Large Framed Painting of the Busselton Jetty
c. 1985Large framed water colour painting of the Busselton Jetty that was painted by Busselton sign writer Matt Robinson who worked for Bay Signs
In 1839 Governor Hutt appointed "the place in Geographe Bay opposite the Settlement at The Vasse to be the legal place for the loading and unloading of goods". Construction of the Busselton Jetty, which was originally known as the Vasse Jetty, commenced in 1864 after persistent pressure by settlers. Timber merchant Henry Yelverton was awarded the tender for construction and in 1865 the first 176 metre section of the jetty was opened. In 1875 an additional 143 metres was added to the original structure, as over 10 years' accumulation of drift sands had made the water too shallow for mooring. The jetty was continually extended until the 1960s when it reached its current length of 1,841 metres. The jetty was closed to shipping in 1972.
Fires on the jetty were commonplace, with some attributed to fishermen carelessly disposing of burning cigarettes or to sparks falling from the train's fire box but it wasn't fire that brought the downfall of the jetty, it was Cyclone Alby in 1978!
Nowadays the Busselton Jetty is celebrated as the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere at 1,841 metres and is managed by the not-for-profit community organisation Busselton Jetty Inc. By 2024 almost a million visitors visit this much loved tourist destination each year and this is a testament to the community that banded together to get the jetty repaired after Cyclone Alby.
Details
Details
The scene painted appears to pre-date the Skeleton jetty, which was built in 1909. The other point of interest is that it seems as if there are no steam ships moored, but this may just be artistic license.
This painting hung in the Vasse Hotel Timber Room from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
WA
Australia
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