Seven Miles from Sydney a Thousand Miles from Care

The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company, (PJ&MSSCo.), was established in Sydney in 1855. The company was created to provide a regular passenger and cargo service between Sydney and Manly, a popular seaside resort located just north of Sydney Harbour.

In the early days of the company, the ships used for the service were paddle steamers, which were powered by steam engines and propelled by large paddlewheels on either side of the vessel. These paddle steamers were the backbone of the company's fleet for many years, and they proved to be reliable and efficient vessels for the busy Sydney-Manly route.

As the popularity of Manly beach increased, so did the demand for the company's services. In response to this, PJ&MSSCo. began to expand its fleet and introduced larger, more modern ships. One of the most famous of these was the SS South Steyne, which was launched in 1938 from Leith, in Edinburgh Scotland, where it was built, and quickly became an icon of Sydney Harbour.

During World War II, the company's ships were requisitioned by the Australian government and used for various military purposes, such as transporting troops and supplies. After the war, the PJ&MSSCo. resumed its regular passenger and cargo services, and continued to operate successfully for many years.

However, by the 1970s, the company began to face increased competition from other transport providers, such as buses and cars. This, coupled with rising fuel costs, meant that the company was struggling financially. In 1974, the PJ&MSSCo. was forced to cease its passenger services, and focus solely on its cargo operations.

Despite this setback, the PJ&MSSCo. continued to operate as a successful cargo shipping company for many years, and in 2002, the company was acquired by DP World, a global ports operator. Today, the legacy of PJ&MSSCo. lives on in the form of the South Steyne, which has been restored and was a popular tourist attraction in Sydney Harbour for a few years until government politics got in the way. Now she sits idling in an undisclosed private wharf in Sydney, waiting for her mighty return where she rightly belongs.

The Port Jackson and Manly Steam-Ship Company played a crucial role in the development of Sydney and Manly as popular tourist destinations. Its reliable and efficient steamers provided an essential transport link between the two, and helped to shape the cultural and social fabric of the region.

The blog title was a catchy advertising slogan won by a local Manly housewife, in a radio competition run by the PJ&MSSCo. to promote the South Steyne ferry that had not long joined the Circular Quay to Manly run in 1938, and turned it into a travel promotion poster to attract the day trippers from the city. It now a much loved piece of our local history. 

On 1 April 1938 the mighty South Steyne arrived in Sydney Harbour from Leith, Scotland, where she was built, to begin her lifelong service of the Manly Ferry run. She now waits idly at a non public wharf in Sydney Harbour, waiting faithfully to be returned to service if only the government would provide a public wharf for her to use for embarkation purposes. On the celebration of this day, Lost Manly is offering our South Steyne 4 poster set on sale.

https://www.lostmanly.com.au/products/6798534377635

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