The Old Stone Bridge, Dandenong.
Photographer: Hammond Photo, Dandenong.
How many times have we heard this reiterated in the past, when there were not any railways, and the whole traffic of Gippsland and South Gippsland passed over "The old Stone Bridge'' The vehicular traffic outside the coaches to Sale, and Grantville was not heavy, but thousands of fat cattle from the rich pastures of Gippsland and South Gippsland passed over the bridge, in charge of competent drivers, and, regularly you would see good old Henry Beattie (2), of Yallock, pass over with his draft of beautiful Hereford bullocks, walking in front of his horse, with an oilskin on the saddle, nursing his cattle for the Flemington market. It was a long journey then and prices were short, and graziers had to be careful. "The Old Stone Bridge" was built some 60 years ago; by a firm of bridge builders from Melbourne. Many persons referred to it as a bluestone bridge, but it was constructed of granite, quarried from a reserve, just a mile up the creek from the bridge......The Gippsland road is a three chain stock route extending from Sale to Albury and away through New South Wales to distant Queensland (3).
It is interesting that the Gippsland Road, now called the Princes Highway, was once considered part of a national stock route. There was, of course, a large stock market at Dandenong and the Newmarket yards in Flemington.
A tragic accident on the Dandenong Creek bridge in 1842.
Manton's station was based around modern day Tooradin.
Port Phillip Patriot August 15, 1842 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226510185
The 'old stone bridge' was built in 1866 -1867, but it was not the first bridge over the creek, this had been built around 1840 and G.R.F., in his book Reminiscences of Early Dandenong (4) described this bridge as a chock and log affair.... which was swept away about the year 1848 or '49 (5). He goes on to say in 1850 a new wooden bridge was built of more pretentious design...but...it was not built so firmly as the first one, the work of the old pioneers. For very soon after its erection it was pronounced unsafe, and the flood in 1864, being a fierce one, moved it so much out of positon that it was decided to replace it with a stone structure (6).
The 'old stone bridge' was the third bridge over the Dandenong Creek, this 1849 advertisment
is for tenders for the second bridge, a wooden bridge.
The Argus, December 15, 1849 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4773917
Tenders for the stone bridge were accepted at a meeting of the Dandenong District Roads Board at their meeting held on July 28, 1866. The contract was awarded to J. Nichols (7).
Report from August 1866 of the Dandenong District Roads' Board meeting where the tender for
the 'new' stone bridge was discussed and decided.
The Herald August 2, 1866 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244425036
Colin Skidmore in his history of Laurel Lodge (8) writes that Nichol [sic] was in continual strife with the Council over the bridge contract, and after a number of special meetings, and unresolved disputes, a special Board meeting had before it a letter from Nichol offering to let the matter be decided by arbritation, and appointed Mr R. Huckson as his representative. Thus it appears that Huckson may have worked for Nichol on the construction of the Bridge, and he may well have taken over the completion of the contract (9).
This report from February 1867 of a Dandenong District Roads Board meeting shows some of the frustration that the Board had with Mr Nichols and his progress.
The Herald February 16, 1867 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244401076
The stone bridge was opened around May 1867 (10). It was built of granite. G.R. F writes the granite which comprised the bulk of the structure, was got out of the quarry near the corner of Wedge and Power street and the coping stones were quarried at the Richmond Quarries, Burnley (11). Robert Huckson, the man generally considered to be the builder of the granite bridge, had arrived in South Australia from England in 1849. In 1855 he came to Melbourne where he was joined by his three brothers James, William and Thomas. The brothers worked together and won the contract in 1856 to erect the Treasury Buildings. Other governemnt contracts followed including that of the Gabo Lighthouse in 1860. During this time Robert was living at 220-222 Victoria Parade in East Melbourne, but he then moved to Dandneng where he erected a number of buildings such as the first Royal Hotel. He built Laurel Lodge, in Langhorne Street in Dandenong in 1867 (12). Laurel Lodge is still standing. This land had previously been owned by Janet Bowman (13) and Huckson sold the property in 1872 to James Lecky (14).
