Celebrating our trainee port officers for International Day for Women in Maritime

Sunday 18 May marks International Day for Women in Maritime, a time to celebrate the incredible contribution of women to the industry and continue promoting greater representation across the sector.  

This year’s theme is “An Ocean of Opportunities” and Port Authority is proudly spotlighting the women involved in its Female Port Officer Traineeship Program which launched this year. Morgan Johnson, Summer Crealy and Abbey Hughes are all participants of the two-year program, aimed at opening pathways into the maritime industry for women and a training opportunity for the practical skills needed.  

Morgan Johnson

Morgan is originally from Florida and moved to Australia just over five years ago. Completing her General Purpose Hand (GPH) qualification in 2024, Morgan worked a season as a deckhand on charters and whale watching tours which ignited a passion for commercial maritime.  

Morgan is enjoying the variation of skills being taught through the program so far, noting her progress interpreting charts, plotting positions and courses and splicing rope.  

Summer Crealy

Summer is a South Coast local who had worked in harbour charter and boat rental businesses but found it difficult to break further into the commercial maritime industry. Since commencing the Female Port Officer Traineeship Program, Summer has participated in Pilot Ladder training, shipboard safety skillset and fire response training.  

Summer is particularly enjoying being able to learn and train alongside the other two trainees and is looking forward to imparting the knowledge she is building to future trainee port officers.  

Abbey Hughes

Abbey is a Port Officer Trainee based out of Moores Wharf in Sydney. Since joining the program, Abbey has enjoyed learning practical skills such as basic knots and boat handling and helping to respond to a minor oil spill.  

Abbey is particularly passionate about the program furthering the experience of women in maritime and encourages anyone who is passionate about the industry to take the leap and give it a go.  

To learn more about International Day for Women in Maritime, visit the IMO website.