Johnston St Bridge

The "New Bridge" in 1858. The photo (SLV) was taken from the Collingwood side, in the distance is the clifftop and the Johnston St Bridge Rd. At the left are the handrails and earthern stairway leading to the clifftop. This stairway survives to the present.

BACKGROUND

By the late 1840s, the Yarra marked the eastern boundary of subujrban development along Johnston St. Punts provided the principal means of transport across the river - Hodgson's Punt was downstream of Johnston St, at the foot of Clarke St, adjacent to the present-day Collingwood Community Farm. This carried passengers and goods between Collingwood and Kew. The remains of the stone landing steps of the Punt are is still visible, just off the Main Yarra Trail. The Kew end of the Punt was in the land now part of the present day Studley Park Golf Course.

1858

The first Johnston Street Bridge,called the "New Bridge" by Bonwick, was erected by the government and opened with great rejoicings on the part of the Collingwood folks. It was a wooden structure, consisting of two huge arched girders composed of numerous lengths of timber strapped and bolted together, set between stone abutments 180 feet apart.

From the arches the floor of the bridge was hung. It is said to have cost £30,000, with £20,000 additional for the approaches, a very considerable cutting having; to be made through the high bank on the Kew side. But the bridge did not last long; dry rot got into the timbers, and its care was one of the first duties imposed upon the Kew Council in 1861.

Later some £750 was spent in building a staging under the bridge so as to prevent it falling into the Yarra, and during the great flood of 1863 fears were entertained for its safety.

1876

A new iron bridge was built.

1956

A modern concrete and steel bridge was opened, replacing the 1876 one. The road was also straightened and widened, to eliminate the old dangerous bend on the Kew side.

ARTEFACTS

In 1956, the bluestone pylons supporting the old bridge were retained and the eastern pylon is now an Observation Platform, looking down on the Yarra. The metal protective fence is built from sections of the iron lattice rails recovered from the old bridge. The Platform is easily reached from Studley Park Rd, by walking along the surviving old roadway.