hornibrook

The Hornibrook Highway, connecting Brisbane and Redcliffe, opened on a blue-skied afternoon on 4 October 1935. “The hour has come!” proclaimed builder-contractor Manuel (M.R.) Hornibrook to a crowd of hundreds, as his bold ambition, years in pursuit, was finally rewarded. Today, a towering Art Deco portal, nestled in the rocky shores of Hays Inlet and Bramble Bay at Brighton on Brisbane’s northern outskirts, stands as a relic of the much-lauded bridge, with the words ‘Hornibrook Highway’ affixed at its center in blackened brass lettering. On the opposite bank at Clontarf, located at the southernmost tip of the Redcliffe peninsula, rests its identical twin. Until the bridge crossing was demolished in 2011, these portals majestically framed what became, on that opening day, the southern hemisphere’s longest viaduct over water, measuring 2.68 kilometers. The man at the center of this story, M.R. Hornibrook (later Sir), was one of the country’s leading building and civil engineering contractors, admired for his inexhaustible drive and exacting work standards. His family-run business, started in 1912, won public works contracts all over Queensland and further afield, inspiring associates to refer jocularly to it as the ‘Hornibrook Empire’. Building bridges sealed Hornibrook’s reputation, with more than 100 completed during his lifetime. Some of the more renowned projects that he and his construction team led include the William Jolly Bridge, Story Bridge (in partnership with Evans Deakin & Co.) and New Victoria Bridge in Brisbane, and the famed sail-like roof of the Sydney Opera House. Constructing a highway in the early 1930s linking Brighton and Redcliffe was Hornibrook’s most ambitious project in his career to date. He first conceived of it years earlier, on moving to neighboring Sandgate for a time. Hornibrook was struck by the isolation of Redcliffe residents who lacked convenient transport into Brisbane and the frustration of Brisbane holidaymakers longing for easier access to the popular seaside resort. The journey entailed a lengthy steamer or road trip, the latter on a circuitous route via Petrie that often flooded in wet weather. Brighton and Sandgate residents traversing the bay relied on local ferry services, such as the ‘Olivine’ and ‘Beryl’ motor launches managed by Humpybong Steamship Company, or a humble rowboat operated by local Redcliffe residents Charles and Martha Cutts. Passengers would signal for the rowboat by flashing a mirror to catch the sun’s reflection or making smoke on the beach. Source: queenslanddecoproject.com/2015/10/04/hornibrook-highway/

Sir Manuel Richard Hornibrook (1893-1970), master builder, industrialist, and company director, was born on 7 August 1893 at Enoggera, Brisbane. In 1914 Hornibrook joined the Queensland Master Builders' Association and was its president in 1922 and 1923; he was president (1926) and a life member (1959) of the Master Builders Federation of Australia; he was also a foundation fellow (1951), councilor and president (1952-56) of the Australian Institute of Builders, and a driving force in the construction of its headquarters at Milson's Point, Sydney. For his contribution to science and the practice of building, he was awarded the A.I.B.'s first medal of merit (1955). President (1953-59) of the Queensland Civil Engineering Contractors' Association, he was an honorary member (1968) of the Australian Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors and an honorary fellow (1969) of the Chartered Institute of Building (Britain)—the first Australian to be so honored. He was appointed O.B.E. in 1957 and knighted in 1960. Known to his associates as 'M.R.', Hornibrook was a big man, not only in physique—he stood 6 ft 2 ins (188 cm) tall and weighed 17 stone (108 kg)—but in personal magnetism, vision and spirit. Courage, ability, and determination carried him to the highest levels in his profession. He dominated his immediate environment, had a cool head in crises, and did not suffer fools gladly. Source: adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hornibrook-sir-manuel-richard-10...