RiverCity Ferries


RiverCity Ferries is a public transport company which commenced operating ferry services in Brisbane on 4 November 2020. It is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group.
RiverCity Ferries operates 36 vessels serving 22 wharves on the Brisbane River under a ten-year contract with the Brisbane City Council. The company won the contract from the previous operator, Transdev Brisbane Ferries.

Services

CityCat

CityCat services began operating in November 1996 with a fleet of six high-speed catamarans. The service proved very popular with more than five million trips taken by 2004.
CityCat services operate from UQ St Lucia to Northshore Hamilton calling at West End, Guyatt Park, Regatta, Milton, North Quay, South Bank, QUT Gardens Point, Riverside, Howard Smith Wharves, Sydney Street, Mowbray Park, New Farm Park, Hawthorne, Bulimba, Teneriffe, Bretts Wharf and Apollo Road. Not all CityCat services stop all stops, with some peak time express services operating.

KittyCat

KittyCat services operate cross-river between the following locations:
RiverCity Ferries's fleet consists of 27 CityCats and 5 KittyCats. The CityCats are owned by Brisbane City Council. The KittyCats are leased from Captain Cook Cruises.

CityCats

The CityCat vessels are catamarans, and named after the Aboriginal place names for various parts of the Brisbane River and adjacent areas. All CityCats are operated by a crew of three - a master, a deck hand and a ticket seller.

First generation

First generation CityCats have a capacity of 149 passengers. These are to be replaced by additional [|fourth generation] vessels.
NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedWithdrawnNamesakeReferenceWrap ThemeImage
Kurilpa50357530011930QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsNovember 1996West EndBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mirbarpa50357560012012QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsNovember 1996IndooroopillyBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Barrambin50357550012013QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsNovember 1996January 2021Breakfast CreekCommemoration of 20 Years of CityCat services
Tugulawa50357540012014QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsNovember 1996BulimbaBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mianjin 50357580012132QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsDecember 1996January 2021Gardens PointBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Binkinba50357570012133QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsDecember 1996New FarmBrisbane Bullets basketball team
Mooroolbin50357590020481QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsOctober 1998Hamilton SandbankBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Baneraba50357610020854QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsDecember 1998ToowongBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white

Second generation

Second generation CityCats have a capacity of 162 passengers.
NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedWithdrawnNamesakeReferenceWrap ThemeImage
Beenung-urrung50357620026483QENorman R Wright & SonsAugust 20041 March 2022
Sunk during the 2022 eastern Australia floods		Highgate HillBrisbane Lions AFL team
Tunamun50357630026579QENorman R Wright & SonsJune 2005Petrie BightBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Meeandah50357640028744QENorman R Wright & SonsFebruary 2008MeeandahBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Wilwinpa50357650028744QENorman R Wright & SonsJune 2008Old ObservatoryBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Ya-wa-gara50357660027885QENorman R Wright & SonsNovember 2008Breakfast CreekBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mahreel50357670027885QENorman R Wright & SonsApril 2009Spring HillBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white

Third generation

Third generation CityCats have a capacity of 162 passengers.
NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedNamesakeReferenceWrap ThemeImage
Kuluwin50357680029438QENorman R Wright & SonsFebruary 2010WooloowinBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Gootcha50357690029440QENorman R Wright & SonsJuly 2010ToowongBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Walan50357710029439QENorman R Wright & SonsDecember 2010HerstonBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mudherri50357720029437QENorman R Wright & SonsJuly 2011MurarrieBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Spirit of Brisbane50358620029436QENorman R Wright & SonsOctober 2011Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Nar-dha503017210A3K0202Norman R Wright & SonsNovember 2014NudgeeBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Gilwunpa50302567032038QENorman R Wright & SonsJune 2015NundahBrisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white

Fourth generation

Ten fourth generation CityCats are being delivered from late 2019. They have a capacity of 170 passengers, including 20 on an open upper deck, plus more space for wheelchairs and bicycles than earlier generations. The vessels which each cost $3.7 million, are being constructed at Murarrie by .
In December 2019, Brisbane City Council awarded Aus Ships Group a contract for an additional six fourth generation CityCats to replace the first generation vessels at a cost of $3.73 million each.
NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedNamesakeReferenceImage
Yoogera503092890456106Aus ShipsOctober 2019Mouth of Breakfast Creek
Neville Bonner503102970457882Aus ShipsAugust 2020Neville Bonner
Mianjin II503110450458416Aus ShipsMay 2021Gardens Point
Barrambin II503121140458624Aus ShipsBreakfast Creek
Mooroolbin II503131370459861Aus ShipsMay 2022Hamilton Sandbank
Kurilpa II503138850459862Aus ShipsDecember 2022West End
Binkinba II503149810461419Aus ShipsJuly 2023New Farm
Tuguluwa II503162010461417Aus ShipsApril 2024Bulimba
Baneraba II503178760464282Aus ShipsMarch 2025Toowong
Mirbarpa II503188570464908Aus ShipsIndooroopilly

KittyCats

Five catamarans, nicknamed KittyCats, have been leased from RiverCity Ferries sister company Captain Cook Cruises in Sydney since November 2020 to operate the cross river services after the monohulled ferries were withdrawn. The first, MV Cockle Bay, arrived in Brisbane in September 2020. They have a capacity of 60 passengers and are operated by a crew of one. They are powered by 2 x Cummins QSB engines with an economical normal service speed of and a maximum speed of.
Residents have expressed concerns with the noise of the new vessels, since they came into service. In May 2021, Council ordered SeaLink to fit mufflers to the vessels to reduce noise concerns.
NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedFormer nameImage
Victoria503047610454605Richardson Devine Marine2017Cockle Bay
Taylor503047620444165Richardson Devine Marine2017Blackwattle Bay
Albert503076850455645Harwood Marine2018White Bay
Melany503076860455653Harwood Marine2018Pyrmont Bay
Eleanor452393