SYDNEY, NSW. — Australia was colonised by the English in January 1788, and the colony of Sydney (Port Jackson) quickly grew. Although remote and isolated from the rest of the world, life in New South Wales promised new opportunities for people who had lost employment in England’s Industrial Revolution.
As business, farms, trades, and the population expanded, so did the need to transport goods and people efficiently. The roads were well-utilised, but the Parramatta River was also a useful avenue for transportation.
During the first eighteen months of the colony, water transport comprised small rowboats from the First Fleet vessels.
In response to the need for better water transport, the first locally-built ferry was launched on October 5, 1789. The “Rose Hill Packet”, commonly known as ‘the Lump’, was Australia’s first ferry service.
A wooden hoy, ‘the Lump’ weighed 12 tons and could navigate the journey from Sydney Cove to Rose Hill (now Parramatta) in just two days.
