Willaston Bridges
| Place type: | Locality |
|---|---|
| Town or Locality: | Willaston |
The winding North Para River defines the southern boundary of Willaston. It symbolises the separate township of Willaston. It is the bridge that ties Willaston and Gawler together. Willaston was the only crossing place from the north into Gawler. The opening up of the northern areas and the discovery of copper at Kapunda and Burra Burra influenced the development of Willaston. The transit traffic between the mines and southern ports meant a stopover at Willaston became convenient. Thus, the first building in Willaston was the Willaston Hotel.
There have been a number of bridges to serve the township of Willaston. In 1842, before Willaston was laid out, a wooden bridge with stone abutments was built over the North Para River in line with Murray Street. It had a span of 80 feet (30 metres).The structure carried the long strings of ore-laden wagons that plied the highway during Kapunda’s copper boom and stagecoaches and their passengers. This bridge was washed away in 1847.
In 1848 a further wooden bridge was built, where the present bridge now stands. It was strengthened in 1858. In 1868 the Central Road Board approved £3000 for a new and stronger bridge. On the 2nd August 1869 MLC member, H.E. Bright laid the cornerstone of this bridge. The officials then made to the Willaston Hotel where lunch was served for about 70 people.
During the night of 16th April 1889, Gawler and Willaston had its greatest flood. It began in the evening and rose rapidly until water was over the Willaston Bridge. Under the shock of heavy logs and uprooted trees, the bridge began to move. By 5:45am watchers saw it collapse and be swept away in the surging water. By morning, the Willaston Bridge and four footbridges had gone, with only the weakened Gawler Bridge remaining. Mrs. Lynch of Willaston lost 11 cows which were in her paddock, as well as a stack of hay, valued at £11, was washed away with the floods. Once again the only way between Gawler and Willaston was across the fords until the bridge was rebuilt. It was reported that mail had to be sent across by means of wire ropes. A girder from the bridge was put in place upstream and used as a foot bridge. Vehicular traffic crossed the river alongside this girder.
It took 17 months to replace the traffic bridge. Deputations between the State Government and District Council of Mudla Wirra discussed the approaches to the bridge and the merits of different timbers. On one occasion, it was impossible for a hearse and mourning coaches to cross the river to take part in a funeral of a Willaston resident.
The new bridge was officially opened on 19th September, 1890 by Sir John Downer. The Bunyip was scathing in its editorial of the day, questioning the cost and time taken to rebuild the bridge.- “It certainly is a disgrace to the colony that the bridging over 180 feet of waterway should occupy 17 months, and if this is a fair sample of the way our public works are conducted it is no wonder that we are characterised as a ‘slow’ colony, and that we have to pay a large amount of interest every year”.
The cost of the bridge blew out from £3500 to a final cost of £7000. The Inspector General of Roads also mismanaged the planning by allowing for a road approach width to the bridge of only 22 feet and 6 inches wide, which was generally considered an inadequate width for a wagonload of hay.
Crossing the Willaston Bridge could, even after 1890, still be an adventure. A “vehicle accident” reported in The Bunyip on Friday 19th February, 1892 stated – “On Saturday morning last an accident to Mr. Richard Green and his daughter-in-law Mrs. C. Green occurred as they were driving into Gawler. On crossing the Willaston Bridge the horse unexpectedly kicked and started off at a smart pace, and a little later caused the vehicle to collide with a German wagon and capsize. Both occupants were, of course, thrown out, and both were somewhat shaken. Mrs. Green also received an injury to her shoulder and was taken to Dr. Popham.”
There was widespread damage from floods in 1952. The Bunyip records that the Willaston and North Gawler footbridges which spanned the North Para River were wrenched from their supports and wrecked. By 6pm on Saturday 31st May the clearance between the water level of the river and the decking of Willaston Bridge was only about 8 feet. “Approximately 50 tons of drift-wood were deposited in Mr. F. Veitch’s property near the bridge. One log is estimated to weigh about ten tons.”(Bunyip Friday 6 June 1952)
Click here to read more history on the bridges in Willaston, compiled by Fred Brooks.
Click here, here and here to view photos of Willaston Bridges.
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Memories of Willaston Bridges
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