Altona Pier

This is a wooden bridge at the end of Pier Street that goes out into the sea.

You can often see people strolling on the pier, enjoying the sea breeze or fishing leisurely.

There’s splendid view from the Pier – Williamstown on the eastern side and Point Cook Coastal Park from the western side. The coastline appears to be a half-hemisphere from this viewpoint and the sea is a bending curve at the horizon, alluding to the roundness of our Earth.

Move your mouse over the photo below to bring up the navigation buttons. Scroll around, zoom in and out to have a closeup view of specific parts of the Esplanade or view the photo in full screen.

When the water is clear, you can see small fishes swimming in the sea below and so close to the sea floor.

At low tides, you can cross under the Pier from one side to the other and the underside view of the Pier with the white-coloured barnacles or coral-like marine forms growing around its stilts makes an exotic photo shoot.

Photo by Dariusz Szewczak

Just before the start of the Pier is a harmonious arrangement of five bronze marine creatures (Cuttlefish, Weedy Sea Dragon, Leatherjacket, Crab and Shell). This sculpture named Seaborn is made by Pauline Fraser to make a strong symbolic statement about the marine life in Port Phillip Bay. It represents the fragility of the natural environment and highlights the importance of respecting and caring for our bays.

A unique piece of architecture lies nearby – the Altona Beach Lifesaving Tower with an observation deck that resembles a capsized boat hull and provides views of both ends of the beach. A first aid room, public toilet and showering facilities are also available.

Here is a Google Maps Street View of the Tower.

The Altona Beach Lifesaving Tower and Altona Beach Pavilion are home to the Altona Life Saving Club and the Western Suburbs Triathlon Club. The Pavilion offers these clubs, change room facilities, storage rooms, offices, a kitchen, a hall and a kiosk selling gelato.

Below is a Google Street View of Altona Pier.