Robert Hayles (1843 in London – 1926 in Arcadia) was an Australian entrepreneur who formed a series of passenger and cargo ferry services in the north of Australia after 1889.
Hayles established a permanent tourist operation on Magnetic Island and in 1900 built the Picnic Bay Jetty, establishing a permanent passenger ferry service to Magnetic Island.
The company also established a Darwin office the same year and provided services for mission stations, lighthouses and remote settlements along the Victoria and Daly rivers.
Hayles family business continued to expand, offering fortnightly Cairns to Green Island services from 1928 onwards and in 1936 the company introduced Brisbane River cruises in Brisbane, Queensland.
The Second World War had a serious impact on Hayles' business with vessels in his fleet requisitioned by the Australian military.