Berrys Bay is a bay located to the east of the Waverton Peninsula and the west of McMahons Point, on the north of Sydney Harbour.
A number of ship building firms operate from the bay.
William Alfred Dunn (1839 – 1915) established a boat-building yard at Berry's Bay in the 1870s.[1] [2] In 1878 Dunn built Sydney's first steamer with propellers at both ends for the North Shore Ferry Company, for passenger ferry service in Sydney Harbour.[3] Dunn's boatyard at Berry's Bay built ferry-boats, tugboats and lighters, as well as sailing boats and steam yachts. His sons, Charles and William Dunn, also became boat-builders.[4] [5]
Walter McFarlane Ford (1841 – 1934) established a shipbuilding yard at Berry's Bay in 1878, which, over a period of 40 years, turned out a variety of vessels, including pearling schooners, island and mission vessels, surfboats and racing yachts and cruisers.[6] [7] [2]
In 2008 the Government of New South Wales called for Expressions of Interest for the private sector to develop a maritime precinct at Berrys Bay.[8] In 2013 Roads & Maritime Services and Government Property NSW entered into an agreement to lease with Pacifica Developments (formerly known as Meridien Marinas) to develop a maritime precinct at this site.[9] No later information is available on this project.
In March 2021 Transport for NSW appointed a Berrys Bay Community and Stakeholder Working Group to help shape a fresh vision for this historic Waverton harbourside location. The group was scheduled to meet for the first time in April.[10] In February 2022 ownership of the Qurantine Depot site passed to North Sydney Council.[11]