The Jetty
Located a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Perth, Busselton Jetty is situated in the Margaret River Wine Region.
Extending 1.841km out from Geographe Bay, the Jetty is a heritage listed icon for the seaside town of Busselton and is the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere!
Busselton Jetty is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Western Australia, and it has a long history to cement this title.
When the Jetty was built in 1865, it spanned a total of 161m. However, over the next decade the occurrence of sand drift led to an additional 131m being added in 1875.
Further extensions were made over the 90 years that followed which led to the Jetty’s enormous 1.841km length that stands tall today.
After more than a century of use and servicing over 5000 vessels, Busselton Jetty officially closed as a Port in 1973 which ceased all shipping and government maintenance.
Following the decline of government funding and the crippling effects of Cyclone Alby in 1978, a community group was formed to raise funds for much needed restoration and maintenance.
Between 1987 and 2003, the community organisation now known as the Busselton Jetty Environment and Conservation Association (BJECA) raised sufficient funds to replace 50 per cent of the Jetty structure, establish the train service, and construct the iconic Underwater Observatory and Interpretive Centre.
In 2011, a $27 million refurbishment of the Jetty structure was completed with $24 million of this amount contributed by the Western Australian State Government and the rest contributed by the Shire of Busselton and BJECA.
The Busselton Jetty stands as a monument to the spirit and dedication of the Busselton community as without them, the Jetty wouldn’t be here today!
