FENWICK'S HISTORY

In 1862, John Fenwick (Andrew’s Great-Grandfather) commenced business in Sydney hauling water to ships around Sydney Harbour In 1867, John and his brother Thomas purchased the Atlantic and formed a partnership offering water haulage and towing services throughout Port Jackson The Company, J & T Fenwick, registered its first 26 ton wooden steamer in 1871.

The Fenwick brothers established their business at the beginning of the tug industry “boom” in Sydney. The early 1850s saw an increase in shipping in Port Jackson and a strong demand for support vessels providing towage developed. Tugs were imported from England and Scotland during the 1850s-1860s These vessels were most commonly wooden-hulled tugs averaging 80 feet in length.

In 1888 the Newburgh was temporarily rigged as a Brigantine and sailed to Australia for the conversion to a tug.

The Newburgh is depicted in the copper mural that hangs today in the Fenwicks office

By the late 19th century J & T Fenwick was one of the largest tug operations in Sydney In 1874 Thomas Fenwick took the Atlantic and moved to Ballina to set up a northern branch offering towing services for shipping along the Richmond River.

During WWI the British Government commandeered the Heroine and Hero to serve in UK and Mediterranean waters while in WWII the Royal Australian Navy used the Hero as a Mine Sweeper

John Fenwick died in 1901 aged 65. John’s son Ronald (Andrew’s grandfather) took over the family business. Fenwick Holdings Limited was floated as a Public Company in 1958 Doug Fenwick became Chief Executive of the company and during its Centenary Year J Fenwick & Co Pty Limited was sold to Brambles

Doug Fenwick and his wife at the time Helen moved to Kangaroo Point in the early 1970’s to develop the site their and established the Fenwicks Houseboat Hire Fleet. By the mid 1980’s the company was running 12 vessels In 1985 Andrew Fenwick (son), partnered with Doug to develop a new marina at 31 Brooklyn Rd, Brooklyn, now known as Fenwicks Marina

Andrew was tasked with getting the marina up and running, which he did and by 1991, they lifted their first boat using a Crib Point MSC45 Straddle Carrier onto their hardstand.

In 2004, Doug retired leaving Andrew to continue managing the business. Andrew completed business management courses and the MIA Intermediate and Advanced Marina Management becoming Certified Marina Manager (CMM #106) in 2006.

In 2009 they entered Marina of the Year awards and won small Marina of the Year This award was an extremely proud event and has spurred Andrew and his team to continue to build and evolve resulting in numerous other awards over the years

In 2014, Andrew’s son Tim entered the family business after completing an apprenticeship in both Shipwrighting and Carpentry/building. After starting as Maintenance Manager, Tim has moved up to the position of Operations Manager with overall control of the boatyard.

At the beginning of 2020 Doug Fenwick’s health deteriorated and he passed away in April To honour him here at the marina, Andrew decided we would name our new client lounge "The Captains Lounge" in his memory So now another father and son duo work closely together on a day-to-day basis to ensure the facility is maintained, well run and looks to meet the future needs of its stakeholders in the boating community.

Andrew is Managing Director of the business and deals with the big picture of the marina operations, marina berthing and any projects onsite Andrew has built this Marina from the ground up, there is no doubt, that to this day he still puts his blood, sweat and hard work into this award winning business. So what does Andrew do in his spare time? He enjoys relaxing at home and stocking up his wine cellar His favourite is Shiraz from Barossa Valley!

Tim is Operations Manager and deals with the daily scheduling of the hardstand A Shipwright and Carpenter by trade, Tim has been a part of the marina his entire life Under Tim's Management the boatyard has received two consecutive best boat yard awards from the MIA, which is a significant achievement In 2023, Tim completed his Advanced Marina Management course through the MIA. So, if you need your boat antifouled or lifted for maintenance, Tim is the one to speak to In his spare time he enjoys weekends away with the family caravanning, renovating and exploring the coast.

Sue has been working in the office for over 25 years and during that time she has fulfilled a wide variety of roles: manages the day-to-day office, payroll, clients’ accounts & banking Sue has been a part of our award-winning team, including Marina of the Year 2009 and Best Boat Yard – Under 20 boats (20152016, 2019-2020 & 2021-2022) She is organized, energetic, and reliable She is also detail oriented and supportive which has helped the marina run smoothly over the years. Fun Fact: Sue is one of 7 in her family and enjoys spending time with her 4 grandsons!

Sarah has been with the company since 2017 She began as a receptionist and now supports Andrew and Tim with critical aspects of the business She is dependable, personable, and shows initiative. Sarah has created Fenwick's website, marketing with new logo, helped design the Captain Lounge and implemented a new project management system to increase productivity Prior to working at the marina, she obtained her bachelors degree in business & fashion studying in Chicago, London & Sydney. Sarah was raised in Kentucky & staff say she still has her “Southern Charm”