Bunbury Timber Jetty

Statement of Significance

Timber Jetty, Bunbury Harbour, a timber jetty about 590 metres long, and situated at the end of a stone causeway, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:

the place transformed Koombana Bay into a viable docking location and was therefore the means whereby Bunbury developed from a small country town to a major port and port of call;

the place was an important centre for the south-west industries, in particular timber, and gave the region the opportunity to reach national and world markets with its produce;

the place dates from 1864 when it was built with labour supplied by a convict work gang working for local contractor, William Forrest ;

the place continues to have social significance as a recreational fishing facility; and,

the place has aesthetic value in itself, as a landmark and in its contribution to the maritime precinctual environment.

The sheds, railway lines and points switching mechanism located on Bunbury Timber Jetty, and the crane situated at the end of the causeway have cultural heritage significance and contribute to the understanding of the place as a working port.

Physical Description

Bunbury Timber Jetty is situated in Koombana Bay, at the end of a stone causeway. From the end of the stone causeway the jetty extends north-east for about 380 metres and then changes direction to extend east-north-east for about 210 metres.

The following physical description is based on the Heritage Council of Western Australia’s Assessment Documentation:

The stone causeway was built in 1967 and commences at the end of Henry Street. The stone causeway is aligned along a south-west to north-west axis, is about 30 metres wide, has a public bitumen road, and terminates at the Bunbury Timber Jetty.
Near the end of the causeway is a large crane that straddles the bitumen road. This crane has been relocated from the jetty to its present location in recent times. The crane is supported by four large stanchions, two to each side of the road, which in turn are supported by railway wheels. On the north-west side the crane bears an inscription which reads as follows:
SIR WILLIAM ARROL AND CO LTD
PARKHEAD GLASGOW
ORDER 543 LOAD 3 TONS 1911

Immediately beyond the crane the bitumen road ends and is replaced by a road formed from crushed limestone. The causeway is terminated by a narrow breakwater, crescent shaped in plan, which provides additional protection to the boat harbour immediately west of the causeway.
In recent times the Bunbury Timber Jetty Preservation Society (Inc) have extended the 1967 causeway by about thirty metres to link with Bunbury Timber Jetty, near the start of the 1906 jetty extensions.
Bunbury Timber Jetty, commencing from the end of the extended causeway, extends north-east for about 380 metres and then changes direction to extend east-north-east for about 210 metres.
The construction of Bunbury Timber Jetty is as follows: (All dimensions are approximate)
Timber piles, 450 mm in diameter are located at four metres centres longitudinally and two metres laterally.
Located at a height which corresponds roughly with high tide level, two horizontal members (or walings) about 300 mm by 150 mm in section, are transversely fixed to the piles, one to each side, by means of a single bolted connection which passes through both walings and the pier in between.
Positioned transversely and over the walings are cross braces, 300 mm by 120 mm in section and aligned about 30 degrees above the horizontal. Each cross brace spans across two pier bays, from directly below the longitudinal decking beams to a point immediately over the walings. At the centre of the resultant ‘X’ shape, a single bolt connects the two cross braces and the pier in between. Each pair of braces is generally adjacent to another pair of braces, with a shared pier in between. There is no evidence of cross bracing running in the longitudinal direction.

The heads of the piers are notched at each side to provide bearing for a pair of 300mm by 120mm transverse beams (or half caps). The transverse beams vary in length and span up to three pier bays. The joints in each pair of beams do not align but are staggered to maximise structural integrity. The transverse beams have a joint at mid span that consists of a packer of the same depth as the transverse beams and the same width as the notched pier head. The ends of the transverse beams, the corresponding continuous transverse beam and the packer in between are joined with four or more bolts.

Sitting on top of, and at right angles to, the transverse beams are decking beams, spaced at approximately one metre centres. The decking beams are joined in two ways. The first method occurs on that section of jetty that extends from the causeway to point where the change in direction occurs, and consists of a simple bolted connection through the decking beam and the transverse beam under it. The second method, employed on the outer section of Bunbury Timber Jetty uses timber corbels, 1200mm long, 350mm deep and 300mm wide and aligned longitudinally, in the same direction as the decking beams. The decking beams are bolted to the corbels. This method is an improvement on the first method in that the horizontal distance between the fixing point at the end of the decking beam is increased, thus minimising splitting of the decking beam.

