Shorncliffe Pier is a historic

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

in Shorncliffe,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, situated near Saint Patrick's College and lower Moora Park. The pier with its white faded timber railings, colonial street lamps spaced out along the stretch of pier, and resting shelter towards the end was a much visited attraction for families, residents and tourists to the area. Reaching out into

Bramble Bay Bramble Bay is an embayment of Moreton Bay in South East Queensland, Australia. The Brisway map reference is 12 H5, or see page 91 G19 in Refidex. The Houghton Highway, Hornibrook Bridge and Ted Smout Memorial Bridge span Bramble Bay, connec ...

(part of

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

) it is the largest timber pier in Brisbane and one of the longest recreational piers in Australia. The renewed pier was reopened to the public in March 2016.

History

During the early history of Shorncliffe and its neighbouring bayside suburb Sandgate, both were beachside suburbs visited by

residents for day trips and holidays. In 1865, a company was formed to construct the pier aiming to increase connections between Brisbane and Sandgate. Lobbying efforts to persuade the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the state government of Queensland, Australia, a Parliament, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Government is formed by the party or coalition that has gained a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, ...

to build a pier failed. William Deagon, a local hotel proprietor choose to build a jetty opposite his hotel in 1879. It was smaller than the current pier but still had a tram track. The existing jetty was deemed inadequate and new company was registered in 1882 which built a new pier between 1883 and 1884. It was designed by

FDG Stanley Francis Drummond Greville Stanley (1839–1897) was an architect in Queensland, Australia. He was the Queensland Colonial Architect. Many of his designs are now heritage-listed buildings. Early life Stanley was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 1 ...

and the builder was John Watson. It was originally long but this extended by another to allow ferries to dock at low tide. A small toll was collected at the entry to the pier. Ferry services had mixed commercial success. The last ferry to Brisbane ran in 1928. At that time the pier housed an amusement parlour including gaming machines and an open air picture theatre. In the 1950s, Queensland's first women lifesavers, the Sandgate Ladies Life Saving Club, used bathing sheds at the pier. The pier is the start of the

Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race The Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race is held annually, starting on Good Friday. The premier blue water classic begins from Shorncliffe in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, and finishes in Gladstone Harbour. Yachts compete for the Courier Ma ...

in April and is an element in many photographs and pieces of art circulating in Brisbane art galleries. With views of

Redcliffe peninsula The Redcliffe Peninsula is a peninsula located in the City of Moreton Bay in the northeast of the Brisbane metropolitan area in Queensland, Australia. The area covers the suburbs of Clontarf, Kippa-Ring, Margate, Moreton Island, Newport, R ...

, the

Boondall Wetlands The Boondall Wetlands lie on the edge of Moreton Bay in the Brisbane suburb of Boondall between Nudgee Beach, Queensland, Nudgee Beach and Shorncliffe, Queensland, Shorncliffe, in south-east Queensland, Australia. The wetlands are preserved wi ...

Islands and the Shorncliffe cliffs, the pier is a feature in the nautical landscape of this northside Brisbane suburb. In late 2000 the pier was refurbished and repainted. The boardwalk leading to the pier and the adjoining parks underwent large scale renovations in 2008 as part of a

Brisbane City Council Brisbane City Council (BCC, also known as Council) is the local government of the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. The largest local government in Australia by population, BCC's jurisdiction includes 2 ...

project aimed at attracting tourists to the area and reclaiming its bayside suburb character. In 2011, Sandgate Pier was used as the location for a UK TV commercial for Homebase DIY. The Pier was given a temporary makeover for the commercial. In early 2012, the pier was closed due to its poor condition caused by

marine borers ''Barnea similis'', a rock borer or piddock, is a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Pholadidae Pholadidae, known as piddocks or angelwings, are a family (biology), family of bivalve molluscs similar to a clam. Background Piddocks are uni ...

. An engineers' report confirmed that the pier needed to be removed. In March 2012 Brisbane City Lord Mayor

Graham Quirk Graham Michael Quirk (born c. 1958) is a former Australian politician who served as the 16th Lord Mayor of Brisbane. From 2008 until 2011, he was Deputy Lord Mayor under Campbell Newman, succeeding the latter when Newman stepped down to prepare ...

stated he wanted to renew the pier.

Pier renewal

Shorncliffe Pier reconstruction project Moora Park Shorncliffe P1090228

In May 2012 the Brisbane City Council was announced that the pier would be renewed. The design of the renewed pier was released in mid-2013. The new structure will be the same length, the same width and on the same alignment as the existing pier. The renewed pier design includes concrete and steel substructure and timber joists, decking, handrails and rotunda. There will also be a larger hammerhead and a lower platform at the end of the pier, fish cleaning stations, water fountains, benches and light poles. The pier removal works commenced in November 2014. The new Shorncliffe Pier was opened to the public on Good Friday, 25 March 2016. Since renewal in 2016, the pier has been open to the public and is a common spot for locals for early morning jogging, running and taking photos of the sunrise.

References

External links

Sandgate HistoryShorncliffe Pier Renewal Project
{{coord, -27.3219, 153.0857, dim:500_region:AU, display=title Buildings and structures in Brisbane Piers in Australia 1884 establishments in Australia Moreton Bay Buildings and structures completed in 2016 Transport buildings and structures in Queensland

History

Pier renewal

See also

References

External links