Port Lincoln jetty. Yacht tied up to the jetty, other boats in the bay

Port Lincoln jetty. Yacht tied up to the jetty, other boats in the bay

The Town jetty, with Brennen's jetty in the distance.

In 1854 money was allocated by the South Australian government for work at Port Lincoln: this included building a jetty. This was completed in 1857 and was the first on Eyre Peninsula. Originally 159 metres long, it was extended two years later to 201 metres and again in 1867 it was lengthened to 222 metres. Further extensions were made during the 20^th century, but commercial use of this jetty, the Town jetty, ceased in 1926 when Brennen's jetty was built. 

A second jetty was built at Kirton Point in 1906, in conjunction with a railway line that was to service Eyre Peninsula. The depth of water at Kirton Point was nearly twice that at the Town jetty.  It was 201 metres long, and in 1960 a 'T' head structure was added - this was of steel piles with a concrete deck and was an additional 61 metres long and gave 9.7 metres of water at low tide. It was the main shipping jetty for the port until Brennen's jetty was built in 1926.

As the railway system was expanded in the 1920s, a third jetty was required. This was built between the Town jetty and the one at Kirton Point. Known as Brennen's jetty this was completed in 1923. It was 16 metres wide and accommodated 4 lines of rails. This jetty has been continuously upgraded, and now provides 10 berths. In 1958 bulk grain silos were built. The spur jetty is utilised by fishing boats, tugs and pilot vessels.

Parsons, Ronald. Southern passages: a maritime history of South Australia Netley, S. Aust.: Wakefield Press, 1986

Parsons, Ronald. Port Lincoln shipping Magill [S. Aust.]: R.H. Parsons, 1981

Wanklyn, Neville. The early history of the city of Port Lincoln, 1802-1971 [Port Lincoln, S. Aust.: Corporation of Port Lincoln], 1971

Collins, Neville C The jetties of South Australia: past and present Woodside, S.A.: Neville Collins, 2005