Feature by Carolyn Beasley
Descending the mesh steps, two swimmers pause to pull on fins. Light slants down through the gaps in the colossal timber jetty above, but their attention is on what lies beneath. As they splash into the shaded water, the outline of a three-metre steel dome becomes visible. Diving down to inspect the sculpture of a diver’s helmet, they delight in finding billowy algae and lace corals colonising the framework, and inside, a school of hula fish, dancing up a storm.
The Diver’s Helmet is one of 13 new underwater sculptures in Busselton (Undalup). Installed in mid-2023, the Underwater Sculpture and Artificial Reef Trail sits beneath Busselton Jetty. Made by local artists, the ocean-themed sculptures are designed to enhance marine habitat.
Visitors wishing to take the self-guided plunge with the underwater artworks can grab a dive and snorkel pass (adults $4, children free), or join a guided snorkel or SCUBA dive with Swan Dive.
At 1.8km long, Busselton Jetty is the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere. While the present-day jetty is for recreation only, it was once a vital trade link for the local timber, agriculture and coal industries.
Busselton Jetty, Busselton
The first jetty was completed in 1865, but Geographe Bay’s shallow sea floor meant many extensions were needed. In 1978 a cyclone partially destroyed the jetty, but with huge community support and fundraising, it was finally restored by the City of Busselton.
Today the jetty is operated by Busselton Jetty Inc., and ticket sales contribute to maintenance and the Busselton Jetty Environment Foundation.
Jetty visitors keen to stay dry can explore the jetty’s topside. Take a 3.6km return walk, or ride the charming solar-powered train instead, with commentary featuring local Wadandi and European history.
At the far end of the jetty, the Underwater Observatory is a window onto Geographe Bay, located eight metres below the surface. A guide leads visitors through the pod, explaining the otherworldly scenes beyond the glass. Attached to the jetty pylons, soft corals swirl in the currents, and sponges abound in a kaleidoscope of colours. Occasionally, a seal peers through the glass.
Underwater Observatory, Busselton Jetty
The pioneer of the underwater sculpture trail is Sophie Teede, the environment manager for Busselton Jetty. She says the sculptures are designed to be colonised, while raising awareness of marine conservation.
“A big part of the installation was achieving visually appealing pieces that would draw visitors, to discover them initially as sculptures,” says Sophie. “From that experience, we hope they’ll be invested, with a curiosity to come back again. Ultimately, we’d like people to go away and make good choices for the environment and their own local beaches.”
One of the local artists commissioned for the project is Georgia Zoric. Her piece the Postmaster, is inspired by Andrew Stonehouse Thompson, Busselton’s postmaster and customs officer during World War II.
The Postmaster Sculpture, Busselton Jetty
“Every other day he would hop on his pushbike and ride to the end of the jetty to receive mail from the ships and check on the customs of all the incoming ships,” Georgia says.
Other sculptures include a mermaid, a giant stingray, and a replica steam ship. Fabricated with hidey-holes for marine life, the sculptures have been enthusiastically embraced by underwater citizens.
“An octopus had moved in within three hours of the Postmaster being sunk, and the next day a giant cuttlefish had taken up residency,” Georgia says. The 10-metre long southern right whale has become home to thousands of rough bullseyes.
Georgia explains that although she is not normally a keen swimmer, for the Postmaster, she made an exception.
“I was able to duck dive down and see his beard and his face again,” Georgia says. “We didn’t expect to see such fast coral adhesion and habitat growth, and the fish that keep him company. It was just beautiful to see that additional colour and those layers of texture.”
Habitat growth on sculptures, Busselton Jetty
It’s not only the marine life loving these sculptures, and thousands of humans have already taken a dip with the artworks. For Georgia, this adoration makes it the most exciting project she’s worked on.
“Usually you finish up your work and then you move on,” she says. “But this one, the feedback is almost daily. It’s really connected me a lot more strongly to my community. Even the tourists are reaching out and sending photos directly through to the artists.”
Ultimately, she hopes nature is the benefactor.
“People are seeing how quickly the marine environment is welcoming the structures, and living on them in really fast time,” Georgia says. “People are understanding the impact we can have for good or bad. And this has been for great.”
Mermaid Sculpture, Busselton Jetty
Published March 2024.