Bussleton and the Jetty

Busselton Jetty is the longest timber-piled jetty (pier) in the southern hemisphere at 1,841 metres (over a mile) long. The Jetty is managed by a not-for-profit community organisation, Busselton Jetty Inc.

The jetty’s construction commenced in 1864 and the first section was opened in 1865. The jetty was extended numerous times until the 1960s, ultimately reaching a length of 1,841 metres (6,040 ft). The last commercial vessel called at the jetty in 1971 and the jetty was closed the following year. It passed into the control of Busselton Shire and has been gradually restored and improved since. The jetty has survived Cyclone Alby in 1978, borers, weathering, several fires, and the threat of demolition, to have become a major regional tourist attraction.

The jetty features a rail line along its length, a relic of the railway line into Busselton from Bunbury. The line now carries tourists along the jetty to an underwater observatory, one of only six natural aquariums in the world, which opened to the public in 2003.

https://youtu.be/vQRE0svjKls shows a video of the Jetty by Andrew Mozdzen

Despite the number of people, we enjoyed the long walk. There was a section with plaques in memory of local people who had died and been involved in some way with the jetty or considered the jetty a favorite place. There were interesting informational signs and several unique weather vanes along the way.