Branching out - Bowman's Bridge

During the course of my recent research into all things bridge-related, I came across a couple of bridges which, whilst no doubt important in their day, have now fallen into disuse, as have the sections of road on which they were built. Both are now private property, however I was lucky enough (along with local historian Marg Cooper and my mother) to gain access to one of the bridge sites to see what remained.
The site in question was Bowman's Bridge, a small, timber and masonry structure which crossed the steep-sided channel of Deep Creek - a tributary of the Leigh River at Bamganie. Deep Creek is a short creek, measuring about 6.5km in length which rises beside Bamganie Road, about 5km south of its intersection with the Meredith-Mt Mercer Road then follows a southerly course to its confluence with the Leigh River a few hundred metres upstream from where Woodbourne/Williamson's Creek also joins the Leigh.

View of Deep Creek a few hundred metres below the bridge

With permission gained prior to starting, a short wander across the fields brought us to the banks of the creek which, we agreed showed signs of significant water flow in the past, but at present, like many creeks in the area, contains only intermittent pools of water. We had been warned by the property owner, that there wasn't much of the bridge left to see and only knew roughly where to look, however we did know that the old road which ran to the bridge began at Bamganie Road beside the one time site of the Bamganie State School and traveled directly west, crossing Deep Creek but stopping short of the Leigh River.
Called Bowman's Road for several members of the Bowman family who had taken up land between Deep Creek and the Leigh River, it provided access for the family who came and went via the road, crossing Bowman's Bridge in the process and for their children who walked to school along the same path. After reaching the creek, we walked upstream only a short distance before we spied a large pile of rocks on the bank which clearly had not ended up there by chance.

The site of Bowman's Bridge

A little further investigation convinced us that we had found the relatively intact remains of the bridge's eastern abutment - a masonry structure formed from local uncut stones, cemented together and supported by a raised embankment.

The remains of the eastern abutment

The bank on the opposite side of the creek also showed signs of where the bridge had been. There was no trace of masonry, however we did find timbers with large bolts attached and it was clear that the bank - which was quite a bit higher on this side - had been carved away to make a cutting which brought the roadway on the western side, level with the bridge.

Burnt timbers with rusted bolts, originally part of the bridge

Whilst there is little remaining, it is possible to trace the history of the bridge through the newspapers of the day. The initial contract to build a small bridge on the site was awarded to W Watson in June, 1876 for a price of £11/15/-. Problems soon emerged however when it was brought to council's attention three years later that the western approach to the bridge was too steep and slippery for horses to keep their footing. By October, a cutting had been formed to ease the situation, however it was reported to council that the work of  Hugh McColl was not up to the required standard.

The cutting on the western approach to Bowman's Bridge

As was usual with timber bridges, over the following thirty years, Bowman's Bridge required ongoing maintenance. In 1903, J Elliott was awarded a contract for £2/19/6 to fix it and in 1908 it was suggested that timber from a disused bridge near the old post office could be used*. In October, 1913 the Meredith Shire engineer (CCP Wilson) declared that Bowman's Bridge was in such a poor state, it was almost beyond repair, but that good timber from recently-replaced Cooper's Bridge over the Moorabool River could be used to reconstruct it.
The repairs (if they eventuated), were only temporary and by early 1914, the shire was calling for tenders to replace the bridge. There seems to have been few takers for the job however, as tenders were set to be called once again in March, 1915. Finally, the following month, the council accepted the tender of William Smith to erect a timber bridge on Bowman's Road for £75. At this point, as with my previous posts, the trail goes cold, however I can only assume since the tender was accepted, that the bridge was rebuilt at this time, meaning the remains now visible date from that period.

The view looking east from the cutting

What I don't know is, regardless of whether the bridge was rebuilt or not, how long it stood for or when Bowman's Road was finally closed to the public.

*A post office first opened in Bamganie in 1877 amidst significant public demand, at (as far as I can tell), the original site of the primary school off Glentive Road which crosses Woodbourne Creek nearby. The timber may have come from a bridge at this crossing.

