On the 4th of April Cyclone Alby swept down the coast and much of the first 700m of the oldest section aligning with Queen Street was damaged beyond repair. The Skeleton Jetty remained intact, and the government of the day condemned the promenade section of the jetty and removed it.
The tragedy galvanized the local community into a massive clean-up effort. With the intention of rebuilding the damaged section, council trucks, privately owned cranes and hundreds of volunteers worked to move the jetty timbers off the beach. This community effort established the nucleus for a Preservation Society.
