Australia: Cyclone Seroja wrecks historic One Mile Jetty

The long-lived pier in the city of Carnavon, in Western Australia, was one of the first victims of the category 3 cyclone Seroja. This pier was the first in the world to carry cattle and even used to be a sheep race track.

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The pier was known for its animal races, where competitors ran sheep the entire length of the pier.

Destructive Cyclone Seroja made landfall on Sunday in western Australia, with winds exceeding 170 km/h and high waves that were enough to destroy the old structure of the One Mile jetty, in the city of Carnarvon. Around noon, residents took to social media to share their distress over the loss of it.

The jetty was 3 km from the city centre and was built in 1897, mainly for the export of wool and cattle. In 1904, the head of the jetty was added and in 1912 it was expanded to adapt to the increase in traffic in the area, also including passenger transport.

One Mile was the first pier in the world used to load cattle on board ships for transport to markets, and it holds the record for the longest pier in northern Australia, hence its name. A curious fact about this pier is that One Mile Jetty was also known for its animal races, where participants raced sheep along the entire pier.

As rail and road transportation expanded, the over 120-year-old dock began to fall into disrepair, until in 1998 the Carnarvon community came together to save it. Shortly after, the One Mile was added to the Historic Heritage List and has been under repair ever since.

Maximum alert

Seroja made landfall in western Australia on Sunday between Kalbarri and Gregory. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Kalbarri recorded a 170 km/hr wind gust at 7:03 pm WST and rainfall in that location reached 111mm since 9am. Tens of thousands of Australians have been trapped in the red zone of danger and the authorities warned that “their lives and homes are at risk”, at the same time that they had been recommended to move to the nearest evacuation centers.

A red alert is the highest alert level and directs residents to find the strongest and safest part of their homes and stay there until authorities change the warning to "all clear." Residents of some coastal cities have been ordered to evacuate, as the storm is expected to trigger a storm surge, which is a high tide that will potentially flood homes in the city.

"Seroja's unusual track so far south of the west coast poses a greater risk than usual because communities are unfamiliar with the destructive force of a tropical cyclone," said meteorologist Jackson Browne. Unlike in the north west of the state, buildings in the mid-west are not built for cyclones, including structures in Geraldton that have not experienced cyclonic conditions for decades, he said.