Naming of Sydney’s new ferry fleet in full swing

Voting has closed and the deliberation has begun to name Sydney’s new ferry fleet which will hit the water this summer.

The ‘Name Your Ferry’ competition was launched in July and more than 15,000 suggestions were submitted, including names like Jørn Utzon, Catherine Hamlin and Victor Chang.

The public was invited to put forward suggestions that were considered by a four person panel, comprising of Director and Chief executive of the Australian National Maritime Museum Kevin Sumption, former NSW Volunteer of the Year Patrick Dodd, NSW Young Australian of the Year Melissa Abu-Gazaleh and Director and Chief Executive of the Australian Museum Kim McKay.

Suggestions were required to fall within one of three distinct categories: Arts and Culture, Connections to Sydney Harbour or Science, Environment and Innovation.

Once submissions closed, the panel added the most fitting nine names to each category, which was put to a public vote from late August.

The selected names were judged on their local and cultural significance as well as their connection to Sydney and the harbour.

The six most voted for names in the most popular category will become the names for the new ferry fleet.

The new fleet will quickly become part of the Harbour vista for locals and visitors, and the selected names will reflect Sydney and NSW.

Australian ship builders Incat have already started work on the new ferry fleet in Tasmania and each vessel will increase capacity, carrying up to 400 customers.

The new ferries will service routes in the Inner Harbour from Watsons Bay in the east to Cockatoo Island in the west, and use new wharves such as Barangaroo.