Gee Gee Bridge, Wakool River, 1929

ABOUT THE BRIDGE:

The earliest crossing at Gee Gee may have been constructed some time during the mid or late 19th century. The crossing would have served Cunninyeuk Station, a large sheep station between the Wakool and Niemur Rivers, which when put up for sale in 1906 was a 29,000 acre property in the Moulamein district “on the Deniliquin‐Swan Hill stock route” (Australian Town and Country Journal 19 September 1906 p.3). It is possible the crossing was a natural ford, or at best a ‘corduroy’ type crossing of logs laid over long stringers spanning the creek (a similar one was used at the Coonamit Ferry on the Wakool in the early 20th century) (Swan Hill Guardian 7 December 1914 p.2). The Gee Gee crossing appears to have been located a little way upstream of the current bridge.

The Minister for Railways was advised by the supervising surveyor that the “Gee Gee Crossing” would be suitable place for a railway bridge over the Wakool as part of the proposed railway from Goon Crossing on the Murray to Balranald (Riverina Recorder 8 June 1921). In 1926 Wakool Shire Council deliberated the Public Works proposal for:

National Works – Coonamit lift bridge and Gee Gee Crossing bridge. Two bridges over rivers and creeks to serve Gonn Railway line to Stony Crossing in various places provided the Shire Council of Wakool finds one third of the estimated cost of £10,000’…”

To which Council objected, minuting

“that [the] clerk [should] point out the absurdity of a lift span bridge at Coonamit , that the council are of opinion such a construction would be waste of public money. That our engineer report on the estimated costs, as shown by department's letter”(Riverina Recorder 29 September 1926, p.4).

One assumes the Gee Gee Crossing railway bridge proposal was also rejected since the railway could not be built without both crossings. However the need for road networks across the district was growing. One assumes the road to Swan Hill was already a functioning stock route and a tender was received in May 1928 for “Erection of composite truss bridge” the lowest bid being that of “A. C. Burdett, £5918”. (SMH 9 May 1928 p. 11). A copy of the original construction specification for this bridge has survived to this day and gives much detail on how the bridge was to be built. The need reflects the increasing importance of routes in the Moulamein district as travelling stock reserves (TSR).

The Gee Gee Bridge was apparently begun in 1928. Newspaper reports indicate the relief bridge over the flood channels was added later. The Wakool Shire Council contacted the Department of Public Works shortly after the main bridge was completed, to advise that:

“the (completed) section… would be quite useless when the river is at its normal height owing to the two shallower channels between the completed section and the northern bank of the river” (TfNSW File 469.66)

This work experienced delays and contractual issues of one kind or another. An additional timber beam approach bridge was eventually constructed in 1933 for the sum of £2341.6. Formations (i.e. northern and southern earthworks) were finished in 1934 or possibly early 1935 (See e.g. Riverina Recorder 29 Sept 1934 p.4)