The resurrection of the last Auckland steam ferry Toroa; and operating New Zealand’s historic steamships.

Hear from two stalwarts of the steam boat community: John Pratt and Peter McCurdy.

Steam Ferry Toroa

Built in 1925 at George Niccol’s St Mary’s Bay yard, Toroa is the last surviving double-ended steam ferry from the once-busy Waitematā Harbour fleet. For more than fifty years she carried millions of passengers, mainly between Auckland and Devonport, before retiring in 1980. Today, the Toroa Preservation Society is restoring the vessel to authentic, seaworthy condition, carefully rebuilding her composite hull while preserving her original Scottish-built boiler and triple-expansion steam engine. When restoration is complete, *Toroa* will return to the harbour as a living heritage ferry, celebrating the vital role steam ferries played in Auckland’s maritime and transport history.

SS William C. Daldy (1935)

Built in Dunedin in 1935, the steam tug William C. Daldy served the Auckland Harbour Board for decades, towing ships, barges, and assisting vessels across the Waitematā Harbour. Named after early Auckland leader William C. Daldy, the tug is today one of the last operational coal-fired steam tugs in the world. Carefully restored and maintained by dedicated volunteers, she remains a living example of traditional marine engineering. When steaming, her distinctive funnel plume and rhythmic engines offer a rare glimpse into the working harbour life that once powered New Zealand’s ports.

John Platt is a frustrated engineer, sometime mechanic and steam enthusiast. He has been marketing the William C. Daldy since 2013, prior to leading the establishment of the Trust structure.

Peter McCurdy is the president and vessel conservation manager of the Toroa Preservation Society. He was for many years a civil engineer and has long been involved in maritime heritage research and preservation with a special interest in working craft. He was one of the small group who established the New Zealand Maritime Museum at Hobson Wharf and was its first curator.