Branching out - The Garibaldi Bridge

My previous post illustrated the changes in materials used over the last century and beyond to patch and repair existing bridges in order to extend their useful lifespan. This has resulted in many bridges in the Barwon catchment region becoming hybrids, neither timber nor steel, concrete nor stone, but in many cases, a combination of different building materials.
Another great example of this type of evolving bridge, is the old bridge (now replaced by a modern concrete structure) across the Yarrowee/Leigh River on the Buninyong-Mt Mercer Road at Garibaldi. According to the media of the day, the foundation stone for the original bridge was laid in November, 1866 amidst much fanfare by the Buninyong Shire President Mr WH Bacchus. The region he declared, was in urgent need of a bridge as three people had lost their lives in recent years, attempting to ford the river during floods. The president was presented with an inscribed, silver trowel which he used to lay the stone along with a time capsule containing issues of several local newspapers and "a document in reference to the constitution of the shire, and the various coins of the realm". Once the president had declared the stone "well and truly laid", the company retired to the nearby Garibaldi Hotel where luncheon was laid on for 50 invited guests, with a keg of beer also provided for members of the local community. November, 2016 will mark the 150th anniversary of this event.

The old Garibaldi Bridge today

Less than a year later in April, 1867, under the name of the Durham Bridge, the new structure was officially opened. Disappointment was expressed at the event (which also included speeches, toasts and another luncheon) at the small number present to mark the occasion.
I can find no image of the bridge in its original (or any) form which shows its exact construction, but at the time of its opening, the bridge was described as measuring 100 ft in length and including three spans of 33 ft each, secured at each end by bluestone ashlar abutments and in the centre by two stone buttresses (pillars). The wooden deck was supported within each span by spandrels atop rows of 7 corbels resting on the stonework of each abutment or buttress and - it was proudly claimed - stood 6 ft clear of the highest recorded flood mark. The total cost of construction was £2,699.

Looking upriver from the bridge, August, 2015

The first real test of the new structure came barely two years later in 1869 when the Yarrowee flooded, leaving large parts of Ballarat under water. It is a testament to the strength of stone bridges, that there is no further mention of the bridge throughout the remainder of the 19th century and this despite regular reports of substantial flooding over the years. In fact it seems that substantial maintenance was not required until December, 1914 when then shire engineer CCP Wilson reported that the bridge superstructure had been removed and the masonry prepared for replacement of the deck with a concrete structure. Interestingly, although they may not have foreseen the development of concrete in the construction of bridges, the original stonework was built in 1867 with a view to the future replacement of the timber structures with masonry.
These repairs it would seem stood for a further 19 years until December, 1933 when the Yarrowee/Leigh River experienced substantial flooding - the largest it was claimed in 50 years. Over the course of three days from 30th November to the 2nd December, catchments across the region were deluged, causing the bridge to collapse, washing away two of the three spans.

One abutment and parts of the deck of the Garibaldi Bridge washed away
during the 1933 floods. Image held by the Federation University Australia's
EJ Barker Library

Remains of the Garibaldi Bridge during the 1933 floods. Image held by the
Federation University Historical Collection

So great was the destruction across parts of the state that it was beyond the capacity of many municipalities to pay for the damage. This was certainly the case for Buninyong Shire which along with other shires sent a delegation to wait upon the minister to plead their case for funds. On this occasion, the government declined to offer flood relief for the affected shires. Buninyong looked at taking out a loan or applying for grants to cover their costs.

The Garibaldi Bridge, 2015 looking to the south east

Early estimates indicated that it would cost in the vicinity of £1,750 to repair the damage to the Garibaldi Bridge, however in March the following year, engineer Wilson stated that the job could be done for £1,000 - possibly less. The following month, approval was granted to purchase the necessary materials to complete the reconstruction.
It is perhaps this sequence of events and the need to economise which lead to the evolution of the bridge as we see it today. The deck appears to me to be narrower than the original structure of which, only one stone abutment, one buttress and the stone parapets remain. The other buttress and the southern abutment have been reconstructed in concrete as has the deck which is supported across two of its spans by concrete corbels. The span at the northern end of the bridge however, is not the same as the other two and seems to have been repaired in a different style and perhaps at a different time - although I can find no record of this.

The central and northern spans of the bridge, looking south west

The handrails which top the deck are typical of the water pipe and cyclone wire constructions used by CCP Wilson on other projects and the overall structure is not dissimilar to the Blue Bridge on the Yendon-Egerton Road, also repaired by Wilson. These repairs whilst perhaps looking a little unorthodox, have survived the test of time. The bridge carried traffic until as recently as 2007 when the annual report for the Golden Plains Shire for 2006/2007 indicated that a new bridge had been completed (slightly downstream) at a cost of $853,000.

The new Garibaldi Bridge

Today, the original bridge stands disused and largely unnoticed beside the new Garibaldi Bridge.

