St Kilda Pier Foreshore

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Posted 2025-02-14 by Jen ⇒ follow

The New Pier Playground

Images - Writers Own

Having reopened in December 2024 after major works commenced in February 2022, the St Kilda Pier which sits within an Aboriginal cultural landscape in the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong People is open and welcoming even while removal of the old pier is still underway and expected to take up to six months. However, the $53 million makeover with a design life of 50 years is very much in use and much loved by the community already. It's become the destination station with gorgeous views of the city skyline, the sunset and of course the little penguins, if you're lucky enough to catch sight of one from the penguin viewing area at the back of what is the pier kiosk. Parks Victoria is delivering this exciting rebuild of the iconic St Kilda Pier in partnership with the Department of Transport and Planning. You'll find more information, progress reports, and images on their website .

It's a new chapter for an iconic landmark after two years of extensive upgrade works by the Victorian Government. The transformation includes a spectacular curved walkway, tiered seating, additional toilets, and a new community space near the famous St Kilda Pier Kiosk. The 450-metre-long pier is accessible for all abilities, and sunsets here are going to be phenomenal with incredible views of the city skyline and the bay. Work continues on the pier with construction equipment in plain sight, during which time, access to the low landing will remain closed. There's so much more to come, with improvements in the plan to bring community together with a community celebration event planned in the future to farewell the old.

Dating back to the mid-1800s the Pier was an early working jetty; the breakwater was later constructed for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics as a safe harbour for sailing events. You may notice the start tower at the end of the Breakwater is still in use to this day. Today, the new St Kilda Pier is being delivered by JCB, Site Office Landscape Architects and AW Maritime and the Peninsula Recycled Timber company had the incredible opportunity to repurpose timber from the old pier into stunning new bench seating for the redevelopment. That is sustainability and heritage coming together right there, in one of Victoria's most ambitious public projects. The processed timber was repurposed for use in 16 large-scale bench seats as well as signing, thus minimising environmental impact, while enhancing the pier's eco-friendly credentials.

It's wonderful to know and fully appreciate the timber used carries the history of the original pier that blends the new construction with the site's legacy. Let's hope we take care of this legacy so future generations can enjoy it. The gorgeous Kiosk looks like it fits right in with its history, however it may interest you to know that the historic Kiosk aka Parer's Pavilion burnt down on 11 September 2003, and the newly built kiosk was constructed in accordance with the original plans from 1904. The building has been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register since 1984. Behind the Kiosk area where there's a special landing, is home to a colony of Little Penguins - the closest place to view penguins near the CBD. Some of the guidelines enforced include not handling or feeding the penguins; no flash photography or torches shone on the penguins without a red filter over the front; cats and dogs are prohibited; climbing, sitting or accessing the rocks is prohibited; and you need to keep at least 3 metres away from these protected penguins (under the Wildlife Act 1975) moving around the viewing area.

The Pier is a haven for walkers, fishermen, and bike riders taking a break to take in the sunset. Now it welcomes the community flocking to this new leisure spot that's evolving into its full potential for community cohesiveness. You can also take a little walk further down towards the yacht club and enjoy its surrounds (entry for members only), as you perhaps sit along the floating pontoons (as long as you have no vertigo or balance issues) as it gently moves and bounces off the lapping waves of the water. The Pier is definitely worth a visit and worthy as a community leisure centre and playground for all to have fun for free. It's going to get even busier when the ferries start running again.

The following is just my personal view - Though not quite complete, the St Kilda Pier already feels like a success story, much like Fed Square, to which the community flocks. If anything, it could have been even bigger to accommodate more people who are going to be drawn to its idyllic vibe that looms in the atmosphere, in spite of the large numbers of people that were there. I certainly didn't want to leave once I was there, simply enjoying the moment, the water, the joyous vibe of people having fun times, etc. Whoever has the contract for the kiosk/restaurant is going to rake it in for sure, so here's hoping they have affordable takeaway options to suit the community, especially the young school-aged teenagers, and those doing it tough. Bring on the fish and chips, sausage sizzles, and $1 canned drinks. What I'd love to see is an array of entertainment on various nights of the week eg musicians, a bit of theatre, so there's some free entertainment for the community, with those in the Arts, the buskers, given the opportunity to earn a living and hone their passion. A bit of competition is always good and prevents just one eatery from having the monopoly, so a few food trucks would be nice, dotted along the pier.

