Four bridges and a ford: cutting a path to the new bridge

By the late 1960s it was deemed that the amount of traffic - especially heavy traffic - using the Hamilton Highway was too great for the once revolutionary Monier bridge at Fyansford. Despite its controversial beginnings, the bridge had rewarded those councillors who fought to have it built at the close of the 19th century, with over 60 years of service. It was estimated at the time of construction, that it would take 40 years to recoup the cost to the Shires of Bannockburn and Corio who had largely financed the project. Anything beyond that was a bonus and in an era when many bridges were still built from timber, had an expected lifespan of a few decades and within a few years of construction would require extensive, ongoing maintenance, it is easy to see why concrete was such an appealing building material. Stone and iron bridges were also extremely durable - the historic bridge at Shelford designed by CAC Wilson is a good example - however they were expensive to build and beyond the means of many cash-strapped shires to build. Concrete on the other hand, was cheap, durable and the way of the future.
By the 1960s, concrete bridges were the norm, however by then, technology and design had changed substantially. The bridge built to replace the now heritage-listed Monier bridge, was a modern, five span, pre-stressed, reinforced concrete structure, typical of many built across the country at that time.
Surprisingly, the current bridge has been the most difficult to research with very little detail to be found.
The earliest information I could find online, related not to the bridge itself, but to the completion of "the Geelong approach to the proposed new bridge over the Moorabool River at Fyansford". This statement appeared in the 1968-1969 Fifty-fifth Annual Report of the Country Roads Board. The work which was completed by the close of the 1967/68 financial year refers I imagine, to the realignment of the Hamilton Highway immediately to the west of the Moorabool River, through the cutting which is still in use today.

Looking west through the modern cutting at Fyansford

Prior to this, the road ran through a much older cutting, slightly to the south. This old road I suspect, originally served the ford and was cut out and perhaps somewhat realigned in the 1850s when the first timber bridge was built. Today, the remains of the old road can still be followed from the corner of Lower Paper Mill Rd and along the boundary fence of the Fyansford Waste Disposal & Recycling Centre to a point about 180m to the west where the old road rejoins the new.

Old road west of the Moorabool River at Fyansford

Soon after the bridge opened however, the road was probably the site of an accident which saw a dray tip over the edge of it, falling down a "precipice some twenty feet deep" (The Argus, 27th April, 1855). The following year, in March, 1856 tenders were called for the erection of 450 lineal yards of fencing along an embankment at Fyansford - possibly the fence which can be seen in the photo below and which may have saved the dray had it been installed sooner.

Portion of an 1859 image of Fyansford, showing the first bridge and road
leading up the west bank of the Moorabool River. Original image held by
the State Library of Victoria

In the Geelong Advertiser, 13th January, 1899, the road up the west bank of the Moorabool was still receiving criticism, described  as a "dangerous, locked in, circuitous road ...with a huge stone cliff on one side and a long stone wall on the other, where many terrible accidents...have happened".

Remains of the stone wall beside the old road

Regardless of this criticism, this remained the approach to the Moorabool River from the west until 1968 when the new cutting was made a short distance to the north.
After the new section of road was completed, construction of the bridge itself was considered. An article from The Age, 31st December, 1968 indicated that tenders were about to be called "for the completion of a bridge over the Moorabool River at Fyansford, three miles north of Geelong on the Hamilton Highway." It was expected that the bridge would be "317 feet long [with] 28 feet between kerbs [and] a six-foot-wide footway. It would cost about $300,000 and take about 2 years to build."
Finally, the Country Roads Board's Fifty-seventh Annual Report for the year ending 30th June, 1970 indicated that amongst the significant works completed for the 1969/70 financial year was the "Construction of a reinforced concrete bridge 270 feet long [with] 28 feet between kerbs to replace a concrete arch bridge over the Moorabool River at Fyansford." The item was accompanied by a photo showing both the Monier and the new bridge.

View of the Monier and current bridge, looking east, Howard Bruce, 1972,
Image held by the National Library of Australia

Strangely, the same annual report also included the following detail under the heading of "Large bridges completed in rural areas":
"Moorabool River Bridge-Hamilton Highway, Shire of Corio: a five span prestressed concrete beam and reinforced concrete bridge 320 feet long by 28 feet between kerbs plus a footway 6 feet wide."
A quick look at Google Earth suggests that the latter was probably the more accurate description.

The current bridge at Fyansford. Looking north east

 Without a tape measure and some rather risky traffic dodging maneuvers, I can't be sure of the proportions, however I can say that this most recent bridge, whilst perhaps not the most aesthetically pleasing structure, has now served those travelling along the Hamilton Highway for forty-six years and looks set to continue for many years to come.

