The second jetty to be built at Wallaroo, SA was commenced in April 1880. Neville Collins says in his book “The Jetties of South Australia – Past and Present” that two divers died working on the building of the jetty. It was completed in August 1881.

This jetty was initially 488m long. Another 152m was added to its length between 1899 and 1901. Yet another 215m were added in 1914. These additions meant that the total length was 855m.

There was a café and residence belonging to the Price family near the entrance to the jetty. The jetty itself became known as ‘Price’s Jetty’ because of that.

This photo and map show the approximate location of the jetty (as per the blue arrow): –

Looking at this photo, the jetty was very convoluted (twisted): –

(Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1177089620451343&set=a.247037393456575)

According to The Haunts of Adelaide Facebook page, “1923: Shipping moored at the Wallaroo Jetty, published in the “Observer”, January 20, 1923. This jetty was known as Price’s Jetty, and demolished in 1974. It was the main jetty used in Wallaroo between 1890 and 1930.”

According to “The Jetties of South Australia – Past and Present”, the jetty was demolished in 1973.

Dorothy Fyfe said that a ship cut the jetty in half in the early 1960s, leaving a gap in it. The outer end of the damaged jetty was then demolished about 1964-65. She was assisting Doug Seton and his dive buddies to find some lost copper ingots at the site in 1974. Doug, Brian Marfleet and Paul Lunn found two copper ingots at the site over the Australia Day long weekend. These were placed in the local museum.

I will discuss this topic separately in more detail.

Society members did two dives at the old jetty site in October 1981. They reached a maximum depth of 10m. Details were recorded in the Society’s Diving Log, including this drawing of the site: –

(The pencil lines are too feint to show in this scan of the drawing.)

The flora and fauna seen on those dives were recorded in the logbook, which also described the area.

This photo was taken at the site, with the new jetty in the background: –

(The header photo taken in 1911 comes courtesy of Neil Cormack and the National trust of SA’s Wallaroo branch.)

By Steve Reynolds

Steve Reynolds is the current President of MLSSA and is a long-standing member of the Society. Steve was a keen diver, underwater explorer & photographer before illness struck. He is chief author of the Society's extensive back catalogue of newsletters and journals.

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