Decres Bay facts for kids

Decres Bay is a calm, natural harbor located southeast of Ceduna in South Australia. Long ago, before 1914, it was used to ship out wheat. This was done by moving wheat from smaller boats to bigger ships, a process called transshipping. Today, Decres Bay is a popular spot for camping. It is also being considered as a possible location for a new port in the future.

A Look at Decres Bay's Port Ideas

For many years, people have thought about building a large port at Decres Bay. A port is a place where ships can load and unload goods.

Why a Port Here?

Back in 1914, Decres Bay was a strong candidate for a new commercial port. This port would have helped transport large amounts of wheat. It was planned to be the end point for the Minnipa Hill railway line, making it easy to move wheat from trains to ships.

The Decision for Thevenard

However, Decres Bay was not chosen for the port in 1914. The main reason was that the water at the entrance channel was not deep enough. It was only about 8.2 meters (27 feet) deep. Another nearby location, Cape Thevenard, was chosen instead. Even though Cape Thevenard had more storms and needed constant dredging (cleaning out the seabed), it was picked over Decres Bay.

Some local people, part of the Murat Bay Vigilance Committee, believed the decision was unfair. They thought it was due to disagreements between different government groups at the time. The proposed jetty for Decres Bay was planned to be 384 meters (1260 feet) long and reach water 9.1 meters (30 feet) deep, but it was never built.

Future Plans

In February 2018, Decres Bay was again mentioned as a possible location for a new, independent port. This shows that people still see its potential as a shipping hub.