...Like son

My previous post highlighted the achievements of Leigh Shire engineer, Charles Anthony Corbett Wilson, however he was not the only engineer in his large family. One of his younger sons - Frederick - was appointed Meredith Shire engineer in 1893, but it was his eldest son Charles Corbett Powell Wilson who arguably went on to have the biggest impact on the infrastructure of the district.
CCP Wilson, was born in Geelong around 1857 and learnt his trade working with his father. Between them, father and son were responsible for the design and construction of dozens of bridges, roads, public buildings and civic facilities across the Western Districts of Victoria in the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of them involving the Barwon River and its tributaries.

Charles Corbett Powell Wilson, shire engineer to Leigh,
Meredith and Buninyong Shires

By the time he arrived in the Barwon catchment region, CCP Wilson already had significant experience in civil engineering, having served as engineer to the Portland Shire from 1889 until 1908. Upon leaving Portland, Wilson was appointed as engineer to the Shires of Buninyong and Meredith and then, two years later upon the retirement of his father in 1910, he also took up the position of Leigh Shire engineer.
Whilst much of the work undertaken by Wilson involved the maintenance of existing roads and bridges, like his father, he too was responsible for the design of a significant number of bridges and other civil structures, a number of which are still standing to this day. Building on the pioneering work of his father, he was a huge supporter of the use of reinforced concrete as a cheap, durable and low-maintenance building product and there are several bridges still standing today as testament to the validity of his thinking.
One of his earliest and most significant projects was of course, the Leigh Grand Junction Bridge about which I have written in detail in previous posts and which dates to 1910. Located at the boundary of the three shires he served, it is a fitting testament to his many contributions.

Leigh Grand Junction Bridge, August, 2015

At about the same time, Wilson was also responsible for the design of at least two other bridges in the region which were substantially similar in design and appearance. The first was what is now known as Cooper's Bridge over the Moorabool River on the Meredith-Steiglitz Road. By July, 1911 the Meredith Shire Council was calling for quotes to rebuild the timber bridge which stood at that time. Wilson's bridge was the fourth to stand on the site. Whilst attending the official celebrations held after the opening of his new bridge in May, 1913 the engineer noted that there had been a bridge on the site for 35 years and that it was his father who had been responsible for building the initial structure, including the bluestone abutments upon which the new bridge stood. (This latter, despite a recommendation by Wilson that a new location for the bridge should be chosen to allow for a less torturous alignment, a point echoed by the Minister For Public Works in his speech at the opening event.)
Wilson then went on to note that 17 years earlier, his brother had drawn up plans to have the second bridge replaced with a steel structure, however this was deemed too expensive by council who decreed that a timber structure should be built instead - a decision which undoubtedly resulted in the construction of the bridge which still stands today.

Cooper's Bridge aka the Moorabool Bridge, August, 2015

The bridge designed by Wilson was built from steel-reinforced concrete, using the original bluestone abutments from the first bridge. It was supported between the abutments by two concrete piers which were 39 ft deep, 16 ft wide and 1 ft thick. The piers were reinforced with 1 inch mild steel (a strong, flexible steel often used for bridge construction) whilst the 9 in concrete beams they supported were reinforced with recycled steel cable from the Melbourne tramways - a measure of economy which Wilson also used to good effect on the Leigh Grand Junction Bridge. This structure was over-topped by a 6 in concrete deck. The guard rails were constructed from water pipe and panels of cyclone fencing.
Whilst the guard rails have today been replaced with modern edging, the rest of the structure appears to remain much as described in 1913. In total, the new bridge cost a grand sum of  £763, of which £68 was the cost involved in removing the previous structure. The original bridge had cost the shire £700.

Not too far away and also dating to a similar era is the bridge at Sharp's Crossing on the Moorabool River near Sheoaks. The first bridge on the site was built in 1882 after a successful campaign by locals  who complained that the existing ford (possibly pre-dating the 1870s) became impassable each time the river flooded. Once completed, it was noted that the new bridge was not of the highest quality, but would do the job - and this was true as far as it went. Like most wooden bridges however, it had an effective working life of around ten years before it required on-going repair, and council reports show that from 1893 onward, Sharp's Crossing required re-decking, repairing or the installation of new planks on an almost annual basis.
By 1904 it was reported that the centre bearers of the western span of the bridge were completely rotten and it was recommended that this part of the bridge be removed and replaced with an embankment. There is no suggestion that this plan was adopted and the repairs continued until the end of 1914 when construction finally began on a new concrete bridge, designed by CCP Wilson. The project was completed by February the following year, however with increasing wartime austerity, it was deemed that the money required for a grand opening would be better spent on other road works and so the bridge was opened quietly, without the pomp and ceremony which accompanied the opening of the Grand Junction and Moorabool bridges. It was remarked none-the-less, that the bridge was the most handsome, strong and best-looking bridge on river.

