Busselton Jetty
The Busselton Jetty is one of the most recognisable icons in Western Australia. It currently stands at 1,841 metres in length making it the longest wooden piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. It is now used exclusively for tourism and recreation but it has a colourful past as a working jetty.
In the early years of European settlement in the Busselton/Vasse region, agriculture was the main commercial activity undertaken. Crops such as wheat, barley and oats were grown, although wheat quickly became the most successful. Livestock such as sheep, pigs and cattle were also raised and were exported as early as 1858. American whalers also recognised Geographe Bay as a bountiful source of whales and these sailors regularly dropped off large amounts of whale oil and picked up supplies from the settlers of the South West. When the government began offering large concessions and special timber licenses in the 1850’s, the region’s Jarrah and Karri timber industry boomed and from 1875 timber became the chief industry of the port until its closure.
A light beacon was erected in 1836 as a navigational aid. This beacon consisted of a spar – 10m high with a barrel containing a lamp on top. This rudimentary light house was affectionately known as ‘The Tub’ and was located north of the Marine Terrace and Queen Street junction in Busselton. This was replaced by a sturdy 21 metre high Jarrah wooden lighthouse in 1870 which was demolished in 1933 and a small beacon was erected at the end of the jetty. Vapour lights were installed along the entire Jetty in 1963.
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 the initial construction and in 1865 the first section, approximately 161 metres of the jetty, became available for ships to moor. In 1875 an additional 131 metres 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.
In 1909 construction of the Railway Skeleton Jetty began and joined the original jetty midway, when it was completed in 1911. Previous to its construction, horse drawn wagons carried the timber out along the original jetty to the ships. With the advent of the Railway Jetty, larger amounts of timber could be transported on the rakes of railway trucks pulled by a steam engine to the end of the jetty. This increase in timber exports resulted in the establishment of extensive government railway facilities, including a station, goods shed, marshalling yards, locomotive sheds and turntables. These were built on the Busselton foreshore, adjacent to the Railway Jetty.
Once the new spur line was operating for the main shipment of timber, the original Jetty was used for more social activities and became known as the Promenade Jetty.
After more than a century of use and servicing over 5,000 vessels, the Busselton Jetty officially closed as a Port on 1st September 1972. The last commercial ship visited the jetty on 17 October 1971. Once closed to shipping, government maintenance ceased.
Following the decline of government funding and the crippling effects of Cyclone Alby in 1978, which destroyed a large part of the Promenade Jetty between the shore and the junction of the Railway Jetty, a community group was formed to raise funds for much needed restoration and maintenance. Unfortunately, the damaged section of the Promenade Jetty could not be restored and this explains why the current jetty has a kink in it about half way along. Between 1987 and 2003, the community organisation now known as the Busselton Jetty Environment and Conservation Association (BJECA) raised sufficient funds to replace 50% of the Jetty structure, established the tourist train service and constructed the iconic Underwater Observatory and Interpretive Centre.
Fires on the jetty have been a constant threat, with some attributed to fishermen carelessly disposing of burning cigarettes, dropping lit matches or in the earlier days of the steam trains, sparks falling from the train's fire box. In December 1999, a fire at the end of the Jetty burnt 70 metres of jetty structure to the water line, incurring damage totalling $900,000.
A boatshed style Interpretive Centre, with its distinctive blue colours and white gable roofs, opened on the jetty in April 2001 and is located 50 m offshore. The Interpretive Centre Museum gives visitors a glimpse into the jetty's past and its future.
The Underwater Observatory was opened on 13 December 2003 at a cost of A$3.6 million. The underwater observatory is located 1.8 km from shore – almost at the end of the Busselton Jetty – and can accommodate up to 40 people at a time in its 9.5 m diameter observation chamber. Descending 8 metres below sea level, visitors can view the corals and fish life through eleven viewing windows.
In 2011, a $27 million refurbishment of the jetty structure was completed. $24 million was contributed by the Western Australian State Government with the balance contributed by the Shire of Busselton and BJECA.
BJECA’s future plan is to build The Australian Underwater Discovery Centre (AUDC) at the Busselton Jetty, which will become Australia’s largest natural marine observatory. AUDC will be the biggest in the world featuring the world’s largest observation windows, new underwater habitats, an underwater dining and function centre, high tech exhibitions, educational spaces and environmental learning areas. The project will ensure the sustainability of the Busselton Jetty for another 100 years.
Prepared by Gerry Hofmann in September 2020 with support from the Busselton Jetty Environment & Conservation Association (Inc.).