A public meeting was held in May 1867 to make plans for the opening of the stone bridge
The Age May 15 1867 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article155030341
In November 1916 the Dandenong Advertiser reported that Some years ago, when the meandering verdure clad Dandenong creek was straightened to allow the flood waters to get away more rapidly, and thus save the low-lying lands and houses in around Dandenong from inundation, it was considered at the time, that it was a good and necessary work, and so it was, because we will not now ever have a serious flood. But the work has proved an expensive one, as the erosion in the creek has been very decided as in some places the chasm is 30 ft. deep and 60 yards wide (15). This erosion impacted not only the stone bridge but other bridges as well When the erosion commenced, away down Keysborough, and a massive weir was put in the creek to stop its progress, a heavy flood came along, and the flood gates and weir were washed away down to Mordialloc. Later, the erosion crept up to the Hammond road bridge, and that disappeared. The railway bridge stood the shock, but had to be fortified by a small train load of boulders, but the force of the waters and the fall of earth let most of the stone down below the bridge. Still the piles are driven right down to what appears to be rock, and they are not likely to shift. The falls are now gradually approaching the stone bridge on the Gippsland road, at the foot of Lonsdale-street, and it will be almost impossible to save the structure, and a fine old landmark will be obliterated (16).
View from Old Stone Bridge, Dandenong, c. 1900.
This image is cropped, see the original here http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/336472
State Library of Victoria image H2014.1013/151.
A decision was made to replace it. This was not a popular decison with everyone, especially the Dandenong Advertiser - It seems a thousand pities that this old landmark—the good old key to Gippsland, should have been allowed to fall without some effort being made to save it. It was said that two contractors had guaranteed to secure the bridge for all time for a sum of between £250 and £300. If that were so, what a pity it is that the structure shouldhave been allowed to collapse without a hand to save, and that the whole of the road traffic of Gippsland should have been diverted in the middle of winter by a detour road which was execrable in its incidence.... the a shame that the traffic should be diverted over a morass—for you could not call the state of Hammond road, with the abnormal traffic on it, anything else (17).
The new bridge was designed by the Dandenong Shire Engineer, R.H. Woodcock, who incidentally purchased Laurel Lodge in 1918 (18). It was built by the Country Roads Board (C.R.B.), the contractors were Reilley Brothers (19) and officially opened by the Premier of Victoria, Mr Lawson (20), on August 29, 1919. The wife of the Dandenong Shire President, Mrs Abbott (21) had the honour of cutting the ribbon. William Calder, the chairman of the C.R.B., was also present at the opening. The total cost of the bridge, including all the necessary road construction was £4,435 (22).
The Peace Memorial Bridge at Dandenong which was officially opened in 1919.
The Bridge at Dandenong. c. 1925.
Photographer: Valentines. State Library of Victoria Image H2009.98/14
There were two interesting aspects of the day. Firstly a 'time capsule' was installed. The South Bourke & Mornington Journal reported that on the day the Shire President eunumerated the documents and newspapers contained in a bottle found in the foundations of the old bridge .... and which had been deposited in the new bridge, in company with more recent productions in regard to documents and newspapers (23). When the bridge was enlarged in 1938 the 'time capsule' was recovered and it was reported that in a bottle behind the memorial stone were found copies of two daily newspapers- dated December 19, 1866, and a copy of the Journal which was published on July 24, 1919 (24). The original balustrading on the west side of the bridge, still remains.
Secondly and more importantly, Mr Groves M.L.A, was called upon to unveil the tablet in the of the bridge, which had been provided to perpetuate the memory of fallen heroes at War (25). The tablet reads In honor of the brave men who gave their lives to save civilisation and to commemorate the declaration of Peace. June 1919 (26). The decision to erect the memorial tablet on the new bridge at Dandenong and an existing bridge over the Dandenong Creek at Mordialloc was made at a Dandenong Council meeting held July 28, 1919 - Cr Groves said he thought a tablet should be placed on Mordialloc bridge, in memory of local fallen heroes in the great war. He was prepared to have the work done at his own expense. On motion of Crs Colenso and Burden, the offer was accepted with thanks. On motion of Crs Harris and Colenso, the matter of having a similar tablet placed on the bridge on the Main road at Dandenong, was left in the hands of the Centre riding members (27) The bridge is known as the Peace Memorial Bridge and the Victorian Heritage Database (28) says there are two other bridges in the State with that appellation - at Omeo and Mordialloc.
The Peace Memorial Bridge, in October 1937, during a flood.
Image: Historic Waterways Photo Library - this photo was, I believe, taken by the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission.
The Peace Memorial bridge, 1938.
