Still going strong

Some other timber bridges around the region that, while disused are still standing.
Jeparit Bridge
A by-passed timber road bridge over the Wimmera River on the outskirts of Jeparit. Built in 1892 of hewn timber corbels supported by big timber struts, it has 7 main trestle and girder spans using an uncommon strut & crown girder construction.

Fulham Bridge


The timber trestle rail bridge on the disused Hamilton to Natimuk East line, over the Glenelg River near Kanagulk. The bridge was built in 1917, is 189m long and has 31 spans. It is next to the homestead of the historic Fulham pastoral station owned by colonial squatters the Armytage family.

Antwerp Bridge
A by-passed timber road bridge over the Wimmera River, west of the Antwerp township on the Antwerp-Woorak Road.
Quantong Bridge

A rail bridge over the Wimmera River at Quantong, on the closed Carpolac rail-line. Built in 1887 the main bridge is 133m long, and the approach bridge in 55m long (the beams of the approach bridge were removed and re-used on the refurbished Winters Flat Bridge on the Maldon tourist rail-line).

Tarranyurk Bridge
A by-passed timber road bridge over the Wimmera River west of Tarranyurk on the road to Tullyvea. According to the Parish Map, the bridge was erected about 1905.

Technical information from "Wooden wonders"

HuMoD

Humidity, Mould & Damp

These are the concerns around the region at present. With the widespread floods and inundation of private homes and collecting agencies, thoughts turn to the protection, safeguarding and conservation of paper property, family records and historic archives.

Here are some useful links -

National Archives Of Australia – Flood & fire damage

State library of Victoria – Conservation advice

For collecting agencies:

Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material - Disaster planning

State Library of Queensland -
Salvaging water damaged collections

When records have become wet they are extremely vulnerable to damage. This danger increases as time passes, so urgent action is required.

Going, going, gone

During this flood time, property is under threat, and one type of property is bridges. Here a few local bridges no longer there.

Natimuk Rail Bridge


The timber rail bridge over the Natimuk Creek on the western outskirts of Natimuk was built in 1894 to serve the grain producers to the west - Arapiles, Mitre, Duffholme, Gymbowen, Goroke, Mortat and Carpolac sidings (photos of the sidings are at Victorian Railway Stations). With the closure of the 'Carpolac rail-line' in 1986, the bridge's days were numbered. The Public Transport Corporation tendered for its removal in 1987, however parts of it were dismantled and stolen before the work could be completed. Horsham Rural City Council are now working with Bicycle Victoria to develop a Rail Trail to Mt Arapiles passing the site.

Glenorchy Bridge


This disused road bridge (one of many surrounding Glenorchy) over the Wimmera River, was closed at the beginning of 2008, and dismantled in 2009.
The Northern Grampians Shire Council saved some of the timbers to construct a picnic table & seats at the site.

Dairy Creek Bridge


The buttress remains of the road bridge over the Dairy Creek, now the lake-bed of the Lake Bellfield water storage, in the Grampians. The Dairy Creek settlement was abandoned and flooded when Lake Bellfield was created in 1969. The bridge and building foundations are only visible during low water, drought conditions.

Kanagulk Bridge


The partly demolished timber rail bridge over the Kanagulk flood-plain (Glenelg River) on the southern approach to the Fulham Bridge, on the Noradjuha to Balmoral line.

Bourke's Bridge


A colonial all timber bridge named after Mrs Margaret Bourke. It was built in 1889 and later largely destroyed by fire. Rather than rebuild it, it was bypassed by a new concrete road bridge just upstream. The bridges are on the Glenelg River near Chetwynd on the Edenhope-Casterton Road.

The Great Ocean Road

News reports on the heavy rainfall causing landslips and road closures on the Great Ocean Road, brings up some of the history of this structure.

In 1916 the Country Roads Board proposed that State War Council funds be offered for road construction to employ returned soldiers from World War One, for a tourist road from Barwon Heads to Warrnambool 'of world repute'.

Work on the Great Ocean Road began in 1918, over 3,000 ex-servicemen were employed with picks, shovels & crow-bars, and were later joined by the jobless of the Great Depression.

The returned Diggers named vantage points and various landforms as reminders of World War One (Artillery Rocks, Mt Defiance, Shrapnell Gully & Cinema Point).

At first it was just a track cut into the sides of hills and cliffs with steep gradients, narrow roadways, hairpin bends and treacherous corners to be negotiated.

