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Restoration of historic jetty in Carnarvon underway
The heritage-listed jetty will be restored after its closure almost 10 years ago.
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Explore
2 min readExplore
The heritage-listed jetty will be restored after its closure almost 10 years ago.
Published
2 min read
Text size
Published
Text size
By: Lisa Cook
If you visited Carnarvon before 2017, chances are you walked along the town’s historic One Mile Jetty, which stretched out from Babbage Island into the ocean.
The first 400 metres of the 1.45-kilometre jetty passed through mangrove wetlands, providing protection from heavy seas and swells, before extending further out into the water.
Listed on the State Register of Heritage Places, One Mile Jetty has played an important role in Carnarvon’s history, with some sections of the timber structure more than 120 years old.
The jetty was closed to the public in 2017 due to significant safety risks. It suffered further damage in April 2021 when Cyclone Seroja destroyed around 360 metres of the structure.
Now, almost a decade after its closure, the historic jetty is set to undergo a major restoration project, giving locals and visitors the opportunity to experience part of the much-loved attraction once again.
The $4.5 million State Government project will restore a section of the historic jetty, including the reuse of some of the original salvaged timber as part of the refurbishment.
The State Government also offered community groups and businesses the opportunity to repurpose some of the historic timber, with proceeds from the sales going towards activities in the Carnarvon Heritage Precinct.
While the jetty will not be restored to its original 1.45-kilometre length, the restored section will retain its original width of 4.8 metres. A buoy will also mark the location of the jetty’s original endpoint further out to sea.
One Mile Jetty became a popular tourist attraction after commercial operations ceased in the mid-1980s, attracting visitors keen to experience one of Carnarvon’s most recognisable historic landmarks.
The restoration project will also include the removal of damaged and unsafe sections of the existing structure, helping to preserve what remains of the historic jetty.
The project is expected to be completed by mid-2027.
Find out more information about the One Mile Jetty restoration project on the WA Government's website.
