Police have established a crime scene at Berrys Bay in Sydney Harbour after a blaze threatened the historic SS South Steyne, a former Manly ferry.
Fire and rescue crews were called to Sydney’s lower north shore on Sunday night with an old works barge alight there.
The vessel was positioned nearby the heritage-listed South Steyne, which has been moored in the bay for the past eight years.
Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent John Dunn said firefighters had raced to the scene on a Port Authority of NSW tugboat and the joint operation was able to bring the flames under control.
He said it appeared the fire had not reached the iconic, 67-metre retired ferry, which passed between Manly and Circular Quay more than 100,000 times during its 36 years in service.
The fire at Berrys Bay on Sunday night.
The Dolphin Wharf, which leads out from Waverton Park into Berrys Bay, sustained minor damage.
“The ferry was tied up close to this other boat, an older style boat, which was on fire,” he said. “The Port Authority tug has been at work putting that fire out.”
After being withdrawn from service half a century ago, the South Steyne was restored with timber panels, brass fittings and even a grand piano in 1988. That year, Queen Elizabeth II recommissioned it, taking a cruise on it during her royal visit to Australia.
The ship was later used as a floating restaurant and as an information centre during the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.
The SS South Steyne is moored on Sydney’s lower north shore.Credit: Wolter Peeters
It has been listed for sale in recent years by owner Brian McDermott and currently has a $2.595 million price tag.
McDermott, who lives in Newcastle, said he had only found out about the blaze after it had been extinguished and was relieved the much-loved ferry had not been caught up in it.
NSW Police said there were no reports of injuries from the fire, which emergency services responded at about 7.20pm.
”A crime scene has been established by officers from North Shore Police Area Command which will be examined by specialist police in the morning,” a NSW Police spokesman said.
“No further details are available at this stage.”
Stuart King, the co-chair of the Save Our Sydney Harbour campaign, said the incident demonstrated why the dozens of dilapidated commercial and privately owned vessels scattered around the waterway needed to be removed.
He is fronting a petition to the NSW Legislative Assembly to clean up the harbour that has gathered the support of councils and state MPs.
“How lucky that the Steyne hasn’t gone up. It’s a beautiful vessel that’s been maintained well,” said King, who lives in Balmain.
“We want someone to deal with the rubbish that is left in various parts of the harbour, like Berrys Bay, Snails Bay, Lavender Bay … any place you look you will find a derelict vessel. It’s time to do something about it.“
The campaign is also pressing the state government for the removal of redundant farming structures that pose a problem for the environment and for navigation in the harbour, as well as privately owned, so-called “mooring minders” - decaying boats occupying prized space in the harbour’s bays and coves.