Shire of Broome releases tender to demolish and rebuild Chinatown’s historic Streeters Jetty

A tender to demolish and rebuild Broome’s heritage-listed Streeters Jetty for the fifth time has been released more than one year after the site was closed for refurbishments. Streeters Jetty, one of Broome’s most photographed local attractions, has been closed since February 2020 due to significant structural decay which made it unsafe for human use. Now the Shire of Broome has put out a tender for the 21-year-old jetty’s demolition and reconstruction. Replacing the old timber structure will be a steel-framed jetty with timber decking and handrails. Tender documents reveal a section of the heritage facade will be maintained. Shire of Broome deputy president Desiree Male said the new jetty would look almost identical to the current version. “Streeters Jetty is an important link back to, and recognition of, Broome’s pearling story – it is hugely significant and part of our town’s rich history,” she said. “However, the current structure is falling apart and is unsafe – there is no way to refurbish the existing jetty; it must be rebuilt. “The Shire has taken the task of reconstructing the jetty very seriously. The new jetty will maintain the current version’s charm and aesthetics, while ensuring it is structurally sound long into the future.” The new design is expected to have a lifespan of up to 70 years. The demolition and rebuild of Streeters is the latest in a string of major changes to regional WA’s most historic jetties. The Shire of Esperance demolished its crumbling 85-year-old tanker jetty in 2020, replacing it with a new jetty which opened this year and offloading timbers from the old one to interested parties. In April Tropical Cyclone Seroja finally knocked over Carnarvon’s battered One Mile Jetty after years of campaigning from locals to fund a restoration. Streeters Jetty was first built in 1886, with major reconstructions taking place in 1960 and 2000. It was used for pearling in its early days, and a tram ran between it and a Mangrove Point jetty until 1948. An appeal against the clearing of mangroves required to undertake the rebuild was dismissed.