View source for Station Pier

{{Short description|Historic Australian pier on Port Phillip, in Port Melbourne, Victoria}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2015}}
[[File:Station Pier entrance Port Melbourne 2012-10-10.jpg|thumb|260px|Road entrance to Station Pier.]]

'''Station Pier''' is a historic Australian [[pier]] on [[Port Phillip]], in [[Port Melbourne, Victoria]]. Opened in 1854, the pier is [[Melbourne]]'s primary passenger terminal, servicing interstate [[Ferry|ferries]] and [[cruise ship]]s, and is listed on the [[Victorian Heritage Register]].

==History==
[[File:The Railway Pier, Sandridge, Melbourne, Victoria ca. 1878-79 (9445632207).jpg|thumb|Railway Pier in the late-1800s.]]
Station Pier, originally known as Railway Pier, was officially opened on 12 September 1854.<ref name=pom>{{cite web|url=http://www.portofmelbourne.com/cruiseshipping/stationpier.asp|title=Station Pier|publisher=www.portofmelbourne.com|access-date=2008-07-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201021428/http://www.portofmelbourne.com/cruiseshipping/stationpier.asp|archive-date=1 February 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The 4.5 kilometre [[Port Melbourne railway line|Port Melbourne line]] from the pier to [[Flinders Street railway station|Flinders Street station]] via the [[Sandridge Bridge]] was opened at the same time to facilitate the transport of passengers and goods, and was the first significant railway in Australia.<ref name=trail>{{cite web|url=http://museumsvictoria.com.au/railways/pdf/sandridge_railway_trail.pdf|format=PDF|title=Sandridge Railway Trail guide|publisher=museumsvictoria.com.au|accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref> The pier was kept busy throughout the 1850s, due to the increased passenger traffic created by the [[Victorian gold rush|gold rush]]. In 1861, the pier was extended to a length of 661 metres, in order to accommodate the ever-increasing traffic associated with the number of people settling in Victoria.<ref name=pom />
[[File:Station pier melbourne.jpg|thumb|[[HMS King George V (41)|HMS ''King George V'']] Battleship docked at Station Pier in 1945.]]

In the early part of the 20th century, the original pier was unable to accommodate the new breed of larger and more powerful [[steamship]]s. As a result, the current pier was built between 1922 and 1930 and is the largest timber piled wharf structure in Australia. The Stothert and Pitt cranes were erected in 1949 for goods handling.<ref>{{Cite AHPI|VICH985|Station Pier, Southern Section|accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref> The original supports are still underneath the current pier, chopped down when the replacement was built. The new pier was designed so that passengers landed at the terminals above, while goods traffic moved underneath, in what was quite forward thinking for the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/29/1096401639187.html|title=Pier into the past|work=The Age|date=2 October 2004|publisher=theage.com.au|accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref> It has a [[wharf]] length of 933 metres, and is capable of berthing ships 305 metres long with a draught of 10.3 metres.<ref name=pom />

When originally built the pier had five railway sidings running onto it, as well as a passenger platform on the southern side named 'Bay Excursion Platform', a westward extension of [[Port Melbourne railway station|Port Melbourne station]].<ref>Victorian Railways signal diagram {{cite web|url=http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/My_Web_pages/VR/Metropolitan/22%2715.htm|title=Port Melbourne line - Bridge Street to Piers 1915|accessdate=2008-07-31}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> After the pier was rebuilt it was provided with eight tracks, four along each wharf face.<ref>Victorian Railways signal diagram {{cite web|url=http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/My_Web_pages/VR/Metropolitan/2%2737.htm|title=Port Melbourne line - Bridge Street to Piers 1937|accessdate=2008-07-31}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The outer eastern end of the new pier was 390 feet east of the outer eastern end of the old pier, to make the new pier exactly parallel with the Prince's Pier.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1851028 The Argus (Melbourne, Vic). Friday 27 October 1922, pg. 19]</ref>

In January 1921 [[Railways in Melbourne|electric passenger services]] were extended to the platform at the Bay Excursion Pier, two years after electric trains had been extended to Port Melbourne. It was served by two trains per hour Monday to Friday, until their withdrawal in November 1930 as they were not financially rewarding to the [[Victorian Railways]].<ref name=elect>{{cite book | author = S.E. Dornan and R.G. Henderson | title = Electric Railways of Victoria | publisher = Australian Electric Traction Society | year = 1979 | isbn = 0-909459-06-1 | pages = 58–59 }}</ref> From 22 May 1933 passenger services were again extended to Station Pier, but only as required when overseas liners were berthed. The [[railway electrification system|overhead wiring]] had to be extended beyond the Bay Excursion Platform onto the pier itself. The ''Boat Train'' service was introduced on 7 March 1936 with a single [[Tait (train)|Tait train]] set painted in blue livery with silver roof. The name was added to the top of each motor car in red letters along with exterior lighting. Operating direct from [[Flinders Street railway station|Flinders Street station]] to Station Pier, the service was discontinued in October 1939.<ref name=elect/>

