A pictorial tribute to Gundagai's Prince Alfred Bridge

The last days of the old Prince Alfred Bridge viaduct as demolition crews moved in. Photo: Maree Myhill.

On Wednesday, 3 November, excavators moved onto the Gundagai floodplain and demolition of the old Prince Alfred Bridge viaduct began.

Prolific Young photographer Maree Myhill captured images of the work being undertaken, chronicling the loss of the town’s beloved timber structure.

“I’ve driven over this rickety old bridge hundreds of times before the new bridge [Sheahan Bridge] was built, including when a massive flood was flowing underneath it,” she tells Region Media.

“What an amazing feat to build a long bridge of this magnitude in the 1860s. It has always been a part of Gundagai so it’s sad to see it go.”

The slideshow below features images of Prince Alfred Bridge from the past and present. Many of the images appeared on the ‘Gundagai and its People’ Facebook page in recent months.

Chris Nicholes was one of those contributors, with his keen interest in the bridges of Gundagai being forged as he worked on both Prince Alfred and Sheahan Bridges. In 2005, he undertook asphalt pavement maintenance on Prince Alfred’s iron river crossing, which is still in use.

Chris then worked on the new parallel Sheehan Bridge for 15 months before it was completed in 2009, providing a dual carriageway for southbound traffic on the Hume Highway. His Ford was the first car to cross the new bridge.

The first Sheehan Bridge was completed in 1977 and has since been since refurbished and carries northbound Hume Highway traffic.

There are plans to memorialise the bridge, of which submissions closed on 31 October.

The road leading to Gundagai Showground and Racecourse passed under the timber viaduct, which brandished signage welcoming visitors to Gundagai: The Premier Horse Town. Photo: Gundagai Tourist Information Centre.

The old mill, Morley's Creek, Gundagai. Photo: National Museum of Australia.

The Gundagai flour mill surrounded by water during a flood in 1900. Photo: National Museum of Australia.

Gundagai Bridge taken from South Gundagai, circa 1890. Photo: State Library of NSW.

The northside approache to the bridge, circa 1890. Photo: State Library of NSW.

Women and children walking on Prince Alfred Bridge, Gundagai, circa 1900. Photo: Gundagai photograph collection by Charles Gabriel, 1887-1927.

Women and children walking on Prince Alfred Bridge, Gundagai. Photo: Gundagai photograph collection by Charles Gabriel, 1887-1927.

Where two bridges meet: Gundagai's Prince Alfred viaduct and the town's Railway Bridge. Photo: State Library of NSW.

A colourised image of women and children on Prince Alfred Bridge. Photo: State Library of NSW.

Under the Gundagai Railway Bridge: A pilot (captain) giving joy rides. Following the railway line back to Sydney, he was killed in fog near Mittagong. Photo: State Library of NSW.

A mid-1970s photo by Don Gorman, his Ford maintenance truck on deck. This image shows the water supply shed and power poles. Photo: Chris Nicholes, Gundagai and Its People Facebook page.

Chris Nicholes also shared this photo of his family at a reunion picnic near Prince Alfred Bridge where the caravan park stands today. Chris's mother is kneeling at the front of the picture and he is the young boy (aged 16) with the towel over his shoulder. Photo: Chris Nicholes.

The same picnic spot as the previous photo. Photo: Chris Nicholes.

Cars crossing Prince Alfred Bridge in 1977. The viaduct provided safe passage to thousands of vehicles travelling between Melbourne and Sydney before Sheahan Bridge was built as part of the new Hume Highway. Local traffic and pedestrians continued to use Prince Alfred viaduct until it was permanently closed in 1984. Photo: Supplied.

Despite efforts by the community to preserve the timber viaduct, it remained at the mercy of time and weather. Photo: Supplied.

Provision was made for visitors to view the old bridge from safety platforms. Photo: Supplied.

Collapsing in sections, the bridge was deemed a public safety hazard. Photo: Supplied.

In May 2020, demolition work was undertaken on O I Bell Drive after routine engineering assessments identified deterioration caused by recent heavy rainfall and impact by a truck. Photo: Supplied.

Restoration work was estimated to cost more then $20 million. Photo: Maree Myhill.

Demolition crews moved onto the floodplain prior to demolition of Prince Alfred Bridge. Photo: Maree Myhill.

By August 2021, heavy rain in the area during winter increased the weight of bridge timber due to water retention, causing the southern end to collapse. Photo: Maree Myhill.

With the ongoing risk of other sections of the bridge collapsing, including the potential for a significant collapse if flooding occurred, fencing was erected in order to protect the community. Photo: Maree Myhill.

The remaining skeleton of the bridge after demolition work was well underway. Photo: Maree Myhill.

The local community is hoping upright sections of the bridge will be kept intact for the public to view. Photo: Maree Myhill.

Prince Alfred Bridge stood for 152 years but it took just days to demolish. Photo: Maree Myhill.

The Prince Alfred Bridge from afar. Photo: Chris Nicholes, Gundagai and its People Facebook page.

The scattered remains of Prince Alfred Bridge after demolition commenced. Photo: Maree Myhill.