Balmain East ferry wharf
Ferry wharf in Sydney
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Balmain East ferry wharf (also known as Darling Street ferry wharf) is a Sydney Ferries wharf located on Sydney Harbour, serving the Sydney suburb of Balmain East. It is one of the oldest continuously operating ferry wharves in Sydney, with services dating to the 1840s. The wharf is served by the F4 Pyrmont Bay and F3 Parramatta River ferry routes, operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries. The existing structure was demolished and rebuilt, reopening on 18 June 2015. The wharf is owned by Transport for NSW and is unstaffed.
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Balmain East | ||||||||||||||||
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Wharf in March 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||
| Location | Darling Street, Balmain East New South Wales Australia | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°51′25″S 151°11′45″E | |||||||||||||||
| Owner | Transport for NSW | |||||||||||||||
| Operator | Transdev Sydney Ferries | |||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 wharf (2 berths) | |||||||||||||||
| Connections |  Balmain East Wharf, Darling St | |||||||||||||||
| Construction | ||||||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | |||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||
| Status | Unstaffed | |||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1840s | |||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 18 June 2015 | |||||||||||||||
| Former names | Darling Street, Balmain (–2002) | |||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||
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History
The Balmain East ferry wharf has been operating since the 1840s as Balmain's main wharf. Originally, watermen offered the first services on demand in small rowing skiffs or sailing dinghies. In February 1844 the steamer Waterman commenced the first public ferry service between Balmain and the Australian Gas Light Company wharf at Millers Point.[1][2] The service was established by Henry Perdriau, the owner of Perdriau Ferries, later Balmain Steam Ferries.[3]
From the beginning of the 20th century, Sydney's electric tram system down Darling Street to the wharf and connected with the ferries. The tramway operated until 1954.[3] As the road next to the wharf had a grade of 1 in 8, a unique counterweight dummy system was installed under the road surface to help push trams up the hill. An underground counterweight system was connected by cable to a cable tram grip dummy on the track on the surface. A tram descending would push the grip dummy ahead of it (which raised the counterweight). On the return journey, the grip dummy would give the tram a helpful push. The mechanism was preserved at the Sydney Tramway Museum when the tramway was removed.[4]
On 14 January 2015, the wharf closed for a rebuild with the existing structure demolished and a new one opened on 18 June 2015.[5][6][7][8]
Services
Balmain East wharf is served by Sydney Ferries Pyrmont Bay services operating between Pyrmont Bay and Circular Quay via Barangaroo.[9] Services are operated by First Fleet class ferries. Balmain East wharf is also served by weekday and weekend evening Parramatta River services from Sydney Olympic Park.[10]
| Platform | Line | Stopping pattern | Notes |
| 1 | Evening all-stops to Circular Quay | [10] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All stops between Pyrmont Bay and Circular Quay | [9] |
Transport links
Transit Systems operates one bus route to and from Balmain East wharf:
- 442: to Queen Victoria Building[11]
