A New Railway Pier – Princes Pier In 1884 Sandridge changed its name to Port Melbourne to establish itself as the gateway to Melbourne. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Victorian Railways began to push for a new railway pier to be built at Port Melbourne. The existing Railway Pier was inadequate to berth the massive new mail ships and steamers. At high water, the deck of the SS Medic was nineteen feet above the floor of the pier. Even larger were the White Star ships which were unable to berth at Railway Pier due to their size. Opened in 1915, New Railway Pier (Princes Pier) was three times the width of Railway Pier and was able to accommodate the largest of steamers and mail ships. New Railway Pier was renamed Princes Pier in 1921 following the arrival in 1920 of the HMS Renown carrying Edward VIII, Prince of Wales.
White Star liner Ceramic at New Pier, Port Melbourne, 1921. The Ceramic is on the left and the vessel on the right is either the Nestor or the Ulysses of the Blue Funnel Line | pm1433 View of Princes Pier from breakwater Port Melbourne | pm1411 SS Medic leaving Railway Pier, Port Melbourne with the Victorian Contingent bound for the Boer War in South Africa. 1899 - 1902 | pm1124.1-2pm1124.1-2