Bass Strait Ferries have been the ships that have been used for regular transport across Bass Strait between Tasmania and Victoria on mainland Australia,Loney, Jack (1982). In Bay steamers and coastal ferries. Reed, Sydney Peter Plowman (2004) Ferry to Tasmania : a short history Rosenberg Publishing. Hopkins, David L. (David Lloyd) (1994). In The shipping history of the Bass Strait crossing : a brief history in pictures and text of the regular passenger ferries that criss-crossed Bass Strait at oft times a most notorious stretch of water. Taswegia, Devonport, Tas. as well as the various attempts to link Tasmania with Sydney."SYDNEY TO TASMANIA FERRY POSTS US$32 MLN ANNUAL LOSS". AsiaPulse News. 2005-11-09. Historically, some regular shipping services in the twentieth century linked Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart with the Bass Strait ports: Launceston's various port locations, Devonport and Burnie. The distinction between coastal shipping and Bass Strait ferry has been blurred at times.
At various stages the cost of shipping between Tasmania and the Australian mainland have caused enquiries and calls for subsidies or reduced rates of both ferries and general shipping.Demand for sea passenger transport between Tasmania and the Australian mainland, August 1980. Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics Canberra: Government Printer, 1981. Parliamentary paper (Australian Parliament); PP no. 366/1980.
History In the 1840s the Launceston–Melbourne Steam Navigation Company was in business with Black Swan, Royal Shepherd and Havilah. page 208 The Bass Strait crossing The Shamrock at this time was engaged in a service between Sydney, Melbourne and Launceston
Tasmanian Steamers commenced in the 1920s with three ships.
The Oonah (originally on the Sydney-Hobart route) was operated along with and until 1935 when Oonah and Loongana were replaced by the .
In 1959 the Australian National Line took over the service, and from 1959 to 1972, the Princess of Tasmania made crossings between Melbourne and Devonport. The cargo-only Bass Trader carried heavy vehicles from Melbourne to Tasmania until the Australian Trader was added in 1969 with services from Melbourne to Burnie, Devonport and Bell Bay (Launceston) in rotation.
From 1965 to 1972, the made three crossings per fortnight from Sydney to Hobart, Bell Bay and Burnie. In 1972 the Empress of Tasmania replaced the Princess of Tasmania on the Melbourne to Devonport route and the Australian Trader moved to the Sydney-Tasmania routes.
The Tasmanian Government's Spirit of Tasmania took over the service from 1985 when the replaced the Empress of Tasamnia and made six weekly overnight crossings between Devonport and Melbourne. It was replaced by the Spirit of Tasmania in 1993.
In the summer months of 1998 to 2002, Spirit of Tasmania in conjunction with SeaCat Tasmania, also operated the high speed catamaran Devil Cat between Port Welshpool, 200 kilometres south east of Melbourne and George Town near Bell Bay. The trip took six hours.
Flinders island can also be reached by ferry from Bridport in Tasmania, and from Port Welshpool in Victoria.
2002 - Spirit of Tasmania I, II, III In 2002 the Spirit of Tasmania was replaced with the two ferries previously owned by Superfast Ferries Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II, with two crossings each night leaving simultaneously from Melbourne and Devonport. From January 2004 to June 2006 a third ship, Spirit of Tasmania III, operated on the Devonport to Sydney route.
2022 - Spirit of Tasmania IV, V In 2022, Rauma Marine Constructions started construction of Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V in Finland.Keel laying of Spirit of Tasmania car and passenger ferry celebrated in Rauma shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions 28 October 2022 They are scheduled to enter service in 2026.Labor concerned new Spirit ferries may be leased out until Tasmanian berth is ready Pulse Tasmania 16 October 2024
In October 2022, Spirit of Tasmania moved its Victorian terminal from Station Pier in Melbourne to the new purpose built Spirit of Tasmania Quay in Geelong.Spirit of Tasmania Vessels Headed to Geelong Daily Cargo News 23 April 2020
Localities and ports Bell Bay Burnie Devonport Launceston Station Pier, Melbourne Geelong
Ships
(chronological)Hopkins, 4th edition, 2003 Black Swan, Royal Shepherd, Havilah and Derwent (1850s to 1870s) Mangana and Flinders (from 1879) Pateena, Flora and Penguin (1880s) SS Burrumbeet (from 1889) SS Coogee (1890s) SS Pateena SS Rotomahana SS City of MelbourneBroxam, Graeme (2008) The Bass Strait Ferry "City of Melbourne" : pioneer Australian screw steamship Hobart, Tas. : Navarine Publishing, (pbk.) SS Oonah
Plowman, Peter (1989). The career of the Taroona. -The Bass Strait ferry, built in 1934-. In Australian Sea Heritage. (23), 10-11,13. Princess of Tasmania MS Bass Trader Port of Launceston Authority (Tas.) & Thompson Clarke Shipping Consultants (1982). In Replacing the "Empress" : abridged proposal for a Bass Strait ferry service between Melbourne and Bell Bay. the Authority, [Launceston]
Spirit of Tasmania HSC Devil Cat Spirit of Tasmania I Spirit of Tasmania II Spirit of Tasmania III
References
External links