Balgowlah was built by Mort's Dock at their Woolwich yard for the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company for a cost of £29,000.
Launched on 18 June 1912 and commissioned on 28 November 1912.

Balgowlah was nearly identical to the Bellubera and Barrenjoey and ultimately was the last coal burner in the fleet.
It was capable of carrying 1,517 passengers in the summer and 982 in the winter (the highest capacity of this class) and made over 110,000 return trips to Manly covering about 715,000 nautical miles.

Provided with a triple expansion steam engine generating 122 hp, it was capable of 16 knots, one of the fastest ferries on the run and able to make the run in 25 minutes compared to the 30 mins of other vessels.
Balgowlah was built by Mort's Dock at their Woolwich yard for the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company for a cost of £29,000. Launched on 18 June 1912 and commissioned on 28 November 1912.
Balgowlah was nearly identical to the Bellubera and Barrenjoey and ultimately was the last coal burner in the fleet. It was capable of carrying 1,517 passengers in the summer and 982 in the winter (the highest capacity of this class) and made over 110,000 return trips to Manly covering about 715,000 nautical miles.
Provided with a triple expansion steam engine generating 122 hp, it was capable of 16 knots, one of the fastest ferries on the run and able to make the run in 25 minutes compared to the 30 mins of other vessels.
SS Balgowlah