Rivergate Marina & Shipyard marked 20 years since opening at an industry dinner held on 20 May at Mamasan restaurant in Broadbeach, Queensland. Co-owners and directors Judy Brinsmead AM, Bob Hill and Tom Hill attended alongside tenants, captains, suppliers and industry partners to reflect on the facility’s development since 2006.

Located on the Brisbane River in Queensland, Rivergate Marina & Shipyard sits close to the city centre and has access to domestic and international airports, as well as cruising grounds including the Great Barrier Reef.

The site now offers 105 berths for vessels over 80 metres in length, with on-site infrastructure including hardstand areas, enclosed sheds and lifting equipment with 300- and 75-tonne travelifts.

At the dinner, Judy Brinsmead AM reflected on the vision behind the project, describing it as an effort “to create a world-class marine facility on the eastern seaboard of Australia”.

She said: “We believed Australia would become a superyacht destination and not just a stopover. We opened in 2006, after six years of meticulous planning and construction, with our world class facilities and an unwavering commitment to service excellence.  That dedication has earned us global recognition and a repeat client record of which we are very proud.”

Brinsmead also acknowledged Rivergate’s team and industry partners, including the Wright and Baddiley families and Tommy Ericsson of AusShips, who have been involved with the facility since its early years.

She noted that some aspects of the original plans did not anticipate changes that would come with the growth of the superyacht sector. 

“We underestimated the workspaces needed to support our partners and hugely underestimated the growth in the physical size of future superyachts. Hopefully these inadequacies will be rectified in the coming years,” she said.

Brinsmead also pointed to future opportunities for the sector as Brisbane prepares for the 2032 Olympic Games.

Jeremy Spear, president of AIMEX-Superyacht Australia, said Rivergate was instrumental in attracting international cruising yachts and superyachts to Australia.

“In 2006, Judy and Bob were visionaries, taking a major risk and propelling the Australian superyacht industry forward by a quantum leap. They have made an astounding contribution to the industry and are testament to the premise ‘build it and they will come’,” he said.

Images courtesy of Rivergate Marina & Shipyard.