Since 1861, ferries have provided a faster and more reliable means of transport for residents along Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River, helping to play an important role in the growth and development of such suburbs as Manly, Mosman, Circular Quay and Balmain. This half-ship model of the SS 'Koree' represents the type of ferries that serviced these booming North Shore suburbs, helping to provide passenger and cargo transport during the early part of the 20th Century.

The 'Koree' is an example of a double-ended ferry, which became the mainstay of ferry operations and design from the period of the 1890s on. This design acts as a legacy to Walter Reeks, an Australian based naval architect who was a leading pioneer in the double-ended form and who worked for the Balmain New Ferry Company at the same time as James Scott.

Models such as this one would have been made for shipbuilder's to assist in their full-scale construction, helping to provide the builder with an idea of the vessel's fittings, riggings and sail plans, as well as helping to show the ratio of length to beam, the fining of her entry, stern and so on. This model further acts as a legacy to the original full-scale version which no longer survives. The 'Koree' was disposed of after the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1939.

References
Andrews, G., "Ferries of Sydney" (Sydney, 1994) pp. 91 & 110
Andrews, G., "A Pictorial History of Ferries - Sydney and Surrounding Waterways" (Sydney, 1982) pp.31, 104 & 115

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Powerhouse Museum