Sharp's Crossing Bridge over the Moorabool River, November, 2011 with the
trademark pipe and wire handrails of a CCP Wilson design, still intact

And so it continued year after year. The newspapers of the day - which dutifully reported all council proceedings - are filled with the reports and recommendations of Engineer Wilson. In addition to major projects, there were culverts, drains, small bridges, roads and an array of civic projects and the shire engineer was expected to design them, supervise construction and maintain them all.
He is indicated as having "erected a new concrete bridge over the Moorabool River below Egerton" early in 1914, however I suspect his contribution was to re-deck the existing Blue Bridge (now heritage listed) which was originally constructed in 1870 with a timber deck atop a bluestone pier and abutments. Wilson's changes typically introduced a concrete deck, reinforced and braced with steel rails.

Section of the Blue Bridge on the Yendon-Egerton Road

Some of the smaller projects undertaken by CCP Wilson included bridges across Lal Lal Creek, the Yarrowee River on Whitehorse Road at Buninyong and another small bridge near Clarendon, to name just a few. This latter bridge which still stands on Hopgoods Road was - as far as I can tell - built in mid-1914.

Small concrete bridge on Hopgood's Road, Clarendon

It is an interesting illustration of the techniques used by Wilson in his work with pre-stressed concrete. Today, part of the bridge corner post has fallen away, revealing the steel within the structure. The cable steel he sourced secondhand from the Melbourne tramways and the gravel for the concrete came from local deposits often on the Leigh river. Everything was constructed onsite.

Detail showing both cable steel and bars of mild steel used in the construction

Another surviving example of a bridge designed by Wilson and which is still in use today, is a somewhat larger bridge on the Scotchman's Lead Road south of Ballarat, known as Franklin's Bridge. Completed in early 1914, it is over 100 ft in length and 16 ft wide and at the time of its opening, the Ballarat Star newspaper proudly declared that it was the finest bridge in the shire. The deck is supported by two concrete piers between concrete abutments and in typical CCP Wilson style, in its original form included pipe and cyclone wire hand rails. Today these have been replaced by a more modern metal equivalent. The bridge was completed using "day labour" and cost around £800.

Franklin's Bridge on the Scotchman's Lead-Napoleon's Road

In addition to these road projects, Wilson also designed numerous other public facilities, some of which still stand today. He was for instance, responsible for the installation of concrete swings, fences and a significant concrete swimming pool along with other features, in the Buninyong Botanic Gardens. The pool is now empty but is still standing and has been converted into an attractive sunken garden which blends nicely with its surroundings.

Sunken gardens in the old concrete swimming pool at the Buninyong
Botanic Gardens

Inside the garden

A view of the gardens from above

Following World War 1 Wilson was particularly keen to support ex-servicemen and to commemorate their sacrifice. Buninyong's World War 1 memorial was his design as were the soldiers' memorial halls at Dereel and Shelford, built in 1920. He also designed an extension to the Buninyong town hall, dating to around the 1920s.
And so it continued with CCP Wilson serving as shire engineer of Meredith until the merger of that shire with neighbouring Bannockburn Shire in 1915, after which he continued to hold joint positions with Leigh and Buninyong until the time of his death on the 8th January, 1938 at the age of 80. Despite ill health for some time prior, he had continued to perform his role as engineer to both shires as well as holding the role of shire secretary to the Buninyong Shire from the mid 1920s.
Today, despite nearly 80 years having passed since the death of this revolutionary engineer, his legacy remains in the form of the many structures he designed all those decades ago which continue to stand - perhaps much longer than CCP himself could ever have imagined.

Branching out - a grand old bridge

The Leigh Grand Junction Bridge which today crosses the Leigh River east of Mount Mercer, is the second bridge to stand on this site. The 40 year history of the first bridge is described in my two previous posts here and here. The second bridge will be the focus of this post.
By 1908 it had become clear that the first bridge - built in 1873 - was in desperate need of replacement. In November that year, Buninyong Shire got the ball rolling when they approached the Leigh Shire to discuss the issue. The following month, the Leigh Shire engineer (presumably CAC Wilson) reported to council that the bridge was in bad repair and should be replaced by an iron girder bridge.
Over the next year and more, decisions were made, costs determined and most importantly, plans were drawn up. The end result however was not the iron girder structure recommended, but rather a revolutionary, steel-reinforced prestressed-concrete bridge. The technology was relatively new to Victoria as the first concrete bridge had been completed just over a decade earlier in 1899.


