Fremantle Long Jetty, Heritage pier at Bathers Beach, Fremantle, Australia

Fremantle Long Jetty is a wooden pier that once extended far into the ocean and could accommodate multiple large vessels at the same time with its substantial structure. It was constructed from local jarrah wood, which proved resistant to the harsh marine environment.

The structure was built in 1873 to replace an older and less capable pier, and became the center of shipping traffic during Western Australia's gold rush. It played a central role in the region's maritime development during this period of economic expansion.

The jetty was originally called the Ocean Jetty; it took the name Long Jetty after the 1887 extension. In 1904, after years of disuse, it was turned into a promenade, and in 1906 a hall for entertainment was built at one end. The public disliked this new use, and the jetty was closed by 1910.

The jetty no longer stands: its piles were cut down to the seabed in 1921, and the surviving timbers lie off Bathers Beach, where Challenger Harbour, built for the 1987 America's Cup, now covers part of the old jetty's footprint. Look for the remains at low tide from the beach; the site is an archaeological zone, so do not remove anything you find.

The seabed around the older parts of the structure has been officially protected since 1988 and preserves archaeological remains from the 1800s. Divers sometimes find old glass bottles and other objects that have been exposed by storms washing through the sand.