Ferry McFerryface gets name change amid questions over popular vote

Transport Minister Andrew Constance will rename Ferry McFerryface after popular children's author and illustrator May Gibbs amid questions over the name's popularity in a public poll.

Gibbs, who died in 1969, was the popular children's author and illustrator who created the Gumnut Babies and Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, among other classic Australian books.

This comes after Ferry McFerryface and Mr Constance hit the headlines today when it emerged that the name was not ranked in the top six when voting was open to the public in the Name Your Ferry competition in 2016.

It was the last of six new ferries to get a name; the others in the fleet are called Catherine Hamlin, Fred Hollows, Victor Chang, Pemulwuy and Bungaree.

Instead the report suggests that environmentalist Ian Kiernan, the founder of Clean Up Australia, received more votes.

But in a statement responding to the report, the Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the final voting did not include the name.

"The name comes from the first open call for public nominations where could vote for any name," the statement said.

"In this round, Ferry McFerryface received 229 nominations and Ian Kiernan received 17."

'He flat out lied': Opposition

When the competition was first opened in July 2016, 15,000 suggestions were put forward.

The names were then whittled down to a shortlist and a second round of voting was held.

Ferry McFerryface did not feature on the shortlist.

A press release from Transport for NSW announcing the second round of voting on August 30, 2017 stated: "The six most voted for names … will become the names for the new ferry fleet."

"He flat out lied about the competition repeatedly saying Ferry McFerryface was the popular choice," the Opposition Transport spokeswoman, Jodi Mckay, said.

"When he knew it was anything but."

It was never the most popular choice: Constance

The Transport Minister has not responded to questions as to why Ferry McFerryface was selected even though it did not go up against other names on the shortlist in the second round of voting.

At the time, Mr Constance admitted that Ferry McFerryface was not the most popular choice, with the most votes going to the name Boaty McBoatface, the notable title Brits voted to call a new research vessel in 2016.

He said at the time, his office wanted to avoid a double up, and that Ferry McFerryface was the next most popular choice.

"Given Boaty was already taken by another vessel, we've gone with the next most popular name nominated by Sydneysiders," Mr Constance said.

New name branded as 'final' name

A release from the Department of Transport and Infrastructure described the ferry as receiving its "final name" today.

"The vessel has been in operation since November 2017 when it was registered as Emerald 6 for maritime purposes and was branded Ferry McFerryface during the summer holiday period," the statement said.

"We always intended this vessel would be named for the kids," Mr Constance said.

"After a summer on the harbour, Ferry McFerryface will now be renamed after prominent Australian author May Gibbs."

Mr Constance said Gibbs was an iconic author had given much to the disability sector of NSW, bequeathing the copyright of her work to Northcott Disability Services and Cerebral Palsy Alliance after her death.

2018 also marked the 100th anniversary since the publication of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.

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