Be Bushfire Smart

• Visit the popular Esplanade Art and Craft market on Sundays.
• Take a scenic stroll along the pier.
• Try fishing off the pier or join a fishing charter.
• Cycle, in-line skate, walk or jog along the foreshore.

• Barbecue, picnic and toilet facilities are located in the vicinity of the Pier.

St Kilda Pier has been the centre of recreational activity in St Kilda since the 1850s. Both the old shed at the pier entrance and the pavilion at the end are part of Victoria's heritage.

St Kilda Pier's History dates back to 1853 when the St Kilda Pier and Jetty Company constructed a wooden jetty to assist the early settlers in unloading timber, building materials and firewood to St Kilda. Not long after its construction the small jetty fell victim to a stormy Port Phillip Bay and was washed away. Various forms of piers were constructed at St Kilda in the 1800s as the demand for a larger pier grew with the ever increasing trade to and from the area. Since then the St Kilda Pier has grown to its present size, with the most recent concrete section constructed in the 1970s.

The historic St Kilda Pier Kiosk was built in 1904 and has undergone several renovations in its time. Tragically, the Kiosk was devastated by fire on September 11, 2003. Original drawings from 1904 were used as the basis for the kiosk’s reconstruction in 2005 and now a new era has begun for the kiosk. The St Kilda Kiosk has become a symbol of St Kilda, a place of seaside fun, relaxation and romance. In many ways it offers the same simple pleasures. So take your time to look around and reflect.

Aboriginal Traditional Owners

Parks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, Aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters.
Further information is available from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria AAV and Native Title Services Victoria

Up to one hundred little penguins make the St Kilda Breakwater their home, remarkable given their proximity to the urban centre of Melbourne. The St Kilda Breakwater was constructed for the 1956 Olympic Games to provide a safe harbour for yachts and provides a rocky and isolated location for the little penguins to live.

The first breeding record of a pair was recorded in 1974, making the St Kilda Breakwater the only confirmed breeding site for the penguin that is directly attached to the mainland.

Little penguins spend most of their time in the waters of the bay feeding on pilchards, anchovies and other small fish. At night they return quickly to the safety and protection of their burrows within the breakwater.

Penguins are not the only animals to have colonised the breakwater. Native water rats (rakali) can sometimes be seen among the rocks or swimming in the shallows. The breakwater is also an important roosting platform for many other sea-bird, including cormorants and gulls, that feed in the surrounding waters.

Vegetation on the breakwater has resulted either from natural recolonisation or has been planted by local community groups.

Many plants, including coast saltbush, rounded noonflower, Austral seablight, bower spinach and beaded glasswort, are established on the breakwater and are adapted to the harsh salty and exposed environment.

Extensive seagrass beds surround the structure and provide a nursery area for many types of marine fauna, including the little penguins and the rakali.

Only 5 km from Melbourne, St Kilda is well serviced by public transport. Take the tram (No. 96) or light rail right from the heart of the city. Alternatively, car parking is available in the vicinity of the foreshore (Melway ref: 57 J10).

• Albert Park
• Herring Island
• Port Phillip Bay
• Westgate Park