One Mile Jetty

Today is our last day in Carnarvon and a windy one it was. But I still really wanted to head out to the end of One Mile Jetty, so wind or no wind I was going to. First we headed out to see Chinaman Pool which is a permanent pool and swimming spot. In the 1890's it was a source of freshwater for the town. Today was a little chilly for a swim but there were some beautiful Black Swans and their babies enjoying the cool water of the afternoon.


Chinaman Pool

Two babies venture out on their own



Next we headed to the HMAS Sydney II Memorial Ave. The loss of HMAS Sydney II was Australia's greatest naval tragedy of uncertainty for decades. On her return to Australia after some successful battles she encountered the German Raider HSK Kormoran on 19 November 1941. The Kormoran was disguised as a Dutch merchant vessel and did not return the Sydney's signals correctly, so the Sydney approached the unknown vessel. Once within range where the Sydney's superior weapons could not defend her, the Kormoran used the advantage of surprise and brought all it had to attack the Sydney. While neither ship survived, the Sydney lost all 645 young men, 318 of the Kormoran's 390 crew survived. As the German survivors were regarded as unreliable the mystery raged for 66 years. In March 2008, renewed efforts to find the Sydney came to fruition, confirming her fate and bringing closure to the mystery.

Memorial Cairn Sign

HMAS Sydney II Memorial Cairn

Our next stop was the One Mile Jetty. There is normally a small train that runs out to the end of the jetty, but as the wind was so strong today, about 25 knots, the train was not running. Shane's hip, knees, back etc kept him in the car, so off I headed on my walk. The timber jetty was completed being built in 1904 and is 1493 mtrs long (1.6km). It became the first port in Australia to transport livestock by sea and was used as a deep sea port for shipment of local produce and wool to Perth.

One Mile Jetty

One Mile Jetty