Manly wharf, Manly, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Manly Wharf is the ferry terminal on Manly Cove in Manly, Sydney, where the harbour ferry from Circular Quay comes in. It has been the town's front door since the 1850s, when the early ferry link helped turn Manly into a seaside resort for Sydneysiders.

The story behind it

Manly got its name in 1788, when Captain Arthur Phillip noticed the confident bearing of the Aboriginal men he met at the cove and called the place after them. The town as a day-trip destination owes much to Henry Gilbert Smith, remembered as the father of Manly. He was behind much of its early infrastructure, including the wharf, and he helped set up the first regular ferry service.

Local lore adds a story from the 1850s, when a late night ferry began carrying Manly residents home from the city's nightlife. Regulars are said to have formed the Hot Potato Club, named for their habit of warming potatoes and other snacks on the ferry's hot engines for the trip home.

What to look for

• Look down at the paving near the wharf, where strips of plaques mark five themes: local transport history, local plants, Aboriginal carvings, local people and local sea life.
• Search the plaques for Henry Gilbert Smith, the man behind the wharf and the early ferries.
• Watch the ferries come and go against the harbour, a reminder that the water crossing is still how most visitors arrive.
• Notice how quickly the scene changes as you walk away from the terminal, from the sheltered cove beach to the busy pedestrian streets of the town centre.

Tips for your visit

• The wharf area is open to walk around, but ferry services run to a timetable, so check current ferry times before you plan a return trip.
• Allow 15 to 20 minutes just to look around the wharf and its plaques, and longer if you stop for a drink or a meal beside the water.
• Sit on an outer deck on the ferry crossing from Circular Quay if you can, since the harbour views are part of the experience.
• The Corso, Manly's pedestrian street, begins close by and leads across the peninsula to the ocean beach, so the wharf is an easy start for a full day out.

See it on a quest

The wharf is the kind of place where the details are easy to walk past, so it works well as part of a longer route. Manly: Sydney's Playground takes you to Manly Wharf on foot as one stop among the places around town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no set departure time.