintained in Oyster Bay. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au New owner Kerrie Jeffries proposed a change recently however, discussing the opportunity to utilise the Marine Drive facility with Slipway President Paul Bendy, who carefully assessed the compatibility of the boat and the slip. Last Friday, the MV Tea Gardens successfully made her debut on the slip, in a trial run for maintenance and painting scheduled for early next month. Built in 1944 during WWII for the RAAF Marines division, MV Tea Gardens has a long and colourful history. Her original commission was for the transport of munitions to Catalina flying boats. She was built at the Slazenger shipyard in Putney on the Parramatta River, overseen by legendary shipwright Bill Fisher. When the war ended in 1945, she was converted into a ferry by Atlas Engineering. In 1948 she was sold to the Hawkesbury River Tourist Service, where she ran for many years. The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company then purchased her for use on their Pittwater service. In 1970 she was sold to Palm Beach and Bobbin Head Ferries, before returning to the Manly Steamship Company in mid-1974. In 1980 she was again sold and renamed ‘Melissa’, running the Palm Beach Ferry Service between the Basin, Currawong and Great Mackerel Beach area. She was then re-homed in Port Stephens in the late 1990s, and continues to run between Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens.
