Sydney ferry named Ferry McFerryface: the joke arriving late at Circular Quay
Sydney has come late to the party. The last of Sydney’s new inner-harbour ferries will be christened Ferry McFerryface and reaction has been … mixed.
More than 15,000 suggestions were made for the competition to name the six new inner-harbour ferries. “This one is for the kids,” said the New South Wales transport minister, Andrew Constance.
Showing a joke is never too old, voters were more keen for the ferry to be named Boaty McBoatface, the name chosen by voters in the UK when they were asked to name a new polar research ship. But the Natural Environment Research Council decided not to use the name, instead choosing Sir David Attenborough. (The name Boaty McBoatface was saved for a robot submarine carried on the research ship.)
Constance rejected the ferry’s new name, on the grounds that he wanted to avoid a double-up.
Ferry McFerryface joins a string of objects christened with frivolous names. This year an express train in Sweden was dubbed Trainy McTrainface and, in Sydney, there is racehorse called Horsey McHorseface.
Twitter users also had some strong feelings about the decision, despite it being decided by a public vote.
Maritime staff have since refused to work on Ferry McFerryface.
In an interview on 2GB Radio, the assistant secretary of the Sydney branch, Paul Garrett, said he was appalled by the decision.
“He’s taking the absolute mickey out of public transport in this state,” he said.
“Sydney Ferries has had an iconic history with Sydney Harbour and are named after iconic beaches and iconic Olympians. The workers are just frustrated with it.”
The new inner-harbour vessels have capacity for about 400 passengers. The ferries feature wifi, designated bicycle storage areas and charging stations for electronic devices.