Friday's History Lesson: Station Pier, Port Melbourne...

Station Pier Today

Station Pier in the year 1910. Immigrants arriving in Melbourne.

History of Station Pier : Originally called Railway Pier, it was officially opened on 12 September 1854 and the 150th anniversary was celebrated in September 2004.
The pier played a pivotal role in Victorians’ lives from the time it was opened, particularly for the arrival of gold seekers and settlers throughout the mid to late 1800s.
In 1861, the original pier was extended, to more than 661 metres (2171 feet). Eventually, the original pier could not accommodate the increasingly large and more powerful steamships of the early twentieth century so it was realigned, extended further and renamed Station Pier.
The pier is heritage listed and the gatehouse at the entrance is of significant heritage and cultural importance.


The Gatehouse, Station Pier.
Comings and goings: In August 1899, the first contingent of troops headed for the Boer War in South Africa left from Station Pier. In October 1914, 16 ships left Port Melbourne carrying troops, horses and supplies as part of Australia’s contingent for the Great War (World War I). Station Pier was also the place of return for the military hospital ships.

HMS IMPLACABLE, FEB 1946

The 1940s saw many troops embark for the Middle East, Britain and Singapore for World War II service.
Station Pier is intrinsically linked to Melbourne’s rich multicultural society with an average 61,000 overseas passengers arriving on an annual basis in Port Melbourne between 1949 and 1966. For many post-World War II immigrants Station Pier symbolises where their new life began.

HMAS Doomba, 1940. This ship was a training vessel aswell as a minesweeper.

Today, the pier has more than 500,000 local, interstate and overseas visitors, including migrant family and friends' reunions.

There is so much romance involved in the history of shipping, in the history of what went on, and what goes on today beside the waters at Station Pier. You really have to be there to acknowledge the fact. Sit, have a coffee, enjoy some seafood from some of the fine eateries just down from the Pier and observe....you won't be disappointed!