Generally, the decking beams provide the only longitudinal bracing for Bunbury Timber Jetty. In a few isolated cases, longitudinal timber bracing members have been fixed at a later date. The decking timbers, 250mm wide and 100mm deep, are laid at right angles to, and fixed to the decking beams by means of iron spikes about 25mm long, with one spike at each end of each decking timber. The joints are staggered in some locations and aligned in others. Occasionally, to reduce bowing, two spikes are used at the ends of the decking timbers.

In order to facilitate the loading of cargo, railway lines were installed in 1899 on Bunbury Timber Jetty.

History

Timber Jetty was originally constructed in 1864 by convicts and was the first harbour loading facility in Bunbury. William Forrest, the father of Sir John and Alexander, was contracted to build the jetty at a cost of £200. The jetty was built in a north east direction and into seven feet of water.

H. W. Gillman, an ex-convict, supplied the timber for £339 and the jetty was built with labour from a supervised convict gang who had come from Fremantle. When completed the jetty was 1400ft (427m) long and held together with wooden dowels rather than bolts.

The building of the jetty marked the first stage of growth in the Bunbury area. This was a result of a shift from being a district of consumers to producers. The construction of the jetty allowed for the export of produce including grain, wool and timber to other ports in Australia and the world. With this increased activity the jetty struggled to keep up with the demand of ships who wished to load or unload cargo. There were also problems with silt building up around the pylons preventing deep moorings. These factors resulted in the jetty being extended many times into deeper water. To overcome the silting problem these new extensions were built at angles. In all there were 11 extensions to the Bunbury Jetty between 1865 and 1957 and it reached a final length of 4,550 feet (1804m).

In 1899 the jetty was connected to the railway and as a result it was not uncommon to see 20 ships waiting to dock. A goods shed, water supply, donkey engines, five electric cranes and a steam crane were added to help with loading and unloading.

In 1909, the Bunbury Harbour Trust Act was passed and five commissioners were appointed to control all harbour matters. The deterioration of the older parts of the jetty was an ongoing problem for the Harbour Board, who in 1921 paid £2,462 for maintenance expenses alone. In January 1921 a regular Bunbury – Fremantle shipping schedule began and by 1923 Bunbury was still considered to be the principal port of the southern districts. Bulk handling facilities for wheat were introduced in 1937 which helped increase the potential of the port, especially after decline in shipping during the Great Depression.
The Government employed F. W. Tydeman to report on Bunbury Harbour and submit a scheme for further development in 1948. The ‘Tydeman Report’ outlined the many limitations of the jetty and included elaborate plans for future harbour development. Except for the final extensions to the jetty and the building of a shore transit shed, Tydeman’s plans were not used due to the Government diverting funds to the Kwinana project. In 1966 the 1864 - 1900 section of the jetty was replaced and the first bend removed. In 1973 the disused approach neck was demolished. The jetty was no longer used for commercial shipping from October 1982 due to high maintenance costs and lack of road access.

In 1986 structural work was carried out on the jetty using Community Employment Program funding in excess of $300,000. This included restoring two fire damaged areas and the construction of a low level fishing platform. The Port Authority wanted to remove the jetty or at least the last 590 feet (180m) to give ships more room to manoeuvre, however it was decided to leave the jetty intact. Since that time the jetty was subjected to large fires and vandalism and protests. In 1994 the outer 600 feet (800m) of the jetty that was built between 1951 and 1957 was removed at a cost of $400,000. Another fire in 1997, which burnt for 12 hours severely damaged a portion of the jetty, 32 feet (10m) from the sea end, that later had to be demolished. Members of the Bunbury Timber Jetty Preservation Society were restoring the Jetty in 1998 with funds obtained through a $1 million State Government grant. In 2009 590 metres in length, although only one third of the jetty is accessible with the remainder fenced off to public access.

This history is largely based on the Documentary Evidence in Heritage Council of Western Australia, ‘Register of Heritage Places: Bunbury Timber Jetty’, prepared by Natasha Georgio, 1999.

Integrity/Authenticity

Many extensions to the Jetty over the decades with several sections removed since the completion of the Inner Harbour.

Condition

The timber jetty was replaced by construction of a landbacked wharf and a deep channel dredged out for the Inner Harbour. Consequently, sections have been demolished and the remaining timber decking is maintained by the Bunbury Timber Jetty Preservation Society. The Jetty is now used primarily for tourism and recreational purposes. Fire and weather have caused deterioration of the jetty which is now is a poor to fair condition.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.