Newcastle car ferry Kooroongabah, photo by Ron Jones
Newcastle’s harbour punts and the Trial Bay disaster
Crossing Newcastle Harbour has for many years been both a challenge for travellers and commuters and an opportunity for the operators of ferries and punts. A great variety of ferries came and went from Newcastle over the decades, with some used chiefly as industrial transport and others available for general passengers. A car awaits a ride across Newcastle Harbour on April 14, 1910. Photo by Ernest Brougham Docker. Vehicular ferries (always known in Newcastle as punts) filled a vital role, and until the advent of Stockton Bridge in 1971, they often had their work cut out…