John Duffy is a self-described "Hobartian, through and through, and through."

He spent much of his life following his passion for ferries as a Ferry Master.

“I grew up in West Hobart. It was nice; my bedroom looked out over the harbour. So, I used to see the ferries coming across there. I was given a camera when I was 9. My grandfather would take me down to the wharf and I would photograph ships. I'm still doing it to this day. I never thought I would one day be driving them.”

For a short period in 1967, he moved to Sydney to work on the train lines.

“There was a food shortage for the animals. They needed special trains to transport products. So, I gave it a go. I drove on the short north line, a passenger train from Newcastle to Sydney. I loved it, but honestly, I love the water more. I came back to Hobart for a holiday, where I met my wife, and I didn't go back to Sydney. Tasmania is a beautiful place, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. It was a great life in Sydney, but I always thought when I finished, I'd see if I could get on the ferries.”

John's wishes came true when he met the Roche brothers, "a lovely family," who took him under their wing. They owned the Cartela, a passenger ferry built in 1912. It was the largest of 50-odd ferries built during that period. The ferry offered sightseeing excursions across the Derwent River.

“It was beautiful. We would have orchestras onboard and host picnics.”

John would end up working on the Cartela for 47 years.

The Tasman Bridge Disaster occurred in 1975. A bulk carrier ship collided with several pylons and caused a part of the bridge to collapse. 30% of Hobart's residents became isolated on the Eastern shore, as the journey to the city now took 90 minutes. Hobart’s hospitals were all on the Western shore. Most schools and businesses were there too. During this period, the Cartela was used as a ferry between the Eastern Shore and Hobart.

“We worked hard when the bridge was down, but we made up for it with the pranks we played on people and the other ferry operators.

At a quarter past 8 in the morning, the trips from Bellerive to Hobart were pretty full. We got a licence to operate the bar on board, so they used to have races drinking. I remember one morning, as soon as we were leaving Bellerive, the whistle had blown they started downing their drinks. The Hobart record was thirteen 10oz glasses during the 11-minute crossing. And the guy who had drunk it, I watched him get off the boat. I thought, "Brother, you're not going to get too far." He went across Franklin Wharf, and he headed off up Post Street. I didn't see him again after that.”

In 1996, John wrote and self-published a book about the Cartela.

"I did 1,000 copies. We made a big thing of it - it was a good day. They sold off like hotcakes.”

But as John says, "all good things will come to an end.” In 2016, the Cartela was moved to Franklin for a full renovation. However, the owners have been unable to find enough money and a shed big enough to store the ferry for a year for the renovations.

Yet, John remains positive. “Everything has its day. When the Cartela last ran, it was about 103 years old, so it's done a good job. Now they've got the new ferries. They're just beautiful to drive, beautiful to handle, and have several runs to do. The sooner they have ferries everywhere, the better.”