Yanonung Quay is a recently upgraded wharf area on Harbour Esplanade where the Port Phillip Ferries passenger terminal and café are located. Domestic Commercial Vessels (DCV) is the term used for tourism vessels which may berth here briefly.

Given the extent of navigable waterways in Melbourne it is no surprise that in the nineteenth century ferries were a popular form of transportation and recreation. Until private car ownership became widespread, enthusiasm for river punts and ferries continued well into the twentieth century. Between 2004 to 2008 Parks Victoria operated a successful public ferry service, the Yarra River Shuttle Service, which provided six stops on the Birrarung/Yarra between Southbank and Harbour Esplanade, Docklands. The City of Melbourne collaborated with Parks Victoria to fund this ferry service which regrettably stopped when government funding ceased, not because the demand had diminished. Development Victoria and the City of Melbourne collaborated in the construction of the new ferry terminal which opened in 2022 with the support of Port Phillip Ferries, which currently runs services between Docklands and both Geelong and Portarlington.

FURTHER READING

• Herald Sun ‘Push for commuter ferry services to deal with Melbourne’s traffic and public transport congestion’, 23 June 2022
• Docklands News, ‘Ugly, but ferry reliable’ 2 June 2021, www.docklandsnews.com.au/columns/detail/history_17524/
• Docklands News, ‘Ferries are inspiring us!’, 2 June 2021, www.docklandsnews.com.au/columns/detail/maritime_17517/

IMAGE CREDIT
Port Phillip Ferry Terminal, photographer Jeff Malley 2024