Bath Street Jetty

Statement of Significance

• The place has aesthetic value as a simple timber structure adjacent to a well landscaped and treed reserve. • The place has historic value for its association with the use of this portion of the river for bathing from the early 1900s. • The place has historic value for its association with the provision of facilities to the community by the local authorities. • The place has social value for the many members of the community who have visited this location for recreational purposes.

Physical Description

Starting on the banks of the Bath Street Reserve and connected to Bath Street by a paved footpath, the Bath Street Jetty terminates in the Swan River. It has a timber deck and terminates in an L-shape, it measures roughly twenty metres from start to end. Piers are evenly spaced and the jetty has no balustrading. The surrounding reserve features a playground, open lawned areas, large mature trees and a public toilet block.

History

In the early 20th century bathing in the river and ocean became more popular and local governments were pressured to provide facilities for the locals. Change rooms were built at the base of East Street in Maylands in 1904 and at the end of Bath Lane, as it was then known, in 1905. The name Bath Lane appears to predate the change rooms which suggest locals had been bathing in the river at this location for some time. Its relative isolation and the protected waters would have influenced the choice of this location for swimming. The jetty was constructed c1929 as contractors Rigg and de Waal were instructed by the Perth Road Board to wait upon instruction from the Harbours Department before pile driving for the proposed jetty. In the same year funds were allocated for bathing sheds at the location. These shed must have been just for women as in the following year, the Perth Road Board allocated £100 to the construction of change rooms for men at the Bath Lane bathing site. During the late 1930s, competitive swimming was very popular in Maylands with two clubs operating. The Maylands Swimming Club operated in the portion of the river between Caledonian Avenue and Bath Lane. In 1939, it was recorded in the local press that officers from the Perth Road Board inspected the facilities at Bath Lane and found that the change rooms had been so badly vandalised that the Board resolved not to continue maintaining facilities at the site. It is presumed that the jetty was still extant at this time. Aerial photographs indicate that in 1953 the jetty was approximately half its current length and by 1965 the structure had been extended to the current length and featured a small platform at the end. At this time another slimmer jetty was evident parallel and north of the Bath Street Jetty. It is proposed that these two jetties formed the end points for competitive swimmers. Since 1965, the jetty has not changed significantly in form or extent however it is likely that maintenance has seen the replacement of original building fabric. The jetty is now used for passive recreation, fishing and swimming.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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