Stronger Than the Storm
Broken by a cyclone. Rebuilt by a town.
When Cyclone Alby broke the Busselton Jetty in 1978, she
wondered if she would ever stand tall again. Her town never doubted it. They
rallied and fundraised, danced and marched, and plank by plank, they rebuilt
her into the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.
Told in gentle, lyrical prose from the Jetty's own point of
view, Stronger Than the Storm is a story about believing in something
before it's whole again, about the connections that hold a community together,
and about becoming stronger with the help of the people who love you.
This children's picture book is written by Busselton author
Dorothy Dowling and illustrated in watercolour by award-winning Australian
illustrator Emma Stuart. True-history back matter and a glossary make it a
lovely fit for classrooms, libraries and curious readers of all ages.
It's for every local who loves her, every visitor who's
walked her, and every reader who's ever needed to hear that broken things can
be made strong again.
Discover the Jetty. Share her story.
Stronger Than the Storm
A beautifully illustrated Australian children’s picture book inspired by the true story of Busselton Jetty — and the Western Australian community that refused to let it disappear.
At the edge of the sea stand four blue huts, bright as the summer sky. Beside them stretches the beloved Busselton Jetty, reaching far into the Indian Ocean.
She is strong. She is proud.
But once, she was almost lost.
When Cyclone Alby struck Western Australia in 1978, wild seas and powerful winds tore through the historic jetty, leaving her badly damaged. Some thought she was simply too broken to save.
The people of Busselton thought otherwise.
Families, fishermen, walkers and children rallied around the jetty they loved. They wrote letters, raised money, held markets and dances, and found extraordinary ways to help her stand again.
Among them was John Bussell, who walked the length of the jetty again and again — approximately 151 times, covering more than 580 kilometres in just 14 days.
Told through the eyes of the Jetty herself, Stronger Than the Storm brings a remarkable piece of Busselton and Western Australian history to life for a new generation.
It is a story of resilience, courage, hope and community — and a reminder that even what seems impossible can be rebuilt when people come together.
Today, Busselton Jetty once again stretches proudly into the Indian Ocean, with its little red train, blue huts, pelicans, dolphins and sea life — welcoming families and visitors from around Australia and the world.
ISBN: 9781922981141
Illustrator : Emma
Recommended age: 5+
Themes: Resilience, community, courage, hope, belonging and rebuilding after hardship.
Audio edition: No
Publication date: 2026
Dorothy Dowling is an Australian children’s author, midwife and nurse from the South West of Western Australia. Her stories began long before her books did. When her son Alex was three, they kept chooks, and Dorothy would invent tales for him out loud: silly ones, told again and again. He was her most exacting critic, and revisions were made on demand. Nearly twenty years on, and three years after Alex’s tragic death at seventeen, she published his favourite, Chookity Chook, to preserve and continue the goodness he gave so freely. Every book since carries his laughter, and every one is read-aloud tested: written to be just as good on the two-hundredth reading as the first. A career midwife who has built early-childhood health services across outback Australia, Dorothy writes for the wonder she has spent her life around. Her stories roam from a mischievous farmyard, the incredible Outback, to the sea garden beneath the famous Busselton Jetty, where Monty the pelican and his quietly hidden friend Gerald await sharp-eyed readers.
Visit Dorothy Dowling Author Page
Emma Stuart is an Australian children's book illustrator with more than 20 years' experience and over 200 titles to her name. Her illustrations have appeared in books published by Hachette, New Frontier, Little Steps, Brolly Books, the Enid Blyton Estate, Book Group and the ABC. She has also illustrated for Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.
Learn More About Emma
Inside the Book
