BRIDGES PUNTS AND CROSSINGS

Compiled by Judy Ormond

Across Moira Shire Waterways and beyond. 1870s to 2024.

A very insightful read for today’s fast modern world, where we take our bridges for granted, this book captures the challenges people would have faced with communication and commuting goods. A colourful read featuring over 50 years of fascinating bridges, punts and crossings.

FOREWORD

When Judy asked me to write a foreword for this book, I asked to have a copy to read prior to my putting pen to paper.  Duly an incomplete copy arrived and I was stunned at the amount of work already done.  I ended up proof reading her work as I followed Judy’s train of thought in compiling this work.

In today’s fast modern world, we take our bridges for granted but it would be mind enhancing if our residents also visitors just stopped for a moment to imagine what our country here, served by the Goulburn River, Murray River, Broken Creek, their tributaries and anabranches, would be like without the benefit of bridges.  What now takes a fleeting second to pass over a waterway could take many many hours of painstaking labour to get animals and horse-drawn vehicles across the chasm particularly facing the dangers involved in traversing the Goulburn and Murray Rivers with their steep sides and fast flowing water.

Initially punts were brought into operation at strategic crossing places, punt men employed to operate the conveyance, sometimes with a toll to be paid.

Where punts were installed on the major crossings, they attracted the hotel cum store keeper investor who in turn attracted the stock agents and staff with their sheep and cattle sales. The hotel proprietor ran horse races and sporting events at such times as Easter, Xmas and New Years Day which would boost his income.  It was not long before the accumulating inhabitants formed the nucleus of a community and were agitating for a more substantial crossing in the form of a bridge. McCoy’s Bridge, Stewart’s Bridge, Barmah East Bridge and Nathalia town bridge are such examples although today you would not recognize McCoy’s, Barmah East and Stewart’s Bridges as being the centre of communities.

In compiling this work Judy has captured the frustrations of the various shires’ councillors and residents as they faced the daunting task of getting produce to market, purchasing supplies and general communication with towns within those shires. Bridges had to be prioritised according to traffic use and cost.

 Bridge building has its own specialized language, particularly the old wooden variety, so for the readers’ benefit a glossary of terms has been included in the publication.

Judy is to be congratulated for her zest over the years in photographing old disused bridges, punts and crossings, the progress of new constructions and in some cases reconstructions of bridges, capturing history for posterity.  The format of the book, that is, in alphabetical order, makes it readily searchable for a particular crossing; a valuable encyclopaedia for local crossings.  It is an epic work that does not have to be read all at once but can be picked up and put down at leisure.  It is a very interesting, colourful publication and a good read.

                                                                                                Lynette E. Franklin OAM

                                                                                                             Nathalia