Busselton Jetty

Busselton Jetty is a jetty located in Busselton, Western Australia. It is the longest timber-piled jetty (pier) in the Southern Hemisphere at 1,841 metres (6,040 ft) long.^[1][2][3] The jetty is managed by a not-for-profit community organisation, Busselton Jetty Inc.

Busselton Jetty
At 1,841 metres (6,040 ft), the jetty is said to be the longest wooden structure in the Southern Hemisphere
Busselton Jetty Location of Busselton Jetty in Western Australia
General information
Type	Jetty
Location	Busselton, Western Australia
Coordinates	33°38′13″S 115°20′24″E / 33.6369°S 115.3401°E / -33.6369; 115.3401 (Busselton Jetty)
Website
www.busseltonjetty.com.au
Western Australia Heritage Register
Designated	22 November 2013
Reference no.	423

The jetty's construction commenced in 1864 and the first section was opened in 1865. The jetty was extended numerous times until the 1960s, ultimately reaching a length of 1,841 metres (6,040 ft). The last commercial vessel called at the jetty in 1971 and the jetty was closed the following year. It passed into the control of Busselton Shire and has been gradually restored and improved since. The jetty has survived Cyclone Alby in 1978, borers, weathering, several fires, and the threat of demolition, to have become a major regional tourist attraction.

The jetty features a rail line along its length, a relic of the railway line into Busselton from Bunbury. The line now carries tourists along the jetty to an underwater observatory, one of only six natural aquariums in the world.

History

Early history

In 1839 Governor Hutt appointed "the place in Geographe Bay opposite the Settlement at The Vasse to be the legal place for the loading and unloading of goods". Construction of the jetty – originally known as the Vasse Jetty – commenced in 1864 after persistent pressure by settlers, among others timber merchant Henry Yelverton and magistrate Joseph Strelley Harris; Yelverton's company was awarded the tender for construction.^[4] In 1865 the first section, approximately 176 metres,^[4] of the jetty became available for ships to moor.^[5] In 1875 an additional 143 metres^[4] was added to the original structure, as over 10 years' accumulation of drift sands had made the water too shallow for mooring. The jetty was continually extended until the 1960s when it reached its current length of 1,841 metres (6,040 ft). Fires on the jetty were commonplace,^[6][7][8] with some attributed to fishermen carelessly disposing of burning cigarettes,^[9][10][11] dropping lit matches or to sparks falling from the train's fire box.^[12]

Closure

Even while the port was operating commercially, maintenance costs were controversial.^[13] The last commercial ship visited the jetty on 17 October 1971. On 21 July 1972, the jetty was closed to shipping by Governor's Proclamation in the Western Australian Government Gazette after more than a century of use. Once closed, government maintenance of the jetty ceased and it began to deteriorate, suffering attack by wood borers, rot and the occasional fire.^[14]

Cyclone Alby

On 4 April 1978, Cyclone Alby swept south down the Western Australian coast from the North-West (a rare occurrence) and destroyed a large part of the shore end of the jetty. Subsequently, townspeople banded together to try to save the jetty and eventually persuaded the State Government and the Shire Council to provide some much needed funds for repair.^[15]

 

Busselton Jetty from the air

Rebuilding the timber jetty proved expensive and funds soon ran out. The Jetty Preservation Committee, formed in 1987, resorted to community fund-raising.^[16]

In December 1999, a fire burnt 65 metres of jetty to the water-line incurring damage totaling $900,000.^[17][18]

2000s–present

By 2001, the Busselton Jetty Preservation Committee had raised just A$14,000 — a rate of A$1,000 per year since its founding in 1987. In 2001, a new community-development Non-Government Organization (NGO), named "The Busselton Challenge", assisted the Committee in designing and executing a new fund-raising project that raised A$220,000 in just six months — 440 times the previous rate of fund-raising.^[19] April that same year also saw the opening of an Interpretive Centre and museum near the shore end of the jetty.

On 13 December 2003, the underwater observatory opened at a cost of A$3.6 million.^[20]

Further storm damage occurred in 2004,^[21] but the fund-raising project continued. The jetty was re-positioned as an important state and national resource, enabling the Committee to attract funding for a A$27 million refurbishment project and enter the jetty into the State Register of Heritage Places, thereby securing its future.^[22]

On 9 February 2006, the Queen's Baton Relay passed through Busselton. The baton was taken along the Busselton Jetty and then taken underwater by a scuba diver. The baton passed by the underwater observatory during its swim to allow the media to view the event.

In 2011 the refurbishment project was completed and the pier and railway were reopened to the public.^[23] In 2017 the train was replaced with a solar-powered electric vehicle.^[24]

In 2019, it was announced that Federal government funding for a new discovery centre to replace the underwater observatory had been secured.^[25][26] In early 2021, the design for the new A$32 million Australian Underwater Discovery Centre was revealed: a semi-submerged four storey whale-shaped structure, it was designed to have a higher visitor capacity and contain larger viewing windows compared to the original underwater observatory, and was to contain a gallery, exhibition spaces and a marine research centre. It was planned to be constructed in Perth before being towed out to Busselton, with an intended opening in 2023.^[27][28] In addition, an accompanying "village" containing food and beverage outlets as well as spaces for weddings and corporate functions was also planned for the end of the jetty.^[29] However in 2022, construction of the Australian Underwater Discovery Centre was shelved after a blowout in costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though development of the village will move ahead and include a new above ground educational Marine Discovery Centre.^[30][31][32]

In early 2023 a number of steel and concrete sculptures began to be installed underwater underneath and alongside the jetty to create an artificial reef and diving trail.^[33]

Attractions

Interpretive centre

A boatshed-style Interpretive Centre is located 50 m offshore. The Interpretive Centre features a museum that gives visitors a glimpse into the jetty's past and its future, and also contains a gift shop and a point of sale for tickets for the train and underwater observatory.

