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historical tathra wharf & Merimbula wharf
Merimbula Wharf and Tathra Wharf are icons of the Sapphire Coast, two historical timber wharfs built to service the famous Steam Navigation era of the 1800s that ultimately linked the far south coast to the rest of Australia. Today, the wharfs are great places to throw a line, grab a coffee or meal and take in the stunning views of Merimbula Bay and Tathra Beach.
The company was to play a leading role in the development of coastal New South Wales and by 1905 the company was able to link Eden by regular steam communication with Sydney, Tasmania (Launceston & Hobart) and New Zealand.
The SS Merimbula provided two runs per week between Sydney, Bermagui, Tathra, Merimbula and Eden. It commenced in 1909 and continued until it ran aground on Beecroft Head near Jervis Bay in 1928. The loss of the Merimbula spelled the end of the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company’s passenger services to the area, and from 1928 until the early 1950s the Company confined its activities exclusively to cargo services.
The company's eventual demise came as a result of a number of factors, including increased competition from road and rail, the cost of replacing ships after World War II, waterfront disputes and rising costs. As a consequence, after almost 100 years in operation, the company was placed into voluntary receivership and was delisted from the stock exchange in 1955.
Bertha Davidson (nee Keating) was a Bermagui schoolgirl who attended St George Girls’ School, Sydney in the early 1920s, provided this description of travel on the SS Merimbula:
“The minute I stepped aboard the Merimbula my stomach turned somersaults. Whether it was the motion of the boat, the smell of the cargo, (it also carried cattle and pigs – in a separate section of course), or whether it was just psychological I really don’t know. But I was never guilty of having a meal on the Merimbula, apart from an early morning cup of tea and a hard dry biscuit, but believe me, my ‘strawberry box’ worked overtime.
The trip from Sydney to Bermagui usually took about sixteen hours – a very long sixteen hours when one is a bad sailor. One of the roughest trips (in more ways than one) that I experienced was the last trip before one Christmas vacation. I was late making my booking, only to find that all the berths had been booked. However, we were told that if we turned up on the day we could take ‘pot luck’. The Merimbula was licensed to carry ninety-two passengers. That trip she carried one hundred and ninety.
The sea was very rough, as was the accommodation. I bedded down on a dining-room table, hanging on to the edge of the table all night in case I rolled off on to the passengers who were bedded down on the floor. I was never asked to pay for that trip, so it had its compensations. Sam Sinclair, waiting at the wharf to drive us home was always a welcome sight. His car, I think, was the only one in Bermagui at the time.”
"A Nostalgic Journey – Travel in the Twenties”, by Bertha Davidson, in Tales of the Far South Coast, Volume 2, April 1984
tathra wharf
Tathra Wharf is the only wharf and building combination surviving on the eastern seaboard of Australia from the period of the coastal shipping trade dating from the 1860s. It is listed on the State Heritage Register as an excellent example of a marine building constructed entirely from hardwood and built in one period. The structures retain most of their original setting on the headland and can be viewed in the same way as when the wharf was operating.
The rich Bega River flats and nearby coastal areas developed in the 1800s. With poor roads, no rail and irregular punts used to cross the Bega River, a jetty at Tathra was built to provide access for the shipping of local goods to Sydney. The Bega Valley produced pigs, beef and skins, butter, cream and cheese, and wattle bark.
The first wharf at Tathra was constructed around 1860-1861 and was in the form of a simple jetty projecting into the ocean. It was known as the Farmer's Sea Wharf. This structure was quickly superseded in 1861-1862 with the erection of a new wharf built over the earlier structure. In 1866 a single-storey cargo shed was added and the newly-formed Illawarra Steamship Company provided a regular transport service by steamer, beginning a near century partnership with the district's farmers.
The wharf and buildings continued to be extended during the late 1800s with a more solid construction of cattle and pig yards being added in 1901. The wharf was extended in 1903, and the present two-storey building (currently occupied by the Tathra Wharf Museum) was constructed in 1908 to store cargo. Spring-loaded buffers were introduced to assist in the berthing of larger vessels in the difficult north-easterly seas to which the wharf was exposed. This was in conjunction with a mooring buoy to the north-east of the jetty.
