Site 6: Jetties

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Look across the beach and the surf toward Julian Rocks. Now look at the image below. What is missing? There is no jetty with a ship alongside. This “old” timber jetty built in 1888 extended nearly 400 metres into the sea. Cedar logs were the main freight loaded from it initially but soon included dairy products, bacon, beef, sugar and bananas. By the mid 1890’s Byron Bay had also become the principal passenger port on the North Coast. Horses and then a small railway engine (the “Green Frog”) pulled cargo wagons and passenger carriages along the jetty to and from the ships.

As larger ships began to load and unload this “old” jetty proved too short and the water too shallow to safely moor them. This was made clear emphatically in 1921 when the Wollongbar attempting to clear its mooring at the jetty became grounded and was wrecked on the beach. With completion of the “new” jetty in 1928 the “old” jetty was no longer used except as a platform to fish from. It was demolished in 1947.

The “new” timber jetty located well to the west of town extended 650 metres out to sea from Belongil Beach and ended in 20 metres of water. The last 125 metres was widened to accommodate two large travelling cranes used to load ships on both sides of the jetty and to lift fishing boats from the sea onto the jetty for servicing and safety.

In February 1954 huge waves generated by a severe cyclone destroyed 200 metres of the seaward end of the “new” jetty as well as the two large cranes. This damage section was not repaired and the cranes were not replaced. Byron Bay’s 66 years as a significant port were over.

When whaling began in 1954 the end of the “new” jetty was modified so whales could be hauled from the sea on to its deck and transported to the nearby processing works. Whaling ceased in 1962 and after further storm damage in 1963 the “new” jetty was closed. It was demolished in 1972.

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