Charles Corbett Powell Wilson, civil engineer. Image held
by the State Library of Victoria

This revolutionary design was the brainchild of Charles Corbett Powell Wilson, shire engineer from 1908 for both Meredith and Buninyong, and then, from 1910 upon the retirement of his father CAC Wilson, for Leigh Shire also. CAC was a pioneer in the use of concrete to build bridges and no doubt passed this interest on to his eldest son.
 Between them, these two men were responsible for the design and construction of scores of bridges and a vast array of community facilities across the three shires. For over 90 years from 1864 to 1938 they served as engineers in one shire or another and amongst their contributions were a number of bridges which spanned the Barwon, Moorabool, and Leigh Rivers and their tributaries (post to follow). Few however, were as impressive as the Leigh Grand Junction Bridge.


Leigh Grand Junction Bridge looking downstream, photograph taken
by Colin O'Connor, Copyright Department of the Environment

By the time the bridge was completed in the first months of 1911, the total cost had been reckoned at £1,118 of which the government agreed to pay £150. The remainder of the cost was to be divided between the three shires, with Buninyong paying half and the other two shires one quarter each. As per my previous post, after significant debate, this was the eventual outcome.
As to the bridge itself, the end result was a concrete structure with a carrying capacity of 30 tons. Coming in at 165 feet in length, it was however only 8 feet wide - a single lane. Unusually for bridges in the area, it stood some 35 feet above the river below (or by today's measurements: about 50.3m long, marginally less than 2.5m wide and over 10.5m high). The significant elevation was a necessary requirement due to the Leigh River having quite a steep, narrow channel at this point.
Today, the Leigh Grand Junction Bridge is one of the oldest surviving examples of a true concrete-reinforced girder bridge in Australia and not surprisingly, is heritage listed.


Looking upstream from the picnic area

Structurally, the bridge has four spans, each 38 feet 6 inches in length, which are supported by three slender piers and at its northern end, by a bluestone abutment, with concrete serving at the southern end. The columns of these piers are reinforced with "mild" or low-carbon steel (suitable for many purposes, including bridge-building) and are further strengthened by interconnecting diaphragms (concrete panels) at two levels.
In a clever move of both economic efficiency and structural enhancement, the steel used to reinforce the four T-section, concrete girders which span the bridge was recycled cable from the Melbourne tramways. The girders are connected to the piers below by distinctive triangular fillets and the whole is topped by a concrete slab sealed with bitumen, flanked by metal guard rails.
Protection during times of flooding is provided by cut-waters - triangular projections on the upriver face of the outermost column of each pier, which reduce pressure on the bridge during times of high water flow.

Bridge detail. Click to enlarge

As a further measure of economy, the mortar used in the construction process was made onsite by local council workers using sand taken from the river, with outside contract labour used only to construct the temporary timberwork required during construction. In total, completion of the bridge took about four months.
Aesthetically, the Grand Junction Bridge was described by the media of the day as "light and graceful". It was noted that the site had been a popular picnic spot in previous years and it was felt that the new bridge would increase the natural beauty of the area - already known for its impressive rock formations and lush growth -  and would encourage picnickers to return once again.

Rock face and picnic area downstream of the bridge today

Of course, an event such as the building of a new bridge - especially one which was so crucial to movement between three shires - could not go unremarked. Naturally, there was an official opening. This took place on 6th May, 1911 in the presence of such dignitaries as the Mayor of Buninyong, the presidents of each of the three shires and a large contingent of locals, all of whom were in imminent danger of losing their hats  to the roaring gale which was, in the words of The Ballarat Star, "howling furiously about the high wall of rock, and stirring the sluggish waters below into unwonted activity".
So, under less than ideal conditions, the Acting Commissioner of Public Works declared the bridge open. A ribbon - placed with some difficulty by Mr Wilson - was then cut by Mrs Edgar, wife of the acting commissioner before the company enjoyed a luncheon served by the ladies. Naturally this was accompanied by the expected round of toasting and mutual back-slapping which seem to be traditional on such occasions.
Thereafter, with the exception of some discussion of the bridge with respect to the necessary adjustments to shire boundaries, the media appears to make no further mention of its existence. After the trials and tribulations over the 40 year lifespan of the previous bridge, this speaks volumes for the quality and the endurance of this revolutionary bridge which over 103 years later still survives as a tribute to the engineering skill and vision of CCP Wilson, shire engineer.