Station Pier
Station Pier was opened in 1854 in what was then known as Sandridge. It
was originally known as Railway Pier and the first major railway in
Australia ran from Melbourne to Station Pier. A description of the
conditions prevailing in the early days of the pier and railway line can be
found at our entry on Seven Bridges of Melbourne under
Sandridge Bridge. Much of
Melbourne's early infrastructure was created and operated by private
businesses including the Melbourne-Hobson's Bay Railway line. During the
1950s and 1960s Station Pier was the focal point of the post war migration
to Australia particularly from Italy and Greece. It now has almost one
million passengers per year. It is the terminal for the ferry service to
Tasmania as well as having numbers of visits from cruise ships throughout
summer and autumn. Numbers of navy and visiting research ships also berth at
Station Pier.
Rainbow Warrior II at Station Pier
May 2004
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The Piers Festival
The Piers
Festival is held at Princes Pier, Port Melbourne during Victoria’s Term
1 school holidays.
Piers Festival celebrates and reflects on the collective historical and
contemporary migration stories at its site, Princes Pier, the significant
entry point where almost half of Australia’s post World War II refugees
arrived. The Festival brings to life the pivotal role Princes Pier played
from 1915 to 1969 in Victoria’s growth and as a gateway to the diversity of
cultures that enrich our community. With 12,000 attendees in 2015, Piers
Festival has grown to become an annual fixture in Victoria’s cultural
calendar and a significant occasion to acknowledge and bring to light our
Indigenous and multicultural talent.
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Two large cruise ships at Station Pier
in early 2005
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Proposed cruise ship visits to Station Pier.
You can find a full schedule of cruise ship visits at the
Port of Melbourne Authority.
Please note - schedule may vary and arrival and departure times can
typically vary by an hour in either direction.