Big builds? Past Docklands maritime “Big Builds” and a “Big Build” MMHN

The Docklands precinct community may or may not be aware of the crucially important role of Victoria Harbour in the evolving story of Melbourne’s port infrastructure.

The harbour’s growth, by way of a series of “Big Builds”, to use today’s terminology, continues to underpin the prosperity of Victoria to this day.

Take a moment to consider: why does the Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network (MMHN) so strongly advocate for due recognition of maritime heritage Big Builds located in the Docklands precinct? 

The answer: maritime trade drove important investment in port infrastructure. The Docklands precinct has been crucial in the evolution of the port since colonial settlement. 

Major ports world-wide evolve over time, but what makes the port of Melbourne evolution unique? 

The answer lies in the extraordinary speed at which the port developed, shaped by a number of factors that arose during what was a transformative period in global maritime history.

Colonial expansion; the discovery of gold in Victoria; the opening of the Suez Canal, enabling new, faster maritime trade routes south; technical innovations in wharf operations; ship propulsion methods shifting from sail to coal-powered steam – all of these events played a role in Victoria Harbour’s evolution.

The time was right for maritime trade in the port of Melbourne, far down in the south, to thrive, and so, the whole state of Victoria rapidly flourished.

This economic prosperity, based on maritime trade, led to a series of ambitious Big Builds in the evolving Melbourne port story. 

Melbourne’s port story thus far has three distinct parts, and all feature Big Builds. And furthermore, MMHN is proposing a fourth part, indeed another new Big Build, so do read on …

Part 1 – Riverport 

The tale commences with Melbourne being settled in 1835 as a tiny colonial riverport outpost of the vast British Empire.

In a very short time span, this remote riverport upstream of the Birrarung/Yarra, began to boom. Immigrant population numbers also boomed thanks to the gold rush and the city spread out to the north, east and south. Increased population stimulated the colonial economy, both in terms of production and consumption of goods.

The Melbourne Harbor Trust commissioned world-renowned British engineer Sir John Coode to straighten and dredge a section of the Birrarung/Yarra, which cleverly eliminated a long looping bend in the river. Ships could now make a straight, easy passage upstream from Port Phillip Bay.

This section became known as the Coode Canal and was an ambitious investment in the riverport for the time period. This Big Build project greatly enhanced maritime trade prospects, bringing them closer to the burgeoning city centre.

Maritime trade exploded, and very soon, demand for wharf berths in Melbourne’s riverport began to exceed supply. 

Part 2 – Victoria Dock 

It quickly became necessary to meet the demand for berths in order to sustain Victoria’s extraordinary prosperity.

This led the Melbourne Harbour Trust to optimistically invest in another Big Build downstream. The at-capacity riverport of Melbourne was, to a great extent, blocked by a series of low railway and vehicular bridges spanning the river.

Between 1887 and 1892, Sir John Coode, assisted by local Melbourne Harbour Trust engineer, Joseph Brady, excavated West Melbourne’s intermittent wetlands to construct Victoria Dock – a new 37.6-hectare port.

When Victoria Dock opened, it was the second largest single dock in the world. Yet, its 21 available berths still proved to be insufficient to meet demand. Arriving or departing cargo vessels simply could not waste time waiting for wharf space.

To address this “problem” of maritime trade success in the new port, another Big Build project was constructed in 1919 – Central Pier.

Without dispute, Victoria Dock (Victoria Harbour) was a Very Big Build indeed! But it was also one that the prosperous port city could fund.

Part 3 – Birrarung/Yarra estuary port

Victoria Dock very successfully sustained the maritime trade boom in Melbourne right up until the 1970s.

The Shipping Control Tower, technologically advanced for the time, was capable of managing complex port operations along the Birrarung/Yarra River, Victoria Harbour, the estuary and into the Port Philip Bay. However, it ceased operating in 1980.

Victoria Harbour was ultimately stymied in 1999 by the problematic Bolte Bridge Big Build. Spanning the Birrarung/Yarra, the Bolte was simply too low for modern merchant vessels.

Once again, the formerly cutting-edge Victoria Harbour was rendered largely redundant, incapable of providing for “modern era” port operations. The Port of Melbourne subsequently left Victoria Harbour and expanded, shifting downstream to Fishermans Bend and further west to Swanston and Appleton Docks. 

MMHN notes that, since 1835, these Big Builds, situated in various reaches of the Birrarung/Yarra River, have resulted in Melbourne being the largest container port in Australia today.

In this island nation, without due support for ports and maritime trade, we cannot prosper.

Part 4 – MMHN’s proposed future Big Build

Demolition of heritage-listed Central Pier in Victoria Harbour raises the question: what could happen with Central Pier?

Recently MMHN invited the Docklands precinct community to discuss the form and feasibility of the MMHN proposal Big Build; that Central Pier be replaced by a large floating pontoon/pier.

The project would be constructed off-site without nuisance to residents, and provide a perfect, environmentally sustainable base for a Maritime Experience Centre (MEC) surrounded by a promenade and a maritime garden overlooking the harbour at its tip. There’s more detail available on this proposal, which aims to celebrate the unique maritime status of Docklands Precinct – past, present and future.

Read the proposal.

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