The modern bridge from the west bank of the Moorabool River

Four bridges and a ford: the first bridge

In August, 1851, the Victorian gold rush began in earnest. Thousands flocked from the ports of Melbourne and Geelong to the goldfields of Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Creswick and beyond. By 1852, the newly-independent Colony of Victoria boasted 6.5 million sheep and the drays loaded with their wool trundled their way to markets in the major port towns of Geelong and Melbourne.
Many of those drays crossed the vast, open plains of the Western District to bring their wool to Geelong. In the opposite direction, thousands of hopeful diggers lined the tracks to Ballarat, which until 1851 was only a squatting run, not the teeming town of 20,000 it had become by 1854. In the few years since the discovery of gold, Geelong had also experienced a rapid population increase from a town of just over 8,000 in 1851 its population had more than doubled to over 20,000 by 1854.
And along with the floods of people coming and going, there were those who provided the supplies they needed to live on. Carters like the young Henry Mundy (Henry Mundy: a young Australian pioneer, Les Hughes, 2003) could do quite well for themselves carrying supplies. For those who were willing to risk a stint in the lockup - see Mundy's description - there was also money to be made by slipping an extra barrel or two on the wagon to supply the sly-grog shanties which proliferated on the goldfields.
All of this meant of course, that the traffic flow across the ford at Fyansford increased substantially. Not only was it a key crossing point on the Great Western Road leading from Geelong to the Western District and Portland Bay, but the ford also provided an alternative route for those heading to the goldfields. They could join the Geelong-Buninyong Track at the Eureka Hotel (at the modern day intersection near Gheringhap) or travel via Inverleigh and Shelford, following the track to the west of the Leigh River to Buninyong.
By November, 1853, according to the Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer it was rumoured that the ford at Fyansford was to be replaced by a bridge. The rumours, as it turned out, were true and in January, 1854 tenders were called for the construction of a timber bridge on stone abutments over the Moorabool River.

Original timber bridge across the Moorabool River at Fyansford, c1866-1880.
Image held by the State Library of Victoria

Surprisingly however, the advent of a bridge at Fyansford, was not as far as I can tell, accompanied by the usual degree of community outrage over the degraded state of the existing facility - in this case, the ford and the roads leading to it. Nor, unlike the building of the Batesford Bridge, can I find any call for tenders for the Fyansford Bridge in the Victorian Government Gazette of the day.
Regardless, the bridge was built during 1854 and officially opened on the 1st September that year by the Mayor William Baylie with Captain Foster Fyans in attendance as guest of honour. The ceremony began with mounted troopers leading a procession of local notables to the bridge which was decorated with a floral arch at each end. Once at the bridge, the company halted and Mayor Baylie christened the "Fyans Ford Bridge" in deference to Captain Fyans with a bottle of champagne. Those present then crossed the bridge before returning to attended an outdoor banquet which was accompanied by the usual toasts and speeches.
As can be seen from a number of contemporary photos, as per the specifications outlined, the bridge was a timber structure supported at each end by bluestone abutments and in between by timber piers. In a significant change from the past, the new bridge was located around 350m downstream from the site of the original ford, however looking at various websites as well as the information board located near the bridge site, there appears to be some confusion as to the location of the timber bridge. The board along with the websites claim that this first bridge was located on the site of the current bridge.
Having looked at the existing bridges, this claim stuck an odd not as I had previously noted that the the north east corner of the Monier bridge (more of which later) contained several rows of bluestone blocks which did not seem to fit with the rest of its construction.

Bluestone blocks next to the Monier bridge

Furthermore, a quick search of the undergrowth on the west bank immediately upstream of the Monier bridge, revealed two piles of cut stone situated close by the Monier bridge - surely the remains of the bluestone abutment belonging to the original bridge. This was effectively confirmed when after a little more research I located an entry on the Victorian Heritage Database titled "Fyansford timber bridge ruin". There was no further information other than a place marker located - as I expected - slightly upstream of the existing bridges.

Pile of cut stone on the western bank of the Moorabool

So, based on the above details and having looked at the few available photographs and sketches, I believe that the original timber bridge was located slightly upstream of the two present bridges, in such close proximity to the Monier bridge that perhaps (I have not seen plans for the Monier bridge) the abutment of the timber bridge on the east bank was later used in the construction of the second bridge. The alignment of the first bridge however, was at a more acute angle which left the abutment on the west bank further upstream than that on the east.
No doubt the site of the new crossing was not appreciated by William Bohn, owner of the Swan Inn on the west bank of the Moorabool who now found his business at a distance from the main road and on the opposite side of the river to the growing township. On the east bank however and in prime position on the new line of road, Charles B. Dawson took advantage of the realignment to establish a new public house - the Fyansford Hotel. By July, 1854 he was calling for tenders for the erection of a two-storey brick building which remains in operation to the present day.

