victoriabridge

The Fascinating Story of the First Victoria Bridge NOVEMBER 1, 2020 / PAUL'S BLOGS When the Victoria Bridge opened in 1874, 10 years had passed since the foundation stone had been laid and the cost had almost tripled. The story of Brisbane’s first river bridge is laced with political intrigue, management incompetence, financial crisis, and the destructive forces of nature. At the time of the arrival of Europeans in Brisbane, there was an ancient and highly effective means of crossing the Brisbane River in operation. A number of communal canoes could always be found on either side of the river at Kurilpa Point. Anyone wishing to cross used an available canoe, which was then available to someone else for a return crossing. From its inauguration in 1859, the Corporation of Brisbane pushed the need for a bridge, however, it faced a hostile Queensland Government. With only 5 of the 26 members in the Legislative Assembly representing Brisbane, the parliamentary majority wanted funds available spent predominantly in country areas. The expected cost of the bridge was £15,000. The so-called “Ipswich Bunch” of parliamentarians, in particular, saw the bridge as a threat to navigation up the river and blocked its construction by the Colonial Government. Eventually, the Brisbane Bridge Act was passed in August of 1861. It gave the Corporation of Brisbane the legal ability to borrow the amount required to build the bridge. Two important clauses provided comfort to country members. The design of the bridge was to be approved by the Government, and the bridge was not to “obstruct the navigation of the river Brisbane by sea-going vessels”. Even with these safeguards, all six members representing Ipswich and the surrounding West Moreton electorate voted against the bill. The Council ran a competition, and in August of 1862 selected a design called “Per Adua” . All 43 submissions were on public display, creating much interest. The winning design was duly presented to the Government for approval. The reply was highly controversial. By this time, Arthur Macallister, one of the “Ipswich Bunch”, was Minister for Lands and Works. He was responsible for selecting and transferring the deeds for the Bridge Lands to the Council, but he had failed to do so. “Slippery Mac”, as he was disrespectfully known, neither approved nor rejected the bridge design, but instead opined that managing the construction of such a bridge would probably be beyond the capabilities of the Council. He suggested a pontoon bridge or steam ferry as an alternative. Towards the end of 1863, Government approval was finally received and the Council called for tenders for the 3 most favored designs in December. The bridge of the Engineering company Robson and L’Anson dubbed “Delta” was selected in early 1864, although heavily modified by the Council’s engineer. Governor George Bowen laid the foundation stone on the 22nd of August, 1864. The day was declared a public holiday and South Brisbane was illuminated. The description of the event described a viewer's platform. “On it were seated a large number of spectators, chiefly ladies, many of the sterner sex gallantly preferring to stand in the area at its foot, to incommoding the ladies who, in these days of ample skirts, took up more than their fair share of room.” The first shipment of iron arrived in Brisbane in June of 1865. To assist in the construction, ironbark wooden scaffolding was constructed across the river. A lift mechanism was included to allow the passage of ships. The contractor John Bourne suggested that the scaffolding, with some modification, could also serve as a temporary bridge. He offered to do this work and also pay the Council £1,500 a year, in return for the right to charge tolls on the temporary bridge. To the dismay of ferry operators, the Council agreed and the temporary bridge opened in June of 1865. Its lifetime was expected to be only a few years of construction. In July of 1865, representatives from a boisterous public meeting that had been held in Ipswich met with the Colonial Secretary to complain about the bridge design and the “temporary bridge nuisance”. The Treasurer at the time was Joshua Bell. Bell, highly sympathetic to the Ipswich position, took up the issue and “suggested” that the Council change the design by increasing the swing portion of the bridge, which allowed the passage of large ships, When there was no immediate reply, a week later Bell threatened to have the temporary bridge removed and work on the permanent bridge abandoned! These events also triggered a spat between the Brisbane-based ‘Courier’ that had complained about Ipswich’s interference in “a useful undertaking” and the ‘Queensland Times of Ipswich. A remarkable editorial in the latter lambasted the Courier’s complaint. By this time, the Bank of Queensland had lent the Corporation of Brisbane a total of £47,411. On the 24th of July, the bank suspended payments. In the wake of the “Panic of 1866” and what were seen as bad loans made locally, the bank’s London-based shareholders decided to cease trading. As the months rolled by, what was hoped to be a temporary suspension proved to be permanent and the Bank’s liquidators sought repayment of the loan, with the interest payable steadily mounting. Work proceeded slowly with the Government advancing endowment payments. In April of 1867, Brisbane experienced one of its regular floods. There was a large accumulation of debris against the temporary bridge, and as a result, part of it collapsed. Brisbane was by now accustomed to having a bridge, and cross-river traffic had greatly increased. Long delays were experienced by horse-drawn vehicles waiting for a punt to cross the river. Repairs were made in June, but the structure was not deemed strong enough for heavy loads such as herds of cattle. In November, a further section collapsed. The wood was being eaten by the Cobra worm, further weakening the structure. Before work could recommence, the financial mess which had enveloped the bridge by the end of 1867 had to be resolved. The sum claimed by the