Princes Pier facts for kids
Princes Pier is a long, historic pier in Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It stretches 580 metres into Port Phillip Bay. It was first known as the New Railway Pier. In May 1920, it was renamed Princes Pier after the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII.
History of Princes Pier
Building the Pier
Princes Pier was built between 1912 and 1915. The Melbourne Harbor Trust constructed it to help with the busy shipping at the nearby Station Pier. From when it was finished in 1915 until 1969, Princes Pier was a very important place. Many new migrants, especially after World War II, arrived in Australia through this pier.
The pier was more than just a long walkway. It had a gatehouse, a main terminal building, and other rooms for people and goods. There were also railway tracks and special walkways for passengers.
Trains at the Pier
From the very beginning, Princes Pier was connected to the railway system. Trains could run directly onto the pier from the Port Melbourne railway line. This made it easy to move goods and people.
A special passenger train service started on May 30, 1921. These electric trains would take passengers to and from the pier when ships were docked. Usually, a single train car was used for this service. However, this train service stopped in November 1930 because it was not making enough money for the Victorian Railways. Over time, the railway tracks on the pier were used less and less.
Decline and Restoration
In the 1960s, a new way of shipping goods called "containerisation" became popular. This meant that large containers were used, and they needed different types of docks. Because of this, Princes Pier was used less and less.
By the early 1990s, the pier was closed to the public because its wooden structure was in poor condition. Sadly, some fires occurred in the late 1990s, which destroyed some of the old buildings on the pier. Between 2001 and 2004, there were 14 fires on the pier.
In April 2006, the government announced plans to fix the pier. The first 196 metres of the pier were fully restored. Beyond that point, the wooden top was removed, but the original wooden pillars were kept to show its history. Work began in October 2007, and the pier reopened to the public in December 2011.
