Queenscliff’s first pier, then known as the Fishermen’s Pier, was completed in 1857. It was not until some thirty years later that the second Steamer Pier was constructed adjacent to the former and periodically extended from the mid to late 1880s to cope with the demand in pleasure bay steamer services. The last of these extensions was to provide a dog-leg construction and the extant shelter shed. 1960 witnessed the demolition of the original Fishermen’s Pier - by this time having been extended in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to the equivalent length of the Steamer Pier - and saw the relocation of its 1926-29 lifeboat house to the Steamer Pier, now Queenscliff Pier. The mid to late 2000s saw Queenscliff Harbour undergo large-scale redevelopment in order to deepen its waters for pleasure craft and increase its berths to over 300. This was met with strong community opposition, largely with concerns for neighbourhood character and perceived cause for gentrification its stakeholders would impart. With early construction estimates of $20 million dollars, this figure had almost doubled upon realisation. (Lovell Chen Architects. ‘Individual Property Citation’, Queenscliffe Heritage Study, 2009.) (Freya Mitchell, ‘Queenscliff residents fight a tide of development sweeping the historic town’ ABC radio, 15 April 2005).Fishermen's Pier Watercolour painting of Fishermen's Pier in Queenscliffwatercolour, fishermen's pier, queenscliff

Queenscliffe pier, fishermen's catchDisplay of fishermen's catch on Queenscliffe pier, 1908Black & white 1908 photograph of Queenscliffe fishermen's catch on the pierReverse - " nil "historical references

The winch was relocated to the Queenscliff Maritime Museum when the shed was moved from Fishermen's Pier [when demolished] and relocated to its present location at the end of the Queenscliff Pier. The Lifeboat shed is an iconic building for the township of Queenscliff. It once was located on the now demolished Fishermen's Pier and relocated to the current Queenscliff Pier. However, the motor winch that used to be housed there is now in pride of place adjacent to the Queenscliffe lifeboat which it served for many years. Photograph of a motor winch from the 'Queenscliffe' Lifeboat Shed.queenscliffe lifeboat service, lifeboat shed, fishermen's pier, queenscliff pier

Cray fisherman's cray crate at dock.Cray catch & production method.Black & white photograph of Queenscliffe cray fishermen unloading cray crate at Fishermen's Pier.Reverse - " NIL ".historical references

Hand drawn pen and ink sketches of fishermen fishing off Queenscliff pierRon Tandberg, Queenscliff resident artist and long time cartoonist for The Age newspaper presented these framed sketches as a gift to the QMM. Three framed sketches of fishermen fishing off a pier in QueenscliffTandberg, Queenscliff pier, 30/11/1995fishermen, queensclff, queenscliff pier, tandberg, sketch

This drum winch was used by the Pilot Service to haul dinghies into the work shed in Tobin Drive Queenscliff. It was situated on the slip way on the fishermen's pier.This drum winch was used by the Pilot Service when it was situated on the slip way on the fishermen's pier in Queenscliff.Drum winch used by the Port Phillip Pilotswinch, port phillip sea pilots

Queenscliffe fishermen, cray c1925c1925 Queenscliffe cray fishermen & boysB & W photo c1925 of Cray fishermen at Queenscliffe pierReverse " Jock Muir, Keith Shapter, Phil Shapter, Norman Zanoni ".historical references

Disappearing gun relocated to Queenscliffe Fort from South Channel Fort 1980Disappearing gun barrel being transported.Black & white 1908 photograph of Queenscliffe fishermen's catch on the pierReverse - " nil "historical references