Princes Pier, Heritage-listed pier in Port Melbourne, Australia

Princes Pier is a 580-meter timber structure extending into Port Phillip Bay and listed as a heritage site. A restored section of 196 meters is open to visitors and preserves the original pylons and railroad infrastructure from when the pier was built.

The pier was built between 1912 and 1915 and served until 1969 as a major arrival point for overseas migrants. Its closure marked the end of an era of passenger transport at Port Melbourne harbor.

The pier's name recalls the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, who visited Melbourne in May 1920; before that it was the New Railway Pier. From 1915 to 1969 it was a main arrival point for migrants, who came ashore by passenger gangways. The gatehouse, terminal building and tracks described in old accounts are gone: fires in the late 1990s destroyed the store structures, and beyond the restored 196 metres only the original timber pylons stand in the water.

Only the first 196 metres of the pier, restored and reopened in December 2011, are accessible; beyond that the decking was removed and only the original timber pylons stand in the water. The deck is flat and open to the weather, with stainless-steel handrails along the edges. Allow time to walk out and back along the restored span.

The pier once had eight railway tracks running in parallel, connected directly to the Port Melbourne railway line for seamless operations. This unusual design allowed large numbers of passengers and cargo to move through quickly and efficiently.