The Fyansford Hotel

On the opposite side of the new road and at about the same time, a second hotel - designed by Walter Ferrier for James Roger Miller - was also under construction. In addition to its role as a public house, the Balmoral also did duty as the post office, a polling station and was even used to accomodate the proceedings of an inquest in 1882, into the death of George Webb, a local farmer who was found drowned in the river. Unlike the Fyansford, the Balmoral Hotel operated only until 1895 when it was sold to Mr Henry Wilks who operated the premises as a boarding house.
During the 20th century, the old Balmoral Hotel underwent significant renovation and was for a time converted into two flats before being purchased in 1972 by John Heard who in turn converted the former hotel into an art gallery. Since 1988, the building has been home to reception centre, Truffleduck at Balmoral.

The former Balmoral Hotel, now Truffleduck at Balmoral

In addition to the new hotels and the bridge, the surrounding roadway was also upgraded. In the weeks prior to the opening of the bridge, the "hills...on each side of the river" were "cut and improved and the road metalled" (Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer, 18th August, 1854) whilst an additional, 71 chains of road was constructed near the new bridge.
A look at the few early maps to which I currently have access and the length of road indicated (almost 1.5km), shows that this wasn't just a minor diversion to redirect the track from the ford. The distance indicated corresponds to the distance via Hyland Street from the top of The Deviation - or Fyansford Hill as it was then called - to the cutting on the opposite side of the river.
Looking at an 1850 map of Geelong and surrounds published by James Harrison however, I was surprised to see that it marked the original road to the ford as following a curved path from the western end of Autumn Street, south past the future site of the cement works, before descending directly down the hill to the ford, which at its steepest included a drop of some 55m over a distance of only some 330m amounting to an average gradient of around 17%. This seems rather unlikely, so perhaps the the line was a general one rather than the line of the surveyed road.

Fyansford, 1859 showing the new line of road with the bridge in the distance.
Image held by the State Library of Victoria

The new road, which I gather from maps and photos followed the current alignment, included a descent of 51m, but extended over a distance of around 610m, yielding a gradient of only around 8%, but still more than steep enough for a bullock dray to negotiate.
Work on the new road appears to have continued well after the bridge was opened to traffic. In April, 1855, the lack of fencing along the steep road led to a serious accident as reported by The Argus on 27th April, 1855:

A serious accident occurred on last Saturday night to a dray, at the Fyans Ford Hill. The new road, which is not fenced in on either side, and is very narrow, runs close past a precipice of some twenty feet deep. Being rather dark, and there being no fence to save or direct the cart, the driver had allowed the wheel to go too close to the edge of the cliff, when suddenly the cart overturned and fell to the bottom, being smashed to pieces among the broken stones. Strange to say, the horse was not much injured, otherwise than with wounds only skin deep; the driver escaped also with very slight injury.

Which section of the new road this was I cannot tell, however the following month, a contract was announced in the Victorian Government Gazette (18th May, 1855) for the "erection of about 400 lineal yards of stone wall, along the side cutting west of Fyansford" whilst in March the following year tenders were called for "450 yards of fencing along an embankment at Fyansford".

A pencil drawing by Samuel Thomas Gill overlooking the timber bridge at
Fyansford, soon after its construction and showing the realigned road. The
Swan Inn can be seen upstream to the right whilst the Fyansford Hotel is
 yet to be built. Image held by the State Library of Victoria

Nor was the new road the only safety concern as by 1859, the new bridge - still a mere five years old - was deemed unsafe. On 19th October, 1859 The Argus reported that:

...some of the pier piles having given  way, it was deemed advisable to send for chains to bind the four centre piers together. The longitudinal beams of the roadway present anything but a straight line to the eye, and the hand-rails correspond in their curves to the lines of the aforesaid beams, showing unmistakably that something has given way. The bridge is only a wooden one, built upon a rather insecure construction...

By early December £133 8s 6d had been allocated by the government for repairs to the bridge, but barely twelve months later it was reported in the Geelong Advertiser that flooding had washed away a temporary bridge installed for use whilst timber bridge was (once again) repaired.
And so it continued. The timber bridge across the Moorabool at Fyansford served the town and those travelling between Geelong and the Western District for 45 years until 1899 when the decision was finally made to replace it.

Grabbing a bite!

Works on the new Breakwater bridge

A pleasant - well relatively pleasant - winter's morning, so it was time for another ride around the river with a quick stop off to sniff out a geocache or two. We headed down to Breakwater intending to do the usual loop up to Fyansford and back only to discover that the path was closed for the day on the Belmont side to enable the installation of overhead spans for the new bridge. So, back we went and headed upstream via the other side of the river.

