Watson's Bay pilot station closes

The closing of the pilot station at Watson’s Bay on November 25 represents the end of a chapter in the history of Sydney Ports and the beginning of an exciting new stage in the development of Sydney’s port infrastructure and capabilities.

By the end of the year, more than 80 percent of all shipping movements through Sydney’s ports will be concentrated in Port Botany so it makes sense that we concentrate our pilotage and other operations at this port.
 
Sydney Ports in the process of building a new operations centre at Brotherson Dock at Port Botany which will provide state-of-the art facilities and ensure Sydney Ports has the best facilities, in the right location, to ensure we provide efficient shipping management well into the future.

Earlier this year Sydney Ports opened a 35m Pilot Cutter Jetty at the head of Brotherson Dock, which creates a more modern launch for our pilot vessels.

An era comes to a close

More than 200 years of Australian maritime history came to an end on 25 November 2008 when Sydney Ports closed the Watsons Bay Pilot Station. The station, built over Gibson Beach at Watsons Bay, conducted continuous service of marine pilotage since 1792.

With the transfer of the motor vehicle trade to Port Kembla, more than 80% of shipping movements in Sydney’s ports will occur at Port Botany. To cater for this change in vessel movements, Sydney Ports is building a jetty at Brotherson Dock, Port Botany. In a related efficiency move, the Watsons Bay Pilot Station will close and its crew relocated to Sydney Ports’ Moores Wharf facility at Millers Point.

Since Watsons Bay Pilot Station is no longer required to conduct a port safety function it reverts to the ownership of NSW Maritime to determine its future.

In its early days the site was an outpost of the colonial village. It is across this beach that the present Pilot Station and its accompanying jetty was built in 1959 on the site of the original lifeboat shed and launching bay.

Watsons Bay Pilot Station housed the Pilots and crew who previously lived aboard the Captain Cook for their rostered duty. The Pilots would come and go regularly, joining the Captain Cook for station periods from ashore. 

When a ship approached Sydney, the South Head Signal Station would signal the Captain Cook to meet the incoming vessel or to take the Pilot off the outgoing vessel. There were three Sydney Pilot Steamers that held the name Captain Cook. The first came on station in February 1877 and from then until the opening of the Pilot Station on 25 May 1959 they gave continuous service.

Watsons Bay was named after John Watson, who was probably the first officially appointed Pilot of Port Jackson, while Gibson Beach was named after another of the original Pilots in the infancy of our colony.

Source of historical information: Rowan Brownette