More than a year and half since thousands of UK citizens proudly clubbed together to vote “Boaty McBoatface” to the top of a public poll, Australia has now followed suit.
In March 2016, the naming of a polar research vessel was put to an online public vote which finished with more than 16,500 votes for the amusing designation – and a vote this month for the name of a new ferry in Sydney has ended in a similar fashion.
Boaty McBoatface topped the competition’s standings, but in a game punt for originality New South Wales Public Transport opted for second place – the inspired Ferry McFerryface.
It's official. We have named the final ferry in the new fleet. Welcome to Sydney, Ferry McFerryFace.Posted by NSW Public Transport – NSW GOV on Sunday, November 12, 2017
“Given Boaty was already taken by another vessel, we’ve gone with the next most popular name nominated by Sydneysiders,” Australian minister for transport and infrastructure Andrew Constance told ABC News. “Ferry McFerryface will be the harbour’s newest icon, and I hope it brings a smile to the faces of visitors and locals alike.”
The ferry is one of a new fleet to be put to use in Sydney, and joins a trend of copycats since last year’s UK vote – including a Swedish train named Trainy McTrainface and a racehorse, also from Sydney, called Horsey McHorseface.
The original Boaty McBoatface vote ended with the vessel being named RSS Sir David Attenborough, with a smaller submersible taking the title.
