It is not known when the first jetty at Mends Street was built, however, with the opening of the Perth Zoo in October 1898 it was recognised that a regular cross-river ferry service was needed.[1] Therefore, at about that time, the existing jetty was widened to 15 feet (4.6 m) and an existing service that ran between William Street and Queen Street Jetty[2] was extended to Mends Street.
The service was run by Joseph Charles, who operated the Queen (later Empress) and the Princess. A few months later, Charles and his partner S. W. Copley started operating the PSDuchess, a locally constructed vessel. Duchess made its inaugural run to Mends Street Jetty on 11 December 1898, and plied the route for the following 29 years.[3][4]
Later services included a business operated by Jack Olsen and Claes Sutton, who ran a fleet including the Valfreda[5]Valkyrie I and II, Valhalla and the Valdhana between jetties at Point Belches near The Narrows, Mends Street and Coode Street.
^"VARIED ACTIVITY". The West Australian. Vol. 63, no. 18, 879. Western Australia. 16 January 1947. p. 14 (SECOND EDITION.). Retrieved 26 February 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
