Transport Minister Andrew Constance has announced "Ferry McFerryface" will be renamed, following revelations his unpopular choice was a captain's pick rather than a public favourite.
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On Tuesday afternoon it was announced that the vessel will be renamed after one of the other nominees, Australian children's book illustrator and author May Gibbs.
Gibbs, who died in 1969, is best known for her books featuring the Gumnut Babies, including her popular 1918 Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.
Mr Constance, who favoured the name for its comical appeal for kids, said in a statement that this wouldn't change under the new title.
"This will retain the vessel's appeal to our youngest customers while also recognising an Australian icon with a long connection to Sydney," he said.
"She was an amazing Australian talent and a generous soul to Sydney, NSW and all of Australia and I am proud we have found a small way to honour her contributions on Sydney Harbour."
Ferry McFerryface attracted just 182 votes in the $100,000 survey of 15,000 participants, according to documents obtained by Channel Nine.
Clean Up Australia founder Ian Kiernan, on the other hand, received more than 2000 votes. As Fairfax Media revealed in November when the announcement was made, Kiernan had been informed of the impending honour only to have it suddenly revoked when the minister changed his mind.
It left him "deeply disappointed", Kiernan said. "If they think I'm not worthy why did they pick me in the first place?"
He wasn't the only person angered by the snub in favour of the minister's joke, which was recycled from a British survey that voted in "Boaty McBoatface".
The Maritime Union of Australia called it "an insult to the iconic history of Sydney Harbour and Sydney ferries".
And it went down like a ton of bricks on social media.
At the time, the minister implied that it was a matter of Ferry McFerryface's popularity in the survey. He told Fairfax Media that Boaty McBoatface and Ferry McFerryface were "the next most popular" names after Victor Chang, Catherine Hamlin and Fred Hollows.
The minister also tweeted on November 14, "It is not everyone's cup of tea, but the people voted for it so we listened."
On Tuesday afternoon, NSW Shadow Transport Minister Jodi McKay said it was time for Mr Constance to stand aside as he had lost all credibility.
"He flat out lied about the competition repeatedly saying Ferry McFerryface was the popular choice when he knew it was anything but," she said.
An event was held last month to "welcome" Ferry McFerryface to the Sydney fleet.
