A VOYAGE RICH IN MARITIME HISTORY AND NATURAL BEAUTY
History of Port Stephens & The Original Tea Gardens Ferry
In 1904 the first passenger ferry between Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens was started by the Boyce and Thurlo families. It proved such a success that the runs were expanded to Salt Ash and Soldiers Point. They operated three launches; “Reliance”, “Kingfisher” and “Replica”. These petrol driven vessels carried supplies and passengers on a daily basis. In 1927 the business was taken over by the Engal family, who installed the first diesel engines to operate on Port Stephens. With the outbreak of World War II the vessels were commandeered and the Engal family was forced to close. The Korsman Brothers with a mail service contract restarted a ferry run but the service ended when the mail contract ended in the 1950’s. In 1987 the ferry service was re-established with an aluminium vessel named “Waterbus” operating four days a week between Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens. In the early 1990’s Harry Littler and family purchased Bluebird and Melissa, now gracing our waterways as MV Jesse and MV Tea Gardens. MV Wallamba joined the fleet around 2015 a purpose built river boat.
Today, the ferry service operates three historic timber ferries on a daily basis, carrying thousands of passengers each year between Nelson Bay to Tea Gardens. It’s a ferry ride that both visitors and locals can enjoy, taking in the beautiful vista of the bay up to Tea Gardens on the Myall River, and all the surrounding bird and marine life that the area has to offer.
After 30 years of servicing the community in 2024 The Original Tea Gardens took out Business of The Year in the Port Service Business Awards An amazing achievement