The Shorncliffe Pier.
The Shorncliffe Pier (originally called Sandgate Pier) was the end of the road for me with my Sunday stroll along the picturesque Shorncliffe waterfront. It was a pleasant way to end what had been a wonderfully warm, winters day in sunny Queensland, Australia.
This renewed pier was reopened in March, 2016 and it is the largest timber pier in Brisbane measuring 351.5 metres in length. The Shorncliffe Pier is situated near Saint Patricks College and the beautiful Moora Park. The very first Shorncliffe Pier was built in 1879 but in 1882 this pier was deemed inadequate and was replaced between 1883 and 1884. Originally this one measured 260 metres long but was extended by another 91.5 m to accommodate ferries to dock at low tide.
A toll was charged which enabled the ferry service a certain amount of success until 1928 when the last ferry to Brisbane ran from the Shorncliffe jetty. Australians associate the pier with the yearly Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race and many families and yacht enthusiasts visit for the day to watch this popular event. The Pier is a well known nautical landscape with views to the Redcliffe Peninsula the Boondall wetlands and Moreton Bay which includes views to Moreton and Stradbroke islands.
The main features of the Shorncliffe Pier are its concrete and steel substructure and timber joists, decking, handrails and the rotunda at the end of the pier. It also includes a larger hammerhead and lower platform, fish cleaning stations, water fountains, benches and 20 light poles and a flag pole for yacht races.
I've seen many old photos of Shorncliffe which included Queensland's early bathers and life savers and the original bathing sheds used at the time. In the 1950's the first Women Lifesavers Group was formed along with the Sandgate Ladies Life Saving Club. How they managed to stay afloat with their modest woollen bathing suits I don't know but swimming in the area was, and still is, very safe as Moreton and Stradbroke islands provide a lot of protection from strong winds and the surf is not big enough to attract serious surfers. It is a great venue for wind surfers though.
In keeping with the history of the place I decided to use a digital application to re-create the older styled photos (using the first photo above) and I was very pleased with the result after I framed the image. Indulging in a little bit of creativity was the perfect way to conclude my Sublime and Beautiful Sunday.
Source:
I am submitting this post as my entry for My Picture Day hosted by @timsaid. The camera I used for these images is a Panasonic DMC-FZ70
I am entering this post also for the #beautifulsunday challenge, hosted by @ace108 and the #sublimesunday which is hosted by @c0ff33a)
