Just outside the Carnarvon township is the One Mile Jetty. It was once the longest jetty in the north of Western Australia. Built in 1897, it was used by ships transporting wool, livestock and other produce down to Fremantle. Rail tracks on the jetty were used by tramway cars for moving people and goods down the jetty. Carnarvon’s days as a port ended in 1966 and the jetty fell into disrepair. In 1998 restoration work on the jetty commenced and it became a popular tourist attraction.
The jetty also has a sad history, as it was here that over 800 aboriginal people were put on boats and transported offshore to Bernier and Dorre Islands to ‘lock hospitals’ for treatment for suspected venereal disease. Many never returned to the mainland again.
Tonight we drove out there to have a look at the historic jetty and watch the sun going down.
Unfortunately we arrived to discover the jetty had been significantly damaged by last year’s cyclone and was no longer safe to walk upon. Entry to the jetty was prohibited.
So instead we walked along the boardwalk through the mangroves. That stopped abruptly – it appears to be an unfinished project. We walked back to where access to the jetty had been cordoned off and watched the sun go down. Like most WA sunsets on this trip, it didn’t disappoint.
On The Road With Garry 