Altona Pier, Victoria, Australia - Piers on Waymarking.com

Altona's beach was billed as a major attraction to prospective buyers of land in the 1880s. The pier (specially erected) was the destination of Bay Pleasure Steamers on sale days. Although very few buyers snapped up permanent sites for seaside residences, Altona too began to be popular with picnic parties toward the end of the century, particularly with Sunday Schools and trades associations from nearby Newport and Williamstown. They were allowed to use the grounds of Altona Homestead, which was owned by the estate company.

In the early twentieth century Altona foreshore attracted its share of summer campers and, by 1912 there were enough of them for Wyndham Council to erect public latrines here. The Altona Progress Association was formed in 1917 and set about making improvements to the foreshore. In 1919 a band rotunda was built on the Esplanade (this was moved off the road and onto the beach in 1927) and work was done during winter to remove seaweed and rubbish. By then, a number of dwellings at Altona were being used as holiday houses, rather than permanent homes. In the 1920s private businesses to cater for campers and visitors began to develop, such as Davey's ABC Cafe on the corner of Pier Street and the Esplanade, from which one could hire boats, as well as use small changing sheds. A number of sporting clubs, including the Altona Life Saving Club, joined to organise an annual beach front carnival at Altona in the 1920s. The Altona Life Saving Club was formed in 1926, though it later went into decline. It was reformed in 1951. The clubhouse and training centre were built in 1957.

The pier has been used by pleasure boats, swimmers, promenaders and fishermen since its construction. It was again used for sales promotion in the 1918 poster for the Altona Beach Estate. The local progress association financed or promoted a number of connected structures including a kiosk on the Esplanade at the end of the pier. The pier was also a subject for unemployment relief in a 1933 project, co-financed by the Altona Progress association and the government. The planking was again repaired in 1940 after a resident fell through a gap.

Type of pier: Public Expenses: None Parking is available: Yes Contact information: 9658 9658 (Tourist Information) Handicap Accessible: Yes Fishing Regulations: As per guidelines set by Fisheries Victoria. Web site: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/15/2015 Na'wal visited it 05/30/2012 calumphing_four visited it 09/17/2011 Whitepaws9 visited it 08/22/2010 Rabbitto visited it 06/24/2010 themd visited it

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