We'd had a coffee before departing, so didn't immediately feel the need for a stop, however by the time we reached Fyansford, my gloveless fingers were beginning to stiffen. With no great expectation,  I casually commented as we passed that we should stop for lunch at the Fyansford hotel.  I was taken at my word and we immediately re-routed across the common and headed for the pub and a coffee which was more for the benefit of my fingers than my caffeine levels!

In no real hurry, we also sampled a selection of bread and dips and contemplated the river and its environs. As we did so, we were drawn to consider the limited number of options along our route for refreshment. Of course, there are a significant number of opportunities for picnicking and barbecuing, but not so many options for those who either are not equipped or not wanting to self-cater.

In fact, the only venue which directly overlooks the river between Breakwater and Fyansford is the Barwon Edge Boathouse Restaurant. A licensed venue, it is located along the Newtown section of the river. This is a pleasant, modern restaurant with lots of glass to take in the river views and outside seating should the weather be suited. I can personally vouch for their coffee, cakes and several selections from the breakfast menu.

At a slight remove from the river and back towards town is the Boatshed Cafe, located within the surrounds of Mitre 10 who are currently in the process of removing themselves to the building next door. They provide coffee and cafe-style eating, but without the panoramic views of the Edge, they really don't have a "river" feel.

Towards Breakwater, there are no further options for refreshment,  unless of course the coffee van is at Landy Field providing much needed support for long-suffering, thermally-impaired parents and supporters of Geelong's brightest athletic talent.

Fyansford Hotel, built 1854

Nor is there an option along the opposite side of the river, returning back through town and beyond, until one reaches Fyansford, where at a slight remove from the banks of the river - actually the Moorabool River, a short distance above its confluence with the Barwon - we find the hotel as mentioned earlier. Today, the Fyansford offers a fairly sophisticated menu for both lunch and dinner, including the option to partake in the consumption of our national emblem, prepared in a variety of appetizing styles.

The building itself, if not the menu, has a significantly longer association with the river(s) than the other waterside eateries, but in typical 19th century fashion, also lacks river views from within. Not surprisingly, the history of the hotel parallels that of the township, making it one of the earliest watering holes in the district.

In the early days of expansion and settlement in the Western District, the naturally occurring ford at this site made it one of the most important points in the region, allowing traffic to access the ports in both Geelong and Melbourne. The influx of both money and population which accompanied the gold rush in the early 1850s and no doubt the rise of the wool trade following on from this era, made the little town of Fyansford a vital link in the movement of of both goods and people around the developing colony.

The first to recognize this importance was Captain Foster Fyans who established a police camp at the ford in 1837 and not surprisingly, the ford and the town which developed there came to bear his name. Nor was the town merely a way point on the journey to other places. In 1845 a flour mill was built on the banks of the Barwon, followed by a paper mill at Buckley Falls in 1876 (soon to be the topic of a separate blog post). Across the valley, overlooking the river junction, 1890 saw the opening of the cement works which operated until 2001. This soon made the little town a centre for the industry of the region and by 1854, the need was such that a timber bridge was erected downstream from the ford to provide easier access for heavy vehicles.

Three-span, Monier-reinforced concrete bridge over the
Moorabool River, built in 1900.

This bridge was in use until 1900 when a three-arch, concrete Monier-reinforced bridge (at that time, the largest in the world and designed by the engineer Sir John Monash and J.T.N. Anderson) was built nearby. This bridge in turn served until it was replaced in 1970 by a modern structure on the site of the original bridge.

At the same time that the increase in traffic required the building of the bridge, it became apparent that there was a need for a public house both for those passing through and for the local community.

As a result, in 1854 the publican C.B. Dawson called for tenders for the building of an hotel and by 1855, the new structure was erected only a stone's throw away from the site of the new bridge. The building which took shape and still stands today, is a two storey, brick structure which, I am informed, is a transitional Colonial Georgian style with "distinctive symmetrical fenestration and angled corner entrance" which was typical of many public houses built during this era.

On the whole, the building has not changed significantly across the years. The original roof cladding was replaced with corrugated iron, the corner entrance was also somewhat altered and the brickwork painted, but otherwise the facade of the building remains similar to its original form. Some additions were made at the back of the property in later years and the interior also had adjustments, but the Fyansford Pub would still be quite recognizable to the many generations of patrons who have passed through its doors over the course of more than a century and a half.

And so, with lunch complete and a few unwelcome clouds rolling in, we again headed for the bikes, and made our way back downstream.