In 1934 the Victorian Centenary Bridge was built over the railway lines, carrying Beach Street traffic over the pier railway sidings, as well as providing road access to the centre of the pier.<ref name=trail /> Overhead wiring over half the pier was removed in October 1937, with the remainder unused from 1939 until removal in January 1950.<ref name=elect/>
[[File:Spirit of Tasmania I loading at Port Melbourne June 2014.jpg|thumb|''[[MS Spirit of Tasmania I|Spirit of Tasmania I]]'' loading at Station Pier.]]
In 1987, the railway line too was closed, and replaced by [[Melbourne tram route 109|tram route 109]], which runs to [[Box Hill, Victoria|Box Hill]] via the city.<ref>{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960|author=Chris Banger|month=3|year=1997|page=77–82}}</ref> The Centenary Bridge was demolished in 1991.<ref name=trail /> The [[Sandridge Trail]] runs parallel to the tram line. When refurbished in 1998/99, tram tracks were included in the new concrete decking on the western side for a possible extension of tram route 109.<ref>Track Extensions ''[[Trolley Wire]]'' issue 283 November 2000 pages 23-25</ref><ref>Station Pier Tramway Extension ''[[Transit Australia]]'' February 2002 pages 54/55</ref>

In 2001, the area at the base of the pier was redeveloped to include a boardwalk and a number of new restaurant and cafe buildings, including ''[http://www.3stationpier.com 3 Station Pier]'' and ''Waterfront''. At the end of the pier is [[Rex Hunt]]'s ''Delish Fish''.

==Infrastructure==
[[File:Station Pier 24.07.16.jpg|thumb|300px|Station Pier in 2016.]]
Station Pier has four operating [[Berth (moorings)|berths]], two on each side of the [[wharf]]. Each berth has a maximum [[Draft (hull)|draft]] of 10.3 metres.<ref name=pom />

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: left; "
|+'''Berth information'''
!Berth
!Length (metres)
!Usage
|-
|Inner East
|220
|Formerly Tasmania ferry ([[Spirit of Tasmania]]) - Now relocated to [[Port of Geelong|Geelong]].
|-
|Outer East
|223
|cruise-ship berth
|-
|Inner West
|185
|cruise-ship and [[Royal Australian Navy]] berth
|-
|Outer West
|305
|cruise-ship berth
|}

The pier operates 24 hours per day, and open for [[pedestrian]] access from 6am to 9 pm except when cruise ships or naval ships are visiting. In addition the pier has a central roadway, which allows cars to be driven on to ships capable of carrying them.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}
'''Victorian Railways signal diagrams:'''
* [https://www.victorianrailways.net/signaling/completedia/ptmelpier1919.html Victorian Railways Port Melbourne Line. Bridge Street to Piers 1919]
* {{cite web
|url=http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/My_Web_pages/VR/Metropolitan/22%2715.htm
|title=Port Melbourne line - Bridge Street to Piers 1915
|accessdate=2008-07-31
}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

* {{cite web
|url=http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/My_Web_pages/VR/Metropolitan/38%2719.htm
|title=Port Melbourne line - Bridge Street to Piers 1919
|accessdate=2008-07-31
}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

* {{cite web
|url=http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/My_Web_pages/VR/Metropolitan/2%2737.htm
|title=Port Melbourne line - Bridge Street to Piers 1937
|accessdate=2008-07-31
}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

* {{cite web
|url=http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/My_Web_pages/VR/Metropolitan/17%2764.htm
|title=Port Melbourne and Graham 1963
|accessdate=2008-07-31
}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

* {{cite web
|url=http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/My_Web_pages/VR/Metropolitan/35%2769.htm
|title=Flinders Street to Port Melbourne 1969
|accessdate=2008-07-31
}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

* {{cite web
|url=http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/My_Web_pages/VR/Metropolitan/6%2771.htm
|title=Flinders Street to Port Melbourne 1971
|accessdate=2008-07-31
}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last=Barnard|first=Jill|title=Welcome and Farewell: The Story of Station Pier|year=2004|publisher=Australian Scholarly Publishing|location=Melbourne, Victoria|isbn=1-74097-058-6|oclc=61362966}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Station Pier}}
* [http://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=33115 Trove List]
* [https://archive.today/20130131151141/http://www.portofmelbourne.com/cruiseshipping/stationpierservices.asp Services at Station Pier]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050224210132/http://whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Places/StationPier.asp The White Hat Guide to Station Pier]

{{Disused rail start}}
{{rail line|col={{rcr|Australian closed station|closed}}
| route = [[Port Melbourne railway line|Port Melbourne line]]
|previous={{rws|Port Melbourne}}| next = 
}}
{{s-note|text=[[List of closed railway stations in Melbourne]]}}
{{rail end}}
{{Australian cruise terminals}}

{{coord|-37.8444|144.9311|type:landmark_region:AU|display=title}}

[[Category:Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Passenger ship terminals]]
[[Category:Piers in Australia]]
[[Category:Transport in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Bass Strait ferries]]
[[Category:Port Phillip]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Transport buildings and structures in Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Transport in the City of Port Phillip]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Port Phillip]]