Having said all of the above, I can see the issues that come with it too. It relies on everyone to do the right thing and not rubbish such a beautiful community spot. There's already graffiti on one of the beautiful repurposed benches. I have nothing against graffiti, but if that ends up happening, at least make it beautiful. Perhaps there can be a local initiative to protect the benches from the weather and from being defaced by having graffiti artists do a professional job. There was a small police jeep patrolling the area - driving through, once. Along with something wonderful being built for the community, comes great responsibility. The area would need to be patrolled to keep the whole community safe. At the moment, everything is at your own risk - including the swimming, with no lifeguards around.

Some of the potential dangers witnessed on the day - there were some under 10s along the less crowded area of the pier, jumping off the pier into the water - albeit near one of the step ladders to climb back up. However there were no adults eg family/friends around them, had they got into trouble. On the other side of the pier where there's a railing, where you're not supposed to jump off, there were two young men lifting a third over the railing so he could jump off into the water. There is a small sign somewhere on the pier that perhaps needs to be repeated and made more visible, about the water being shallow in spots, and where there may be rocks and unexpected submerged objects that could do some serious damage to the spine and head, were you to land on them. There were three jet skis in the water having fun close by, with two teens in the water taunting them, and a huge group of around 30 teens throwing objects at them from the pier, also taunting them and calling them names.

One of the jet skis drove in such a way as to cause a huge wave of water that splashed everyone on top of the pier, including myself as I was walking past at the time, and was soaked. It was a 34-degree day, so I honestly didn't particularly mind but was very aware of the danger had anything got nasty - seeing the crowd mentality before me. Humans being humans, this pier as wonderful as it is on a wonderful day, it probably needs more policing from lifeguards, and discreet security so as not to spoil the vibe, and to keep it safe for everyone, especially the toilet area which is away from public view. It really is a wonderful initiative, and loving the water, I'd go back there time and again, just to sit and bask in the glory of nature and community. Movie nights could also be wonderful, and here's hoping the new pier is used to its full potential as the hotspot, safe haven for the whole community and the sustainable future of the Little Penguin colony.

Images taken Wed 12 Feb 2025 from 4pm onwards.

1st Image - The newly refurbished St Kilda Pier, not quite complete, but totally ready for the community

2nd Image - Once you pass the partition wall you see above, to your right you'll see the city skyline and another set of dock pilings waiting to be unpacked and support a parallel pier perhaps

3rd Image - Timber from the old pier repurposed into beautiful bench seats all along the pier

4th Image - Tiers of decking - a perfect platform for the community to find their spot

5th Image - A closer view with steps so you can climb out of the water back onto the deck. The kiosk/restaurant that was, still closed till end of refurbishing. An ice cream van - the only relief on a hot day.

6th Image - Perfect spot for the whole community, especially those who are not into sand on beaches

7th Image - Looking back towards the beginning of the pier. As you can see, the long view of the previous close-up of the dock pilings on the left of the image. Palais Theatre looms to the right (pale yellow building block), and on the far left, mobile yellow construction equipment continuing their work. The 'floating rope' is a new addition I didn't see the last three times I've been here, and a great idea.

8th Image - A closer look of image 7.

9th Image - An information area where you'll find the history of the pier placed on the walls and a welcome relief from the heat. The ice cream van you saw in Image 5, was parked next to it, as you can see.

10th Image - Walk past the kiosk/restaurant to the back and you'll see more decking with four beautiful large seating areas. There were just three people basking in the quiet, sunbathing, away from the crowd at the front. This back decking and seats is the St Kilda Pier penguin viewing area.

11th Image - Walk back up from the back, cross the kiosk, and head down another ramp towards the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, where you can sit or stand on the floating pontoons you'll feel moving gently beneath your feet.

12th Image - Looking across the boats moored there, the city skyline to your left, and the floating pontoons clearly visible as parts of it jut outwards