Busselton Jetty

Extending 1.841 kilometres over the protected waters of Geographe Bay, the heritage listed Busselton Jetty is the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere & the second longest worldwide!
It is the home to one of six Underwater Observatories in the world!

Built in 1865, the Busselton Jetty serviced ships trading between the southwest and the Swan Colony. It was a lifeline; corn and vegetables went north and building supplies came south.
As the colony grew, more foodstuffs were exported, and international routes opened up. Potatoes were a major export, along with local timber. There were no permanent longshoremen on the jetty. Instead, local farmers, and, in particular, group settlers topped up their income by labouring when the ships arrived.

Then steam-powered engines replaced sailboats, and the jetty had to be extended into deeper water until it reached its present length of just under 2km.
The jetty was partially destroyed by a cyclone in 1978, and has survived fires and old age.

A rail link built in 1872 to allow steam trains to transport goods along the jetty. The 635-meter-long "skeleton jetty" ran 166 meters east of the existing jetty. Steam trains were used until the 1960s, when they were replaced by diesel trains.

In 1995, a small train service began operating on the old cargo line. The train, known as the "red train" or the Ray White Stocker Preston Express, provided a paid attraction for up to 40 passengers per trip.
The train offered wheelchair-accessible seating and narrated the history of the jetty.

A community group was formed in 1987 to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of the jetty.
The group, formerly known as the Busselton Jetty Environmental and Conservation Association (BJECA), helped establish the train service.

* Special thanks to Phil for the drone footage and aerial photography.Read more