Flinders Bay Jetty Plinth

Flinders Bay Jetty Plinth, Augusta, public Art

Public Art : Flinders Bay Jetty Plinth

Sculptor : None Required

Description : Simple plaque on a granite rock.

Date Unveiled : Unknown

Location : The memorial to Flinders Bay Jetty can be found near its ruins at Barrack Point where the railway met the jetty embankment , Augusta, Western Australia.

Background to the Flinders Bay Jetty : Barracks Point was originally a port of call for the whaling ships which frequented the area and in 1855 was officially proclaimed a port.However it wasn't until M.C.Davies began his timber empire in the late 1870's did the area see the need for a jetty. Karri timbers were in big demand worldwide and Davies needed somewhere for ships to berth so they could be loaded without too much grief. He built two jetties in the area, one in Hamelin Bay and the other in Flinders Bay. Both jetties were connected by a railway line. The Flinders Bay jetty was used during the winter months because it was protected by the westerlies which made Hamelin Bay trecherous.During the boom, timber from the area was used to construct railways in India, mines in South Africa, wharves in Hong Kong and streets in London. By the early 1900's the industry was all but gone and both jetties fell slowly into disrepair. Sadly, today all that remains of the jetty are a few timber posts which are slowly being claimed by the Southern Ocean. You can read more about the jetties here Flinders Bay Jetty and Hamelin Bay Jetty.

Note To Self : That rusty old iron winch laying near the plinth isn't a relic from the Flinders Bay Jetty, it was used on the slipway of one of the boatsheds on the beach.

Inscription :

Flinders Bay Jetty

Built 1882 by
M.C. Davies
As a safe winter port
1100 ft long: 80ft wide

Flinders Bay Jetty, ruins, Augusta, Western Australia