Whyalla Jetty – Cast a line from this unique jetty in Australia

We shine a spotlight on Whyalla Jetty, one of the most unique jetties in Australia.

You probably wouldn’t associate a town built on the steel industry to be big on Tourism with green credentials. However, the town of Whyalla in South Australia has shown it is possible, with a world class unique jetty. In fact, it’s the only one of its type in the southern hemisphere.

Whyalla Jetty has a unique design

When the original Whyalla Jetty fell into disrepair, it was so bad that it needed to be demolished. But a plan was put in place for a new jetty and the unique design we see today was chosen by the community. It’s not hard to see why this design was the overwhelming public choice with its distinctive circular feature mid-way and user friendly features throughout.

Officially opening in September 2020, Whyalla Jetty is constructed of marine suitable, industrial strength pre-cast concrete slabs. It’s 165 metres long and 4.5 metres wide, with a ramp access at the beginning. This makes it wheelchair, pram and disabled access friendly. The width also allows for emergency vehicles to drive to the end of the jetty. 

Whyalla Jetty was designed to be user friendly

The sides of the structure are a mix of open sections and steel mesh panels, which act as windbreaks. The entire jetty has brushed steel balustrades featuring LED lighting underneath. This gives the whole jetty a warm glow in the evenings. The lighting is so effective that you don’t need to carry a torch while walking or fishing.

No less than 102 pylons support Whyalla Jetty and the steel for them was supplied by the local steel company. Steel from the old jetty didn’t go to waste either, being recycled in the steel blast furnace. The jetty has three shade structures where you can shelter from rain or sun and there is loads of seating dotted along the length of the jetty. Reinforcements for the structure are made of high strength fibre which helps to reduce the possibility of rusting.

Form and function

As well as being a tourist attraction (one that’s particularly popular with fishers), the local community uses the jetty frequently, with a constant stream of walkers taking to the structure on their daily morning walks. Whyalla Jetty is a top spot to bring your dog for a stroll.

The sheer amount of squid ink on the jetty is a dead giveaway of how prolific squid catches are here, and it doesn’t disappoint. Squid are plentiful in many places along the jetty and they obviously enjoy their underwater environment. The circular part of the jetty gives loads of space for fishers to wet a line with room to cast on the inner or outer circle as well as along its length.

As well as catching squid, you can also fish for whiting, garfish, herring (Tommies to South Aussies), and blue swimmer crabs in any month that has the letter R in it. For another perspective of Whyalla Jetty, make sure to take a drive to Hummock Hill Lookout above the marina area in the evening to see the jetty lit up. From a distance the beauty of its design is even more spectacular!