About Us
The Carnarvon Heritage Precinct was the original Port of Carnarvon, which comprised the One Mile Jetty, Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, Lighthouse and the Carnarvon Tramway.
Come and view the iconic One Mile Jetty, Explore the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage Museum, The Shearers Hall Of Fame, Visit the One Mile Jetty Interpretive Centre, Wander the Railway Station Museum, meander along one or all of the walk trails.
A fabulous day’s exploring of the region and understanding the fascinating history of Carnarvon will include the now closed One Mile Jetty which was built to support the local wool industry as well as State Ships and many other historical activities. You can find out a great deal in one of the three museums that you can visit in the area.
THE SHEARERS HALL OF FAME AND RAILWAY MUSEUM
- A wonderful view of the past in this museum. See how the children of the day got to school.
- See one of the last steam engines to run on the One Mile jetty
- Discover the role that Charles Kingsford Smith had in our wool industry going back to the 1920s. (If you don’t know who he is you may have to ask someone – try our volunteers; they should know!)
- Read the stories about the Mad Eight, record breaking shearers.
- Can you identify the skeletal remains in the glass case? It’s probably not hard.
THE MAIN MUSEUM (ONE MILE JETTY CENTRE)
- Tells of the early history of Carnarvon
- The Lock Hospital which was set up in the early 1900s, a sad aspect of our history, where aboriginal people from all over WA, allegedly suffering from venereal disease, were sent to the islands off the coast.
- A central feature of the museum is a movie about the rediscovery of HMAS SYDNEY ll and the German ship HSK KORMORAN. This is 55 minutes of enthralling, sad and important facts about the tragic destruction of HMAS SYDNEY ll in 1941. Don’t miss it.
- A full range of souvenirs of your visit to the precinct
THE ICONIC ONE MILE JETTY
The One Mile Jetty was built in 1897 and worked hard at being a jetty until 1986.
Since then it has been a worldwide tourist attraction but fires, cyclones, wind and the sea have reduced it to a very sad portion of its original majesty. The jetty is now closed due to safety concerns but people from all over the world still come to view this icon of Carnarvon.
Work is planned on restoring the jetty but it is an expensive exercise and more money is needed to do the task justice.
If you would like to donate to the One Mile Jetty please follow the link below
TAKE A WALK TO AND AROUND THE CARNARVON HERITAGE AREA
There are lots if walking trails in and around the Carnarvon Heritage Area.
You could start by walking out to the area itself, about a 45 minute walk starting at the Tramway Bridge over the Fascine. Follow the old railway line and enjoy the natural flora on the way. It is an easy walk and there is no need to hurry. Just enjoy it.
In the Heritage Area you can take a short walk and discover more of the history of this area. On the way to the lookout over the Gascoyne River you will discover a memorial statute, “DON’T LOOK AT THE ISLANDS” which is dedicated to those Aboriginal people who were sent there in the early 1900s. An information board tells you the full, sad story.
You will also see the site of the Carnarvon Meatworks, an interesting story in itself and the holding area for sheep and cattle being exported from Carnarvon.
A boardwalk over the mangroves surrounding the One Mile Jetty will take you a short way over the mangrove area and you will learn about the flora and fauna of the area. Within a radius of 60 km of Carnarvon township there is a variety of habitats for over 205 species of birds which are either permanent residents or visitors. Take your binoculars and see how many you can spot in this area.
The mangroves are an important environmental asset, providing ideal breeding grounds for fish and crabs. They are important in the fight against climate change due to their ability to absorb high levels of carbon.
FOR MORE WALKING TRAILS AROUND CARNARVON VISIT THIS LINK
THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS COTTAGE BUILT 1896-1897
The cottage is a reminder of the days that lighthouses required daily attention and their keepers were housed on site. . The shipping of wool, cattle and people by coastal steamer had become big business in the north‐west by the 1890s and Carnarvon was the major port to the Gascoyne region. The cottage is a reminder of the days that lighthouses required daily attention and their keepers were housed on site.
Carnarvon Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage has a close association with the Lighthouse Keepers that have lived in the cottage and maintained the light tower. Their role was important to the development and operation of the port facilities in Carnarvon and the Gascoyne Region of Western Australia.
Two of our volunteers have a close connection with the cottage with one having grandparents who were lighthouse keepers and the other being born in the cottage and living in it for the first 9 years of her life.
If you visit on the days they are in the cottage you will be enthralled with their stories. Guaranteed.
Picture by Ian Rorke Photography ©
The old water tank that was used to water stock held in the stock yards as well as providing water for the steam trains that hauled wool bales from town to the One Mile Jetty for export. In 1900 Carnarvon was the largest wool exporting port in Australia. The water tank is needing restoration and the Carnarvon Heritage Group are currently working on the planning stages for this project.
OPENING HOURS AND ADMISSION
Open 9am-4pm Tuesday – Sunday
ADMISSION includes:
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- The One Mile Jetty Museum
- The Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage
- Refurbished Lighthouse
- The Shearer’s Hall of Fame
- Railway Museum
ADULTS $15;
CONCESSION $10;
CHILDREN $5; (Children MUST be accompanied)
FAMILY: (2 adults + 3 children) $30
Photo by Ian Rorke Photographer ©
Originally a wooden tower 60 feet high on a site 42 feet above sea level, it was converted from paraffin (kerosene) oil to acetylene illumination in 1909, and it carried in 1913, two red sector lights flashing every 3 seconds, This was replaced by a new light on a steel framework tower in the early 1960s, which was present and working in 1994. The original light is now on exhibition in the grounds of the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage museum.
The original light has recently been relocated and is in the process of being restored to its original beauty.
