The Herald was an iron paddle steamer imported as frames from the United Kingdom and assembled in 1855 by Richard Johnson in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, where she was registered.

On 1 April 1884 the starboard boiler blew out while the Herald was waiting to bring in a sailing ship about 400 yards from North Head, causing the vessel to sink.

[5]Just a few weeks after the small vessel started plying the route on 31 July 1855 there was a fatal accident when Mr. Field, a butcher, residing on the North Shore, was crossing in the new steam ferryboat.

[6] Shortly after this incident an ad appeared in the local papers seeking a competent person to take charge of the steam ferry-boat Herald as well as an engineer, to whom liberal wages would be given.

[7] In May 1856 Hall, at that time the engineer of the Herald ferry boat running between Sydney and North Shore, was convicted of using obscene language towards John M. Ball, a passenger, and was ordered to pay a fine of 20s.

[12]In July 1865, when the Ada was involved in a collision with the mail steamer Jeddo and sank halfway between Fort Denison and Bradleys Head, the Herald and the Sydney pilot vessels picked up all of the survivors from the water.

[14] In March 1869 James Hall, master of the steamer Herald, appeared, on summons, charged with a breach of the Steam Navigation Act, by taking in tow the barque Mary Miller without exhibiting two masthead lights.

A considerable amount of evidence was adduced for the prosecution, but none of the witnesses could swear positively that the tug had only one masthead light after she had made fast.

Those who proceeded by water were convoyed by the steamers Vesta and Herald, which plied from the Circular Quay and Woolloomooloo Bay, at convenient intervals from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A band of music was in attendance for the benefit of the dancing portion of the picnic party, whilst those who were averse to this kind of amusement fully enjoyed themselves by opening their well stocked hampers near the Gap and watching the vessels arriving and taking their departure from our harbour.

The magnificent scenery which surround the placid waters of this beautiful lake-like locality is very little known by the general public, many of whom fancy that the Spit is the head of the navigation, whereas a steamer of a light draught, such as tho Herald, can proceed several miles beyond.

[17]In March 1873 the steamer Herald towed last the brig Firefly, of 160 tons register, to Newington Wharf eleven miles up the Parramatta River.

[18] When a small skiff capsized 100 and 150 yards from Mrs Macquarie's Chair, dumping three men in the water, the steamer Herald happened to be nearby.

It had got round and thrown a line to the men in the water, which they failed to grasp; Mr Hall, of the steamer Herald swam to their assistance.

[20] In December 1877 it was reported that whilst the schooner African Maid was under tow down the harbour, by the steamer Herald, Mrs. Wigmore, the captain's wife, fell overboard, and her husband, who could not swim, then jumped after her.

The obverse shows a female figure, representing the Society, comforting a sorrowing woman, and extending a wreath to a seaman, who endeavours to restore to animation a sailor boy washed ashore clinging to a fragment of mast.

[22] On 1 April 1884, Captain George John Hall (a son of the former owner) went on board with the fireman (James Franks) at Central Wharf, and headed down harbour to tow in the schooner Malcolm, which was expected from Newcastle just before daybreak.

It is a small site with just the two boilers (about 800 – 1000mm dia by 2.5m long), a broken engine and paddle wheel shaft (shifted by about 1 meter to the starboard) visible above the sand line.