In 1973 Jersey embarked on the first major land reclamation scheme since the coastline of St Helier was extended to encompass the area now known as the Weighbridge some two centuries earlier. The La Collete land reclamation scheme, as it was known, would provide a modern berth for tankers bringing petroleum and other liquid fuels to the island, the first of what would become a succession of yacht marinas to cope with the growing demand for moorings for visiting leisure craft, and a large land area for liquid and gas fuel tanks, as well as miscellaneous commercial activities.
The picture gallery below shows how this reclamation scheme progressed month by month, and succeeded where a somewhat similar scheme to provide St Helier with a deep-water harbour had failed in the 1870s.
June 1973 - the remains of the failed 1870s pier
June 1973 - a view of the La Collette area before work started
July 1973 - the start of the toe wall which will support the 'cobs', hollow concrete cubes which will form the outer face of the new sea wall and absorb wave energy
July 1973 - The toe wall joins the stub of the 1870s pier
July 1973 - Increasing activity on the La Collette shore
July 1973 - A crane is erected to manoeuvre the cobs into place
July 1973 - A rubble wall is created ready to take the first rows of cobs
October 1973 - The first cobs are in place as winter approaches
November 1973 - The new sea wall stretches out beyond where the 1870s project failed
January 1974 - winter storms batter the new construction
January 1974 - work continues on building the wall of cobs
March 1974 - eight months into the project and the wall turns the corner
Another view from the same Jersey Evening Post set in March 1974
July 1974 - a year has passed and the wall is extending rapidly
September 1974 - autumn gales damage the wall and cause delays
September 1974 - unsecured cobs are moved by the power of the sea
October 1974 - but this is only a temporary setback and the wall grows
October 1974 - Work continues as the autumn storms abate
December 1974 - 17 months into the project and contrast this view with earlier pictures from the same position
March 1975 - a tall wall is needed with Jersey's 40-foot tidal range
May 1975
May 1975
May 1975 - Continuing the toe wall
May 1975 - the cobs sit on the toe wall and are held in place by their weight. The honeycomb network dissipates the force of waves
September 1975
January 1976
February 1976
May 1976
May 1976 - Dredging barges
July 1976
July 1976
September 1976
October 1976 - Gale force 9
October 1976 - Storm force 12
December 1976
February 1977 and sand is pumped into the site
March 1977
April 1977
July 1977
August 1977
August 1977
August 1977
February 1978
April 1978
April 1978
August 1978
August 1978
August 1978
The marina pontoons
The retaining walls completed and marina pontoons installed
- See A collection of aerial photographs of Jersey from 1945 to 1979 and A collection of aerial photographs of Jersey from the 1980s and 1990s for more aerial photographs of the land reclamation area
