This log is taken from one of the Jetty pylons.

The Roman numerals refer to the measurements of the pylons and spaces.

LXXIII (73) - This indicated the pylon was put in place in 1973.

XXXV (35) - This indicated the length of the log to the base - 35 feet.

Tree blaze, part of a pylon from the Coffs Harbour Jetty. It is engraved with the roman numerals: 'LXXIII' and 'XXXV'. The first number indicates the year (1973) and the bottom indicates the length of the pile in feet (35 feet), taken from the top of the notch.

Jeff Clancy donated the pylon as a souvenir of the Jetty depicting the original blaze markings. The new pylon replacements do not have blaze marks as it would cost too much and there was not enough money in the conservation budget during the renovation from February 1996 to October 1997. Clancy took two pieces removed from the Jetty, one he donated to the Museum and the other he used as an address marker for his home.
The Roman numerals explain the year the pile was placed and the depth of the pile from the blaze to the bottom of the pile. Our pylon piece was inserted in 1973 and was 35 feet in depth.

It is made from turpentine wood, an ideal hardwood due to the natural oils in the wood, known to prevent marine life from attaching right away to the pile. The bark of the tree was left on as it provided an additional 5-6 years to the already 20-30 year life span the wood has in the ocean. Today, other hardwoods are used, such as iron bark. It is treated with a chemical substance which impregnates the wood, increasing its life span to 20-30 years.