Parramatta River ferry services

Parramatta River

300px Shane Gould in June 2014
Waterway	Sydney Harbour, Parramatta River
Owner	Transport for New South Wales
Operator	Harbour City Ferries
System length	20 wharves, 27km

Huntleys Point ferry wharf

Chiswick ferry wharf

Abbotsford ferry wharf

Cabarita wharf

Kissing Point wharf, Putney

Meadowbank wharf

Olympic Park wharf

Parramatta River ferry services connect suburbs along the Parramatta River in Sydney with Circular Quay by commuter ferry. The services are provided by Sydney Ferries Corporation, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The route is coloured light green on the current Sydney Ferries network map since October 2013.

The route is divided into two sections which are normally serviced separately. Late nights runs combine the two sections into a single service.

• Circular Quay - Balmain - Cockatoo Island. These services run between Circular Quay and Cockatoo island via Balmain, Birchgrove, Greenwich Point and Woolwich and are usually serviced by the larger First Fleet class ferries.
• Circular Quay/Darling Harbour - Cockatoo Island - Olympic Park/Parramatta. These run direct to Cockatoo Island from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour and then various stopping patterns to Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta. They are normally serviced by the smaller RiverCat ferries.

Wharves

Circular Quay

Main article: Circular Quay

Circular Quay is a major Sydney transport hub, with a large ferry, rail and bus interchange. The Cahill Expressway is a prominent feature of the quay, running from the east, over the elevated railway station to join the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the west. Sydney Cove was the site of the initial landing of the First Fleet in Port Jackson. Circular Quay was originally mainly used for shipping and slowly developed into a transport, leisure and recreational centre.

Sydney Ferries services use wharves 2, 3, 4 and 5 at Circular Quay. Each wharf has ticket vending machines and ticket barriers, and is wheelchair-accessible.

Darling Harbour (King Street)

Darling Harbour ferry wharf serves Darling Harbour. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible.

Balmain

Balmain ferry wharf serves the suburb of Balmain, New South Wales and is located on Thames Street.

Birchgrove

Birchgrove ferry wharf serves the suburb of Birchgrove, New South Wales and is located on Louisa Street. The wharf is not wheelchair-accessible.

Greenwich Point

Greenwich Point ferry wharf serves the suburb of Greenwich, New South Wales and is located on Lower Serpentine Road.

Woolwich

Woolwich ferry wharf serves the suburb of Woolwich, New South Wales and is located on Valencia Street. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible.

Cockatoo Island

Cockatoo Island ferry wharf serves Cockatoo Island, New South Wales. The wharf is not wheelchair-accessible.

Drummoyne

Drummoyne ferry wharf serves the suburb of Drummoyne, New South Wales and is located on Wolseley Street. The wharf is not wheelchair-accessible.

Huntleys Point

Huntleys Point ferry wharf serves the suburb of Gladesville, New South Wales and is located on Huntleys Point Road. The wharf is not wheelchair-accessible.

Chiswick

Chiswick ferry wharf serves the suburb of Chiswick, New South Wales and is located on Bortfield Drive. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible.

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  Chiswick Ferry Wharf

Abbotsford

Abbotsford ferry wharf serves the suburb of Abbotsford, New South Wales and is located on Great North Road. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible.

Cabarita

Cabarita ferry wharf serves the suburb of Cabarita, New South Wales and is located on Cabarita Point. As of 2011, it is the busiest and fastest growing wharf on the river. The wharf is not wheelchair-accessible.

Kissing Point

Kissing Point ferry wharf is located in Kissing Point Park. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible.

Meadowbank

Meadowbank ferry wharf was the westernmost point in the Sydney ferry network until 1992. This wharf serves the suburb of Meadowbank, New South Wales and is located on Bowden Street. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible.

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  Meadowbank wharf and Ryde Bridge

Rhodes

Rhodes ferry wharf serves the suburb of Rhodes, construction is expected to take place later this year.

Sydney Olympic Park

Sydney Olympic Park ferry wharf serves the Sydney Olympic Park precinct and is located on Bennelong Road. The wharf has a single jetty used for docking of RiverCat ferries. The wharf was built in 1998 for the purpose of serving passengers for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and served the RiverCat service which brought the Olympic Torch to the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony. It now serves residents of Wentworth Point. A few services a day terminate at this wharf. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible.

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  Sydney Olympic Park, waiting area and parking loop

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  Sydney Olympic Park, view from Meadowbank

Rydalmere

Rydalmere ferry wharf opened in 1992, this wharf serves the suburb of Rydalmere, New South Wales and is located on John Street. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible.

Parramatta

Parramatta ferry wharf opened in 1992, this wharf serves the suburb of Parramatta, New South Wales and is located on Charles Street. The wharf is wheelchair-accessible. Services between Rydalmere and Parramatta are replaced by buses during extreme low tides.

History

Although Parramatta wharf served ferries in the early part of the 20th Century, for a long time until the late 1990s Meadowbank wharf was the terminus of all Parramatta River ferries. Silt in the river and sludge from factory and industrial waste upstream, and the previous design of ferries meant that the deep hulled vessels were unable to go further upstream than the Meadowbank bridge. However, from dredging work and the introduction of catamaran ferries, RiverCat ferries now proceed to Rydalmere and Parramatta.

At one time, the NSW Government was keen to make extensive use of ferry transport to Homebush Bay for the 2000 Summer Olympics, staged nearby. The Sydney Olympic Park wharf was built and used, although Olympic spectators were largely encouraged to use buses and trains.