bank liquidators and the contractor amounted to over £120,000. The still hostile Government would not take over management of the bridge. All was finally resolved by December of 1870 through arbitration, court action, and negotiation. The new contractor, Thomas Brassey, agreed to complete the bridge for £46,250. The ensuing contract was not signed until well into 1871, delaying the start of construction until July of that year. A significant problem was clearing the river bed of the debris from the collapsed wooden scaffolding and flooding. Divers retrieved stonework and the iron cylinder that had sunk into the mud of the riverbed. The work was finally completed in June of 1874, 10 years after the foundation stone was laid. The Council had suggested to the Governor, George Phipps Marquis of Normanby, that he name the bridge either “Brisbane”, “Normanby” or “Victoria” On opening the bridge, he announced that it would be known as “The Victoria Bridge”. In order to pay the interest payments on the issued debentures, the Council levied tolls. These were widely criticized, especially as a toll was payable not only for a vehicle but also individually on each passenger and animal. Under mounting community pressure, in 1876 the Government took over ownership of the bridge and responsibility for the debentures, following difficult negotiations with the bank liquidators who held the mortgages to the Bridge Lands. The land titles were transferred back to the Crown and the tolls were removed. Ironically, development in South Brisbane, which was to have been stimulated by the bridge, was held back by the Bridge Lands not being able to be subdivided and sold. They had been mortgaged as security for debenture holders. There were large tracts of unsightly undeveloped blocks across South Brisbane. Following the return of the land, the Government commenced subdividing and selling it in 1880. Based on the upset price, the value of the South Brisbane Bridge land in 1880 was about £30,000. Much of the southern “suburban” Bridge Land was used for Government purposes, including the Woolloongabba (now Dutton Park) State School, Boggo Road Prison, and a reserve for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind (now part of the Princess Alexandra Hospital). A water pipe was laid across the bridge in 1877 with an ingenious hydraulic mechanism to seal it whilst the swing was in operation. Over the years, the passage of ships dwindled and then stopped altogether. Additional water pipes, as well as a gas pipe, were laid without a disconnection method. Electric telegraph wires were strung across the bridge at a height that would interfere with high masts. In 1885, the council refused to operate the swing for a ship owner who wished to pass. It’s doubtful whether the mechanism still worked, as the bridge had settled further into the river. The ship owner took the issue to the Supreme Court and won his case. As a result, the Government swiftly passed a law removing the need to open the bridge. The following year, tracks were laid across the bridge for the new horse-drawn trams. Despite concerns about the wear and tear on the bridge as well as accidents due to crowding, a second track was laid. Maintenance costs were rising. By 1884, the floor was in a dangerous state, having been attacked by white ants. One correspondent to the Brisbane Telegraph dubbed it the “bridge of sighs“. The Council tried hard and unsuccessfully to avoid taking back ownership of the bridge, which was by then standard procedure. In 1886, the Government lent the Council £4,250, and a similar amount was paid by the Tramway Company, to resurface the bridge. By 1893, it was once again in need of repair. In 1893, Brisbane experienced a major flood. Around 4 am on the 6th of February, with a crowd watching, one supporting cylinder gave away and half the bridge collapsed in a domino effect. A temporary wooden bridge was constructed by September, and plans were made for a new bridge. Once again, unpopular tolls were introduced. The new bridge would be built in two parts, with the first to the side of the existing bridge. Construction of the first half of the new bridge commenced in 1894. Nature hadn’t finished with the old bridge, and it was damaged in another flood in 1896. Huge amounts of debris piled up against the temporary structure and despite the efforts of up to 100 workmen and the use of dynamite, a number of piles collapsed. The bridge sagged over a meter, requiring repair. With the completion of the first stage of the new bridge later in 1896, the old bridge was demolished and the second stage was built in its place. The story of the old bridge had one more chapter in 1901 when sunken girders from 1893 were deemed to be a hazard to navigation. It was a difficult job using divers to raise them from below up to 4 meters of mud and gravel. Due to Government interference, financial crisis, and poor contracting, the first Victoria bridge took 10 years to build at enormous cost. Nevertheless, it transformed the southside of Brisbane in its 20 years of operation. Source: highgatehill-historical-vignettes.com/2020/11/01/the-fasc...

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/51979177@N02] Thank you for your research efforts quaymody. Our records have been updated with the correct details. This link also seems to confirm that this picture depicts the clean up after the 1896 flood (bit.ly/NWZRUd)

Hector Vasyli Memorial “There is a memorial arch here that commemorates a young boy [Hector Vasyli] killed while welcoming returning soldiers from World War I on the 9th of June 1918, age 11 years. The newspaper seller was welcoming troops home when he was struck by a truck carrying World War I soldiers. This memorial was erect[ed] by the Returned Sailors & Soldiers Imperial League [RSL], Hellenic (Greek) Association and the Citizens of Brisbane.” — cosmotourist “A podium and steps were built around the arch [in 1970] and the Greek community holds an Anzac ceremony there each year.” [1]

Thanks for finding the above information. We will add it to our records.