The last passenger steamship, the SS Cobargo, departed in 1952. In 1954, the SS Tathra, was the last cargo steamer to leave the wharf. Up to 1954 the real working wharf was the lifeblood of the district, providing work for the locals, an outlet for produce and a port for incoming goods desperately needed by the growing communities.
For the next twenty years the wharf was used for fishing and local vessels. Management of NSW wharves however was delegated to local shire councils. The financial burden was huge; mass deterioration resulted and invariably each fell into disrepair, a number meeting their end by fire. Tathra Wharf’s demolition was ordered in 1973. It was strongly opposed by the local community and with support from the National Trust of Australia (NSW) a $200,000 appeal launched for its restoration. The now historical Tathra Wharf was the only such structure saved on the NSW coast. Further renovation and remedial work has been undertaken over the years and Tathra Wharf remains a key historical feature for the town and Bega Valley region.
'The Wharf Local' cafe operates out of wooden buildings atop Tathra's old Steamer Wharf, along with the Tathra Wharf Museum. For visitors seeking an historical experience, consider staying in a heritage room at the historic Tathra Hotel (1887). These rooms hosted passengers waiting for a steamer passage to Sydney and have been recently renovated with period features.
merimbula wharf
Today Merimbula’s timber wharf is a beautiful place to watch the comings and goings of Merimbula Lake, discover marine life and enjoy a beautiful meal, day or night. But it’s long history has been also been marred by struggle, to build, to keep and finally to replace.
The first structure, a platform with drawbridge, was laboriously built in the 1860s. It meant travellers and goods no longer had to brave a dangerous bar crossing in small boats, however during strong winds it was still a risky berth for steamer captains, who often had to decide whether to pull into Tathra or hope for the best at Merimbula.
Products were shipped to Sydney, originally from jetties on the lake, via flat-bottomed steamers called ‘droghers’, which took the goods out to larger ships waiting outside the Merimbula bar.
Construction of the Merimbula wharf began in 1901 at an auspicious time in Australia's history, the year of Federation when the Commonwealth of Australia was founded. The beginning of the 20th century was a time of considerable economic and social change for the new nation and the State of NSW. Merimbula played an important role in south-eastern NSW's development as a major agricultural and mining producer importing and exporting cargoes through its sea-port.
The Merimbula wharf accompanied a growing agricultural trade throughout the South Coast. It was a substantial steamer wharf in the deep water beyond the sand bar and was used for shipping until the steamer service ended in 1952 when roads became a more viable transport option. Once decommissioned, it became a central hub for recreational activity - especially fishing.
A decade later the deteriorating wharf was considered a public risk and recreational fishermen banded together to replace the deck. This bought the wharf more time, but by 1979 it was slated for destruction by the Department of Public Works and in October crowds lined the headland to watch the jetty and loading platform burn.
The Merimbula community were determined to replace the wharf and in an extraordinary effort, raised $110,000 which was eventually matched by the NSW State Government.
Building on the new wharf began in 1983 and was officially opened in October. Later, in 1987 and 1988 the cargo sheds were converted into a restaurant and aquarium. Unfortunately, fire destroyed the building in 1998.
Below the Wharf the Devonian Red rock beds mark a significant step in the evolution of life. The world’s first forests caused a leap in oxygen levels, creating rust-coloured iron oxide which stained the sediments which later became rocks. Head onto the red rocks to see what is left of these first trees. Look for small holes outlined by bleached white rock, these are the roots of a horsetail forest. t was a crucial time in earth history, as oxygen fuelled the atmosphere it sparked the evolution of huge armoured fish, amphibians and the first land animals. To access these ancient red rocks, park at the car park and look for the walkway to the left of the wharf.
On the far left side of the wharf there is a nice weed bed down among the stones within casting distance. Or cast to about 4-5 metres from the right side.
Great for squid in the cooler months, the best time for fishing at the wharf is half an hour before sunset with the dominate fish species being bream, flathead, snapper, tailor, squid, gummy shark & whiting. Even if you're not into fishing the wharf is a great spot to visit and peer down into the water and out to sea and for whale watching with whales often quite close during the season.
You will also find
Merimbula Aquarium and Wharf Restaurant
overlooking the Wharf, open 7 days.
A Lions Club Project - Lions Clubs of Pambula-Merimbula and Tathra, in cooperation with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Bega Valley Shire Council.
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