On New Year’s Day 1863 Geelong bridged its differences.
In 1862, as it is today, it is not always possible for a community to pull together on important issues, even when common benefit is at stake. Here Daryl Wight takes the reader back to the pages of the Geelong Chronicle and the construction of the Prince Albert Bridge, the third to span the Barwon River. With construction funded by the Borough of Newtown and Chilwell, they wanted to keep all the revenue generated by its use but the Shire of South Barwon wanted a cut. How did it pan out? Please read on!
PRINCE ALBERT BRIDGE
In September 1862, the newspaper carried an important story for the inhabitants of Geelong. A new bridge over the Barwon River, linking West Melbourne Road (now Shannon Avenue) and Barrabool Road, Highton, was nearly finished. It was the third bridge over the Barwon River at Geelong: the other two being the main Moorabool Street bridge connecting South Geelong and Belmont and the recently-completed bridge connecting Aphrasia Street, Newtown, to Queen’s Park.
Named after Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, who had died the previous year, the new bridge was constructed of timber cut from the Bullarook Forest. The total span of the bridge was 240 feet long and 30 feet wide. At its centre, the piles were 60 feet deep: 20 feet driven into the riverbed, 20 feet in the flowing water, and 20 feet above the waterline.
Much of the northern approach to the bridge was low-lying and flood-prone. Contractors brought in over 33,000 cubic yards of dirt and rubble to bring the Shannon Avenue approach up to the level of the bridge. Mr Simon Fraser (former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser’s grandfather) and Mr Jonathan Chappell, both of Melbourne, were the supervising contractors.
Before any traffic was permitted to cross the bridge, a dispute arose between the Borough of Newtown and Chilwell and the Shire of South Barwon. The Newtown Council, who initiated and funded the bridge proposed to collect tolls from people crossing the bridge and apply the revenue entirely for the benefit of the northern municipality. South Barwon thought it should receive a share of the revenue.
By November 1862, the bridge was still not open to public traffic. At one stage, the southerners barricaded the south side of the bridge. When that was torn down, a trench was dug on the southern approach to the bridge, rendering it impassable. Finally, after deputations to Government Ministers in Melbourne and much public disquiet, the Shire of South Barwon at last conceded the point.
Newtown Council promptly advertised for a weigh-bridge, toll-house and toll-gates to be erected at the new bridge. Finally, on 30 December 1862, an advertisement, under the name of Stephen V. Buckland, Chairman of the Municipal Council of Newtown and Chilwell, announced:
“PRINCE ALBERT BRIDGE. It is hereby notified that on and after the 1st January next, the above bridge will be open for public traffic.”
