Shipping arrivals in the 12 months to June 1907 included one steamship of 246 tons and six sailing ships aggregating 1000 tons from interstate ports and 56 steamships aggregating 11,790 tons and nine sailing ships aggregating 738 tons from Western Australian ports.

The Municipality ceased to exist on 30 October 1908, although the Roads Board remained. Population numbers dropped from 914 in the 1897 census to less than 200 hundred by 1908.

On 6th July the 62 ton, 29m Australian screw steamer ‘Dunster Castle’ was heading for Albany after discharging railway material for the Esperance-Salmon Gums railway. During a gale and with other engine problems, Captain Frederick Schroder decided to head back to Esperance, decided to seek shelter in Fanny Cove. At 7.15 a.m. on 7 July the cables parted and he deliberately ran it onto the beach about six miles west of Shoal Cape. The following night rockets were fired to attract the attention of the State Steamship Service vessel Eucla, which took the crew back to Esperance.

William Douglas’ tug Dunskey and the steamer ‘Silver Star’ later re-floated the ship but the wind drove the ship back onto the beach. Unsuccessful attempts were again made in 1918 and 1919 and she lies 90m off the beach in Stoke Inlet, west of Shoal Cape.

Captain Fred Douglas of Esperance purchased a 44 foot, 14 ton cutter ‘Laura’ (registered at Fremantle (No. 3/1869) which had service at Swan River and Vasse (WA Timber Co.), its registration was cancelled in 1908. In 1916 the ‘Laura’ was being used by Jim Douglas to take sheep to Figure of Eight Island off Esperance. A storm blew up and the ‘Laura’ went ashore on the rocks and was wrecked.

The SS Penguin was built in 1897 by Palmers Co. Ltd. In Newcastle, England of 208 tons gross, length 120 feet (37m), beam of 24 ‘ 1” (7m).

Purchased by the WA Harbour and Light Department and used for survey work, rescue and salvage operations. Sent to survey the Esperance archipelago and Bight, she was wrecked off Middle Island 27th June while trying to shelter from a gale.

The wreck is fast deteriorating. Location: GPS position 34° 05.463 S 123° 12.436 E (WGS 84)

On 3rd March 1925 when the railway link from Esperance to Salmon Gums was completed and handed over from the Public Works Department to the Western Australian Government Railways, Tramways & Electricity Supply, Esperance Port trade began to improve. The railway connected Esperance with Norseman, Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, and wheat exports in the following years were good

[Albany Advertiser] ‘Mr. H. C. Sims, secretary of the Esperance Roads Board, writes under date March 7...the export of wheat to date has been as follows:-1925-6, 15,000 bags; 1926-7, 50,000 bags; 1927-8, 80,000 bags.”

Wheat exports were 6803 tons in 1928, 4376 tons in 1929, 6460 tons in 1930 and 15,344 tons in 1931.

The Esperance deep water wharf/jetty started at Hartnett's Point, with the first pile driven on 29th January. When construction work is finished the jetty will be handed over to the care and control of the Western Australian Government Railways, Tramways, Ferries & Electricity Supply.

The new jetty was completed at a cost of £70,000 and was opened on 13th April at 2.30pm by The Minister for Works, Selby Munsie, MLA. The visitors arrived by a special train, the engine decorated with bunting.

The structure had a total length of 2867ft. (874m) The head length was 557ft. (170m), with a width of 48ft .(14.6m). In shore the depth of water at the head was 26ft. (8m), and at the outer end, over a length of 557ft. (170m), there was a 36ft. (11m) depth.

The water supply consisted of a three-inch (76mm) main. The gas accumulator red flash light had a visibility of three miles (4.8km). A single railway line ran from the shore end with three lines on the head.

The State Shipping Service coaster SS ‘Kybra’ was the first vessel to use the new jetty, arriving 17th March, departing 18th March.

It was known as the 'New Jetty' or Deepwater Jetty until the 1970s and the Tanker Jetty thereafter.

"Notice to Mariners" in the "Gazette" of February 22, stated that the red light hitherto shown at the head of the old jetty - will be discontinued as from March 31. It marks the early completion of Esperance's new jetty,

On 3rd October, the 7,519 ton British motor tanker ‘Bulysses’, from Balik Papan, berthed at 10 a.m., to discharge 6,000 tons of fuel oil. A flexible pipe connected the ship's tank to the feed pipe of the shore tank, and then valves were opened. This is the first bulk fuel consignment to be delivered at the port. (Deepwater Jetty)

On 21st November in gale force winds, the screw steamer SS ‘Lowana’ (built Glasgow 1924, 3021grt, 334ft [102m]) hit the jetty 18ft (5.5m)t from the end, snapping 60 feet (18m) of pylons and moved the jetty head 8ft (about 2.4m) out of position. Timbers were split and railway lines bent.