Solomon Wiseman and Wisemans Ferry

In 1816 Solomon Wiseman settled at what was then called Lower Portland Head, and now is Wisemans Ferry, and by 1821 was operating an inn called the The Sign of the Packet. In 1805 Wiseman had been convicted of stealing timber from barges on the Thames, and transported to NSW. His wife Jane and their young family accompanied him. An astute and wily businessman, he managed to have himself assigned to Jane, and while still a convict he began to carve out a business empire - mostly shipping timber along the coast. He also had inns in Sydney and on the Hawkesbury. In 1827, with the Great North Road under construction, he obtained a licence to operate the ferry to transport people and stock across the Hawkesbury. At the same time he obtained a lucrative contract to supply provisions to the convict road gangs working in the area.

Jane died in 1821, and Wiseman later married Sophia Warner for whom he built a grand house, Cobham Hall, in the late 1820s. This house forms the main part of what is now the Wisemans Ferry Inn.

The original ferry crossing at Wisemans was about 2km downstream from the present crossing, but was moved to the present location in 1829 when the Devines Hill ascent was chosen to replace the earlier ascent selected by Surveyor Heneage Finch. The ferry crossing at Wisemans is the oldest in Australia, having operated continuously since 1827. Ferry boats were initially rowed across the river. Cables were installed later in the 19th Century, and the ferry driver then had to wind the ferry across with a large windlass. Motorised ferries were introduced in the 1920s, and they continue to operate free of charge 24 hrs a day. The ferries are owned by the RTA and operated by Hawkesbury Council.