THE “neglected” and “deteriorating” Old Jetty installation at Bathers Beach is putting kids at risk of “impaling themselves”, says a retired foreshore restoration team leader, who thinks the City of Fremantle must take responsibility.

Located in front of Bathers Beach House, the Old Jetty was created in the 1990s by the late Joan Campbell, alongside artist Richard Coldicutt and her students, and was designed to naturally weather and disintegrate over time.

The structure marks the site of the historic Long Jetty, which once extended from the shore in the 1890s before being demolished in the 1920s to make way for the Fremantle Harbour.

Today, the jetty’s underside has become a popular refuge from the summer sun, while the structure above functions as an unofficial climbing frame, with children leaping from the edge and hoping to stick a landing on the sand below.

However, retired City of Melville worker Errol Allen says the council’s lack of maintenance and care has made these activities much more dangerous,” Mr Allen said.

“It’s become quite significantly unsafe in terms of the decking itself; the wood’s rotten, splintering, there’s missing planks, and others have exposed decking spikes or decking nails.”

Mr Allen said the site was an accident waiting to happen, noting that even where council workers carried out repairs in the past, boards have now lifted and screws have been exposed, putting anyone walking above at risk of splinters or falling through missing planks.

“If a child fell over onto one of those decking spikes (obviously they’re the head ends of the spikes)… it could do a lot of damage to someone.”

The only signs on Old Jetty are the history of the original Long Jetty and a “no alcohol past this point” notice nailed to a pylon by Bathers Beach House. 

“Bathers Beach House, the management there have contacted the council about getting some repairs done and I don’t think they’ve had any luck in progressing anyone at the council to be interested in getting it done.”

• Missing timbers and protruding nails on Old Jetty. Photo by Isla Tomlinson

The City confirmed it was responsible for the maintenance of the jetty, which had been “carried out… over the years”. 

“The City is aware that further maintenance is required and is in the process of getting an expert assessment and recommendations,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added the City maintains its entire public art collection under a formal maintenance program, which will be strengthened through the adoption of the Public Art Strategy 2025–2035 guiding how public art is commissioned, funded and cared for across the city over the next decade.

“The City investigates and acts upon safety issues concerning public artworks when identified. In this case, the City will be placing some cautionary signage beside the jetty artwork as a temporary measure.

“Climbing on public artworks is, generally, not encouraged and is done so at one’s own risk.”

However, questions remain about what Campbell would have wanted for the installation.

In his younger days, Herald editor Steve Grant worked as a gallery attendant for the world-renowned potter and was co-opted onto the second stage of the jetty project to install a boardwalk and plinths on the beach. 

“One of the things Joan expressed to me was that part of the process of creating the sculpture and having a sculpture there was; it’s in a beachy environment and so erosion was expected, and she had built into the concept of the jetty that it would erode away,” Mr Grant said.

“So I’m nervous about restoration… she was very, very strict about the integrity of an artwork.

“If it’s got to the point where what’s there is now dangerous, perhaps it’s best just to completely remove it and find some appropriate way to acknowledge that it was there.”

Dr Coldicutt also thinks it best to celebrate and acknowledge her by doing a smaller mural to commemorate her artistry in the area, rather than have the council attempt to keep her work alive.

Dr Coldicutt said wooden structures “have their time” and said “with my knowledge and friendship with Joan was that she works with the time”.

by ISLA TOMLINSON