The Grand Old Lady is returning to become “the Jewel of Sydney Harbour

Matt O’Sullivan of the #SMH this morning shared the announcement from Transport Minister Andrew Constance who proudly stated  that The Lady Northcott will be returning to grace herself on  the harbour once again after retiring gracefully from her ferry service in 2017. The Minister said 

“The Lady will not only be great for tourists and locals, but she will provide Aboriginal youth with specialised training programs while out on the water.” 

Shane Phillips, Chief Executive of Tribal Warrior says that they have been given the honour to refurbish and repurpose the Lady to be the Jewel of the Harbour - giving cultural tours and showcasing Aboriginal culture on the waterways of Sydney! 

Tribal Warrior is a Redfern Charity which has an amazing history and a track record of mentoring many young Aboriginal people who went on to secure permanent positions in the maritime industry.

The Lady has accumulated many passionate  supporters over the past 40 years - including  over over 20 engineers, deckhands and Masters who have created  a Whatsapp Group called “friends of Lady Northcott” and the “Yarning Circle’s #bbgforum” who have worked with Tribal Warriors to make this dream come true! 

Graeme Taylor, from community group Action for Public Transport, said the return of the Lady Northcott to Sydney Harbour was a “win-win for everyone”.

“The boat is as solid as Fort Denison,” he said. “The Lady-class ferries were an integral part of the image of the city. They were enormously popular and carried millions of passengers during their working lives.”

Shane Phillips Chief Executive of Tribal Warriors said 

“Through cultural tours of Sydney Harbour, we want the Lady to bring people of Sydney together as a community and create a legacy - so that our children will tell the story. Let’s prove we can do this as a community - by our actions - and help this  Lady to be a Vessel  for us to give back to the City of Sydney.” 

Shane saying  Thank You to the  Friends  of Lady Northcott and the Yarning Circle .

Sydney Morning Heralds article this morning 

“One of Sydney’s last grand dames set to return to harbour https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/one-of-sydney-s-last-grand-dames-set-to-return-to-harbour-20210115-p56uhi.html”