Devonport wharf — looking from East to West Devonport ferry pontoons

‘The Mersey River as far as I’m concerned was part of my family. My great grandfather was the original Ritchie to come to Tasmania under government sponsorship in 1843. Arrived in Australia as a convict of ten years conviction. He ended up living here in Devonport… he used to row a boat as a ferry from Formby up to Latrobe every day… and as a result the river became a part of our psyche in our family. My father was a very keen amateur fisherman and his brother was known as the Devonport pike fisherman. He used to have a 20 foot fishing boat moored at Mussel Rock… but boats don’t moor there anymore, because of the wash of the passenger ferries that come in and out of the river these days.’
— Jim

‘These are scenes I saw every day… more ships came into the port then than do now, because I guess the Spirits carry most of the freight in. But there would always be boats in. There would be boats that take the apples away… and the potatoes that used to go up to Sydney to be sold.’
— Helen

‘In the early time, it was all carted by horse and wagon. I actually remember, I was only about five or six, I came in with Dad on the wagon. Now, that was an all day job, to come from Moriarty with four horses and a wagon load of spuds, and then we had to go back home again see, empty. The wharf was always taken up with potatoes that had to be loaded Thursday night, to be in Sydney for the opening of the shops on Monday. Over a period of time they’ve sent 80,000 tonnes of potato.’
— Bill