Country Roads Board photographer.
Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 17684/P0003/4854, 38_00158
Trove list
I have created a list of articles relating to the stone bridge and the Peace Memorial bridge over the Dandenong Creek, at Dandenong. You can access the list, here.
Footnotes
(1) The Dandenong Advertiser commenced publication in 1874, and ceased in 1959. The publisher was James W. Swords and later taken over by other family members.
(2) Henry Beattie, of Mt Aitken, purchased the Yallock Estate, of 2, 719 acres, near Koo Wee Rup, in May 1875. It had been part of the Western Port holdings owned by John Mickle, John Bakewell and William Lyall. Beattie had arrived in Victoria from Scotland in 1854 and worked with John Aitken at his Mt Aitken Station, in the Sunbury area. Beattie later purchased Mount Aitken, operating a Hereford cattle stud, in fact it was considered to be one of the best Hereford studs in Australia. He was also the first to import pedigree Shropshire sheep to Australia. I believe it was his son Henry, who managed the Yallock Run. Henry Snr was a member of the Melton Shire for forty years. He died on August 10, 1906. You can read his obituary in The Age, here. The Yallock Estate was put up for sale in 1915, read about this here.
(3) Dandenong Advertiser, June 20, 1918, see here.
(4) G.R.F., Reminiscences of Early Dandenong - George Fenton Roulston, publisher of the South Bourke & Mornington Journal, later the Dandenong Journal. He wrote the book in 1935 and it was republished by the Dandenong & District Historical Society in 1992.
(5) G.R.F., op.cit p. 99
(6) G.R.F., op.cit p. 99
(7) J. Nichols - This is John Nichols - his surname is also listed as Nicholls, Nicol, Nicholl. I don't know anything else about him, partly because I don't know the correct spelling of his surname.
(8) Skidmore, Colin Laurel Lodge, No. 51 Langhorne Street, Dandenong (Dandenong & District Historical Society, 1973). I first found out that Robert Huckson built Laurel Lodge from his entry on the East Melbourne Historical Society website, https://emhs.org.au/catalogue/emvf0172 and this entry led me to Colin's book.
(9) Skidmore, op. cit., p. 2.
(10) The Age May 15 1867, see here.
(11) G.R.F., op.cit p. 99-100.
(12) Skidmore, op. cit., p. 2.
(13) Janet Bowman, established the Gippsland Hotel at Beaconsfield and organised and paid for the cutting of Bowman's Track. I have written about her, here. You can read her obituary in the Dandenong Journal, here.
(14) James Lecky, owner of Gin Gin Bean at Officer. You can read about the Lecky family, here.
(15) Dandenong Advertiser, November 23, 1916, see here.
(16) Dandenong Advertiser, November 23, 1916, see here.
(17) Dandenong Advertiser, June 20, 1918, see here.
(18) R. H. Woodcock - Robert Hopper Woodcock. He took up the position of Shire Engineer in 1911, and purchased Laurel Lodge in 1918. The Woodcocks, Robert, his wife Nellie, had three daughters, Beatrice, Dorothy and Constance. Robert died June 1951, Nellie in 1971 and in 1972, their unmarried daughter, Dorothy sold Laurel Lodge to the Dandenong Council. It is now part of the historic Heritage Hill complex, see here. The information in this footnote comes from Colin Skidmore's book on Laurel Lodge and Robert's death notice in the Dandenong Journal of June 20, 1951, see here.
(19) Reilley Brothers - listed as Reilley Bros., in the South Bourke & Mornington Journal, here, but I believe that the surname is actually spelt Reilly - there is a report that they built the main outlett channel, Waranga Basin, here.
(20) Sir Harry Sutherland Wightman Lawson, read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here.
(21) Mrs Abbott - Ellen Ada Abbott, wife of John Abbott, storekeeper. He died in 1938, see his obituary in the Dandenong Journal, here. Mrs Abbott died in January 1965.
(22) Information about the bridge opening comes from South Bourke & Mornington Journal September 4, 1919, see here.
(23) South Bourke & Mornington Journal September 4, 1919, see here.
(24) Dandenong Journal, May 25, 1938, see here.
(25) South Bourke & Mornington Journal September 4, 1919, see here.
(26) Monument Australia https://monumentaustralia.org.au/display/30958-peace-memorial-bridge
(28) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, July 31, 1919, see here.
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