In the 1880s, the Port Jackson Steamship Company Limited had been expanding its paddle steamer fleet and services to Manly from Sydney (Circular Quay).

In response, local interests set up the Manly Co-operative Steam Ferry Limited in 1893 that ran a service with chartered single-ended screw steamers.

To entice a bigger share of the expanding market, the Manly Co-op ordered a 700-passenger steamer to be named Emancipator.

But by 1896, when the older company dropped prices to threepence return and the high cost of building the new Emancipator, the Manly Co-Op collapsed.

Her wooden construction allowed the continuous propeller shaft to lose its alignment resulting in severe vibration.

Two days after her launch, on the 14 of June 1896, the two competing companies began the process to amalgamate and shortly thereafter she received her name, "Manly".

After a period of fitting out, Manly ran her trials on 30 October 1896 where she covered the measured mile in a little over 4 minutes, exceeding expectations.

With increasing demand and overcrowding, the Port Jackson Co ordered the first of what was to become the Binngarra-type vessels that were significantly larger and higher capacity.

The large paddle steamer, Brighton, towed Manly into North Harbour where she was safely beached and her engines were restarted.

Unlike the previous paddlers and subsequent Binngarra-type screw vessels, which were larger and a number of which could carry 1,500 passengers, her capacity of 820 was not enough for the crowds on the Manly run.

In early 1924, she was advertised for sale, eventually selling for six hundred pounds to W M Ford of Berrys Bay.