East Street Jetty

Statement of Significance

• The place has aesthetic value as a simple timber jetty in a natural environment. • The place has historic value for its association with fiver transport which was a more common form of transport in the first half of the 20th century. • The place has social value as it has been the venue for many sporting and social events since 1914 and particularly since 1946 when it has been closely associated with the Maylands Yacht Club.

Physical Description

Starting at the end of East Street near the Maylands Yacht Club, the East Street Jetty projects into the Swan River. It has a timber deck and terminates in a t-shape, it measures roughly one hundred metres from start to end. Piers are evenly spaced and the jetty has no balustrading.

History

A jetty was constructed at this location in 1914 by the state government Department of Harbours and Rivers and funded by the Perth Road Board to accommodate river boats. The jetty was also used for recreation including the popular swimming clubs in the districts. In 1933, the Perth Road Board, which had responsibility for the area during this period, reconstructed the jetty and decked it with planking. It was anticipated that this project and works on the foreshore would make it an attractive asset to the district. At the same time, a large storm water drain catering for the Inglewood and Mt Lawley districts, was constructed to empty into the river alongside the jetty. Sadly by June of 1933, the jetty had been stripped of the planking by vandals and a local report stated the timber was used for firewood. As this was the height of the economic Depression in Western Australia it is not surprising this was the response from an impoverished population. In 1949, the state government came to the aid of the Perth Road Board in undertaking essential maintenance of the jetty on a 50-50 basis. It was expected that these works would enable the jetty to be kept serviceable for some years. At this time the jetty was significantly longer than the current jetty and projected straight out into the river as a continuation of East Street. At the end of the jetty was a perpendicular platform for boats. Aerial photographs indicate the jetty was shortened and the end was redirected at an angle in period between 1965 and 1974. The Maylands Yacht Club has operated from this site since 1946 and the jetty is a valuable asset in training programs. In the early 2000s, the Department of Transport decided not to maintain the jetty despite its poor condition. The City of Bayswater resolved to save the jetty from demolition and undertook immediate repairs and established a maintenance and repair program to enable the retention of the jetty for future users.

Condition

Fair

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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