The Great Ocean Road was officially opened by the Governor Sir William Irvine on 26th November 1932. Between 1932 and 1936 it was a toll road, as in this photo of the first gate at the eastern end.

The final official act of the Great Ocean Trust in 1939, was the unveiling of plaques on the Memorial Archway at Ocean View. The Arch was burnt down in the Ash Wednesday bushfire in 1983, with only the stone supports surviving, the arch was rebuilt in 1991.

Massive engineering difficulties had to be overcome, as for the most part the route is sandstones with interbedded mudstone, which have brought about landslides which have plagued the Great Ocean Road for decades. Unstable rock extends above the road and led to closures for 6 months in 1971 isolating several towns and settlements.

To stablise the slides the rock faces were to be tied back with cable anchors. Drilling rigs were suspended over the steep rock faces and holes drilled into the stable rock below. Thick metal cables were threaded into the bore holes, anchored and capped on the surface, exerting a force of 7,700 tonnes and locking the entire rock slide.

Information & photos from "Explore the Great Ocean Road".

Material dreams

"The Fabric of a dream : the Fletcher Jones story" is the story of how a shellshocked WWI veteran who’d left school at 12 years with a stuttering speech impediment, took to the road as a hawker and ended up creating a national icon – JF's.
Through determination, belief and hard work, the clothing design, retail and manufacturing business that Fletcher Jones established in Warrnambool would survive the 1920s Depression and WWII.
At it’s peak, Fletcher Jones & Staff encompassed 55 stores around Australia and employed over 2,750 people. Warrnambool townspeople tell of having to finish their business and be back home before the Fletcher Jones staff finished for the day and clogged the streets.
It was named Fletcher Jones & Staff as the employees actually owned the company. Fletcher Jones set up the business as a workers’ co-operative, based on the principles of fairness, decency and integrity. His emphasis on value, quality, service and scientific innovation. In fact his clothes wore so well, he was doing himself out of repeat business. But his primary concern was for people – both his customers and his workers – and they, in turn, were intensely loyal.
It also looks at those who helped him achieve his dream, exploring his relationship with Japanese reformer Toyohiko Kagawa – a social activist – and highlighting the vital contribution of migrant workers to the ragtrade (F.J.s had a bus to take migrants straight from Station Pier to Warrnambool).

There are a number of historic shots of the landmark Warrnambool factory and its iconic gardens (the black & white photo above was taken from in the FJ Clearance Centre).

This documentary celebrates the life of a man who inspired many with his bold and imaginative ideas, whose entrepreneurial skills and marketing acumen became legendary.
The story weaves through 20th century Australian history, the aftermath of the war, the challenges of global competition, the impact of immigration and the rise and fall of modern industry.
A DVD from Film Australia & SBS, filmed in black & white and colour, published in 2006 , and running for 52 minutes.

Water, water, everywhere

Our region is in flood for the third time in 5 months. Currently the Warracknabeal Library is closed due to the flooding there, resulting from the 77mm of rain there on Monday 10th. The Library's carpet had just recovered from a soaking in the storms back in December, when water piled up against the doors. This time though the amount of water was larger, and the damage more extensive.

The December storms and resulting river & creek levels saw Horsham, Harrow and Warracknabeal towns all on flood alert.

Burnt Creek at Horsham on 11th December, taken from the footbridge near Latus Drive, after Williams Road was reopened to traffic.

Melanie's photo of the SES & townspeople sandbagging the Harrow Hall & Library (the library is in the section below the satellite dish) as the Glenelg River encroaches on the town on 9th December.

Wimmera River near the highway bridge in Horsham on 9th September.
3 months earlier it was a similar situation in Horsham, as flood waters slowly spread towards Horsham from the headwaters of the Wimmera River, inundating crops along the way.
The pathway below the Horsham Weir on the 12th September 2010, at this stage the water was receding, it had been a good 6 feet higher at the flood peak.



For some great photos, check out the "Victorian floods" group Facebook page, like this aerial shot of the Barnes Boulevard extension.






The flooding downstream of the weir on 12th September, with the gum trees still showing the effects of the Remlaw - Black Saturday fire 7th February 2009. - A country of extremes!

But all this pales in significance to some of our past floods -







Black & white Horsham photos from "Horsham in focus".

Welcome to the Wimmera

Welcome to the initial post of "Wimmera...way back when"
This blog is to feature stories, provide information, highlight new acquisitions, and upcoming events relevant to libraries in the Wimmera.