Introduction

Before 1930, travel and cargo movements from Sydney or Newcastle to Port Stephens were mostly done by steamship.

The first advertisements were placed by the Australian Agricultural Company which had established operations at Carrington in 1826, on the northern shore of Port Stephens.

The following advertisements, placed by various shipping operators in the period  1854 -1929, are indicative of the options for travel and cargo movements to and from Port Stephens in these early years.

Advertisements as placed by various Shipping Operators

Australian Agricultural Company [Sydney Morning Herald, 2 March 1854]

Eagle Ship [Empire, 20 January 1855]

Gazelle Schooner [Empire, 19 April 1858]

Gazelle Schooner [Sydney Morning Herald, 13 July 1861]

Gazelle Schooner [Forbes and Clark Collections]

Myall Schooner [Sydney Morning Herald, 13 February 1868]

Myall Schooner [State Library South Australia]

Rose and Thistle Clipper Ketch [Sydney Morning Herald, 31 May 1869]

Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Company Limited [Daily Telegraph, 9 November 1895]

Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Company Limited [Daily Telegraph, 14 December 1896]

Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Company Limited [Daily Telegraph, 8 June 1908]

Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Company Limited [Daily Telegraph, 22 May 1909]

Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Company Limited [Sydney Morning Herald, 5  September 1910]

Peter Callen and Sons [Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 22 March 1915]

Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Company Limited [Sydney Morning Herald, 12 March 1927]

Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Company Limited [Daily Telegraph, 5 September 1929]

Steamship Gwydir [Samuel J Hood Studio]

Concluding Comments

The first ocean excursions for tourists to Port Stephens from Sydney and Newcastle commenced in the early 1870’s, on an irregular basis. The peak period for excursions by steamship was between 1892-1928.

Further information on these tourist excursions is found at this link on the website

In 1907, the NSW Government Tourist Bureau launched a new travel route between Newcastle and the mid-north coast, via Port Stephens and the Myall Lakes.

Further information on this tourist route is found at this link on the website.

Researched and compiled by Kevin McGuinness

April 2025