OLD GOULBURN RIVER BRIDGE

This one almost looks like a painting. Old Goulburn River Bridge.

Photo: Julie Clarke (c) 2017

Photo: Julie Clarke (c) 2017

Badly in need of repair. Photo: Julie Clarke (c) 2017

Bridge and river. Photo: Julie Clarke (c) 2017

Idyllic surroundings. Photo: Julie Clarke (c) 2017

For years I've been aware that my great grandfather William Farquharson and his brother James (along with their crew) built the magnificent bridge at Swan Hill, but it was only earlier this week that I discovered they were prolific bridge builders, having built bridges at Tocumwal, Cobram, Albury and the Goulburn River Bridge at Seymour. For heritage listing of bridge see: http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/6157

I'd visited Seymour on 2 October and took several photographs of the Goulburn river that ran behind the Royal Hotel, one of the first buildings in Seymour and was unaware that I was but a fifteen minute walk from the 125 year old bridge built by the Farquharson Bros in 1892. The bridge was used in WW2 to carry heavy army vehicles and equipment and although a new bridge was built in 1967 the old Goulburn River bridge still continued to serve as the crossing for traffic to Puckapunyal until the building of the Hume highway in 1982. It was closed off to public access due to disrepair, however the Shire of Mitchell and Friends of the Bridge are resigned to bringing the bridge back to her former glory. I was determined to see the bridge even though I new that I wouldn't be able to walk on it or touch it, so when I went to Seymour yesterday I drew upon guidance from the Seymour Information Center and Mitchells Bus line who pointed me in the right direction and warned me, given I would be walking, to keep an eye out for snakes.

I'd had a pleasant journey from Southern Cross Station to Wallan conversing with Dr Roger Hartnett who traveled there twice a week. On arrival I had coffee at the beautiful art deco Railway Club hotel and then I caught Mitchells bus to the Seymour Information Center. After crossing the double and extremely busy Emily Street freeway I decided against venturing along the secluded track and instead walked 1.5 km alongside the main road to the bridge, which was nestled at the end of old Hume Highway Road.

Although the area was cordoned off with a tall cyclone fence I was struck with this old, but beautiful structure that blended into the surrounding landscape and seemed somehow to exude a quiescence even though the cry of Kookaburras and the buzz of insects was audible. There was a flock of Major Mitchell Cockatoos savaging on the ground and beautiful Rosella's in the trees. I found an open area of the fence and took a few photographs of the bridge. I hesitated going onto it because it may have been dangerous. I walked half the way back and then called a taxi because my left ankle was sore. I'm pleased that I've had a sense of my family history in something very solid and material, more so than a photograph.

Photo: Julie Clarke (c) 2017