New Bridge


New Bridge
I was in primary school in 1933 when the new bridge was built. We walked to school every day, round the back of Chris Gillies' house, across the old bridge. That's how we got to school. So, when they were building the bridge here, it was a big operation, I'm sure it took a year to build. So when they were building the bridge there was a flood in the river which bent the girders. They wouldn't believe that the river could come up so high. Bent the girders and they had to start again, and build the bridge a bit higher. Then they had a big cutting to do along that end of the bridge to Steele's. That cutting had a little railway with a steam engine pulling bogeys. So occasionally for a special treat we were allowed to ride on the footplate of this little steam engine, so I occasionally went to school by train! Steam train!

I suppose it was local stone they used, but the cement and concrete was brought in at the pier by boat.