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.
