 Koompartoo on the Circular Quay to Milson's Point route for which she was designed and built. Prior to Sydney Harbour Bridge opening, likely 1920s.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Name | Koompartoo |
| Namesake | Aboriginal word meaning new beginnings |
| Owner | Sydney Ferries Limited |
| Route | Circular Quay-Milsons Point |
| Builder | Walsh Island Dockyard and Engineering Works, Newcastle |
| Yard number | 53 |
| In service | 1922 - 1941 |
 Australia | |
| Name | HMAS Koompartoo |
| Owner | Royal Australian Navy |
| Acquired | 18 June 1942 |
| Commissioned | 23 December 1942 |
| Decommissioned | 8 June 1962 |
| Identification | Z256 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 448 GRT, 201 NRT |
| Length | 191 ft (58 m) |
| Beam | 38.3 ft (11.7 m) |
| Speed | 12 knots |
| Capacity | 2,089 |
| Armament | |
Koompartoo was a 1922 Sydney Ferries Limited K-class ferry later converted to a Royal Australian Navy boom defence vessel. Koompartoo, described in the press as a "Dreadnought for the Milsons Point run" and "a titan amongst ferries", was along with her sister ferry, Kuttabul, the highest capacity ferries ever on Sydney Harbour.
Commencing ferry service in 1922, they were designed and built for the short heavy-lift run on the Circular Quay to Milsons Point across to Sydney's North Shore prior to the 1932 opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Following the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, both ferries were redundant. During World War II, they were requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy. Kuttabul was sunk during the 1942 Japanese Attack on Sydney Harbour with the loss of 19 lives. Koompartoo was converted to a boom defence vessel and taken to Darwin. Following the War, she was laid up in Sydney until 1962 when she was taken to Launceston, Tasmania where her hull was used as bauxite barge. Her final fate is unclear.
The name, "Koompartoo", is thought to be an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "fresh start", and the boat followed about twenty previous Sydney Ferries K-class vessels named with Aboriginal words starting with "K".