The MV Baragoola was a notable Australian ferry built in 1922 specifically for the Manly service operated by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company. As the sixth and final vessel of the Binngarra-type fleet, she embodied the design and features typical of early 20th-century Australian ferries. Constructed at Mort's Dock's Balmain yard, she measured approximately 60.7 meters in length and displaced about 498 tons. Her design included a steel hull with a length that was slightly shorter but broader than her sister ships, and she was distinguished by rounded ends on her sun deck. Initially powered by a three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine, Baragoola could produce 1,300 indicated horsepower, achieving speeds around 14.7 knots during trials. She featured two marine boilers for steam generation. Her passenger capacity varied from 926 in winter to 1,218 in summer before her upper decks were enclosed in the early 1930s, increasing her capacity to 1,523. Her layout comprised segregated saloons, including a ladies' saloon, a smoking room, and auxiliary spaces such as mail and crew areas. She underwent several modifications over her service life, including the addition of electro-hydraulic steering after World War II. In 1961, Baragoola was converted to diesel-electric propulsion, replacing her original steam engines with four British Thomson-Houston diesels driving English Electric electric motors, boosting her speed to 16 knots. She participated in notable events, including the opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973, and served until her withdrawal from service in 1983. After her decommissioning, she changed ownership multiple times, was laid up at Balls Head Bay, and was listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels. Her later years saw efforts at preservation, but she sank at her mooring in January 2022, leading to her being scrapped. The vessel's historical significance lies in her representation of early Australian ferry engineering and service, marking an important chapter in Sydney Harbour's maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.