The Port Willunga Jetty

The Port Willunga Jetty Mark Staniforth Friends of Port Willunga AGM Sunday 31st Jan 2016 st 1 Jetty at Port Willunga  1st (or Northern) jetty built in 1853, extended in 1855 and completed in 1857 = 145m long  By 1865 it was out of commission  Partly demolished (blasted with explosives) in the 1940s  Jetty piles are occasionally visible when sand levels are low (l. from Burns1999 and r. Ash 2004) nd 2 Jetty at Port Willunga  2nd (or Southern) jetty built in 1867 and completed in 1868 had a rail system & a crane = 186m long & constructed of Jarrah  Used for export of slate from Willunga and agricultural produce from the McLaren Vale basin  After 1900 mainly used for recreation - boat trips & fishing  In 1915 the mid-section of the jetty was partly washed away then largely salvaged and demolished in WW2 Iconic views  Historical  Photographers  Weddings  Tourism  Community Flinders University 1  For more than 20 years Flinders University staff and students have conducted research and training at the 2nd jetty site  Field Methods and Conservation teaching and research by Departments of Archaeology and Cultural Tourism  Advanced practicums in marine geophysics Flinders University 2  Aidan Ash (B.A. (Hons) thesis in 2004 Flinders University 3  Plan of the jetty remains from Ash 2007 Flinders University 4 ARCH 8802 Conservation Field School run by Vicki Richards and John Carpenter (WA Museum) in 2011, 2013 and 2015 Flinders University 5  Sediment sampling  Pilodyn testing  Ph testing  Corrosion Potential measurements Quotes and recommendations  “The greatest human disturbance would have been the historic partial removal of the piles…”.  “…the site has undergone periods of greater (and lesser) sediment coverage” (both seasonal and over years).  “Based on the available data, little can be done to retard the decay on the Port Willunga Jetty”.  “It is unlikely the site would benefit from a concerted conservation program”.  “At a minimum, the site should be fully documented and regularly resurveyed to monitor its condition”. Preservation issues  Preservation is most difficult when a site is:  In a tidal zone  In a wave zone  Partly wet, partly dry and partly buried  alternating between wet and dry = immersion, abrasion and impact by water and sediment  Preservation might be possible if the site was:  Totally underwater  Totally buried by sand  In this case the jetty structure has a limited lifespan  Predicting the exact length of the lifespan of the jetty is probably not possible Local Heritage listing  Port Willunga jetty could be listed as a City of Onkaparinga Heritage Place and included as one of the sites in the Port Willunga Heritage Area  City of Onkaparinga Heritage Places = PW jetty is not listed  There are 380 local heritage places listed  It is possible to list a jetty (Port Noarlunga jetty is listed)  See http://www.onkaparingacity.com/onka/discover/ history_heritage/built_heritage/heritage_places.jsp  City of Onkaparinga Heritage Areas – PW jetty is not included in the Port Willunga Heritage Area:  PW has nine individual sites included in the Port Willunga Heritage Area State Heritage Listing  It is possible to list a jetty as a State Heritage Place (for example Beachport, Elliston, Largs Bay…) including “ruined” jetties (eg. The Bluff jetty at Encounter Bay)  The Port Willunga Jetty is not individually listed as a State Heritage place  Interestingly PW jetty is located within the 60 hectares of the Maslin Bay to Aldinga Bay Coastal Cliff Section Geological Site which is on the State Heritage Places Database  I believe that the State Heritage Council would welcome a nomination of the Port Willunga Jetty for listing as a State Heritage Place Options for the future 1  There is interest in the Port Willunga Jetty from Flinders University and the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR)  Development of a Port Willunga Jetty Heritage Management Plan is required  Signage – on the pathway or steps going down to the jetty  Digital interpretation – use of QR codes and “Willunga Walks” style apps The way forward  Depends on:  Working with Flinders University  Heritage listing (Council & State)  Support/funding from Onkaparinga Council  Support/funding from the State government