Underwater observatory

The underwater observatory is located 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) from shore – almost at the end of the Busselton Jetty – and can accommodate up to 40 people at a time in its 9.5-metre (31 ft) diameter observation chamber. Descending 8 metres (26 ft) below sea level, visitors can view the corals and fish life through eleven viewing windows.^[34]

Sculpture reef

The sculpture reef consists of 13 underwater sculptures by Western Australian artists situated underneath and alongside the jetty. The sculptures form a diving trail as well as a habitat for sealife.^[35][32]

Memorial plaques

Along one side of a section of the jetty are a number of memorial plaques, commemorating people whose ashes have been scattered from the jetty.^[36][37]

In February 2012 the Busselton Council limited the placement of such plaques to "exceptional circumstances", for people who had made significant contributions to or associated with the jetty.^[38]

Former attractions

In 1981, a waterslide opened adjacent to the landward end of the Busselton jetty, called the Nautical Lady. It was built wrapping around the existing lighthouse tower and was driven by pumped seawater. In 2011, the land which was occupied by the waterslide and associated amusement park attractions was re-purchased by the City of Busselton and the slide was shut down.^[39] The Nautical Lady lighthouse was eventually demolished in 2015.^[40]

See also

• Port Germein, South Australia jetty, opened in 1881, extended to 1680 metres in 1883, reduced to 1532 metres, following storm damage.

Notes

1. "About the Jetty". Busselton Jetty. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
2. "Busselton Jetty". Margaret River Western Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
3. Port Germein, South Australia#History
4. Register of Heritage Places – Assessment Documentation (pdf), Heritage Council of Western Australia, retrieved 25 October 2019
5. Busselton Jetty, 1865-1989.Newsletter (Busselton Historical Society), Jan. 1990, p.1-2.
6. "THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO EXTRACTS FROM "SOUTHWESTERN NEWS" FILES MAY 16, 1913". The South-Western News. 13 May 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
7. "BUSSELTON JETTY DAMAGED BY FIRE". The West Australian. 13 April 1933. p. 18. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
8. "BUSSELTON JETTY. A Mysterious Fire. Busselton, Feb. 18". The West Australian. 19 February 1925. p. 10. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
9. "BUSSELTON JETTY FIRE". The West Australian. 26 December 1946. p. 11. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
10. "FIRE ON BUSSELTON JETTY SERIOIS DAMAGE DONE". The South-Western News. 4 January 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
11. "FIRE ALARM. JETTY IN FLAMES". The South-Western News. 17 January 1936. p. 5. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
12. "FIRE ON BUSSELTON JETTY". The South-Western News. 28 September 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
13. "COST OF A JETTY". Sunday Times. 28 December 1952. pp. 18 S. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
14. Busselton Oral History Group (2005), Reflections of the Jetty : the story of Busselton Jetty, Busselton Oral History Group, ISBN 978-0-646-45178-7
15. Ayris, Cyril (2004), Busselton Jetty : the "Cinderalla" story, Cyril Ayris Freelance, ISBN 978-0-9578853-3-2
16. Busselton Jetty Preservation Committee (1990), Busselton jetty news, Busselton Jetty Preservation Committee, retrieved 2 April 2012
17. Storrie, Ann: "Beneath The Busselton Jetty"
18. There had been earlier fires, but not as damaging see – "BUSSELTON JETTY FIRE". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 26 December 1946. p. 11 Edition: SECOND EDITION. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
19. . Busselton Challenge. 18 November 2002. Archived from the original on 10 February 2003.
20. . Government of Western Australia. 13 December 2003. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
21. Busselton jetty badly damaged in a storm on 21 July 2004. Reel talk, August 2004, p.14,
22. , WA State Government, 21 February 2014, archived from the original on 25 October 2019, retrieved 25 October 2019
23. Busselton Jetty Timeline (PDF), Busselton Jetty, retrieved 25 October 2019
24. "Jetty Train". Busselton Jetty. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
25. Kirk, Emma (7 October 2019). "Australian Underwater Discovery Centre set to be the world's biggest". Busselton-Dunsborough Mail. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
26. Lavell-Lee, Jackson (28 June 2019). "Observatory bid for jetty". Busselton Dunsborough Times. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
27. "The Australian Underwater Discovery Centre". Busselton Jetty. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
28. "Coming Soon: Australia's Whale-Shaped Underwater Discovery Centre Is Set to Be the Largest in the World". Broadsheet. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
29. "The Underwater Discovery Centre will be a shining light for Busselton". Have A Go News. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
30. "Busselton Jetty Inc has launched a raffle to raise money for a groundbreaking underwater observatory after original funding fell short". Busselton Mail. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
31. "Busselton Jetty Village sees light of day". ABC Radio. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
32. "VILLAGE & MARINE DISCOVERY CENTRE". Retrieved 19 July 2023.
33. "Some huge new underwater sculptures have just arrived to be installed under Busselton Jetty". Perth Is OK. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
34. "About the UWO". Busselton Jetty. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
35. Stephens, Kate (12 July 2023). "Marine life makes new home within artwork sunk at the end of Busselton Jetty". ABC South West WA. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
36. Maggie VP (8 February 2013). "Busselton Jetty". On Topic Media Pty Ltd. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
37. Darcy Harwood (18 February 2011). "Busselton jetty lovingly restored". West Australian Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
38. (PDF), City of Busselton, 22 February 2012, archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2013, retrieved 13 April 2013
39. Loney, Georgia (26 January 2011). "Final splash at waterslide". The West Australian. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
40. "Busselton's Nautical Lady landmark demolished after 20 years". WAToday. Retrieved 28 April 2018.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Busselton Jetty.

• Official website