noosa-heads

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6.1         WEYBA CREEK PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE
LOCATION                   Crossing Weyba Creek, some 50 metres upstream from the existing concrete vehicular traffic
                           bridge.

TENURE                     Boundary watercourse

DATE                       1993 which is a replica of the original bridge built in 1929.

DESCRIPTION                Arched wooden pedestrian bridge




                                                   Weyba Creek Bridge as it appears today

6.1.1       BRIEF HISTORY
The first Weyba Creek bridge, situated slightly upstream from the existing footbridge was not very high above the
waterline. It was photographed in 18861 and was officially opened on 24 April of that year, known as the Alexandra
Bridge.2 The photograph shows it was a very low-level affair, which did not leave any clearance for fishing boats to pass
under it. Ian Pedley records that the bridge became dangerous to traffic due to heavy infestations of the marine worm
known as a `cobra' and had to be demolished in 1891.3
Local historian, Colin Monks claims, however, that the low profile of the bridge did not allow clearance for the boats of the
local fishermen and such was their frustration, that they remedied the situation by destroying the bridge by fire.4 In any
event goods and travellers had to be transferred across the creek until the construction of the new wooden bridge, a
period which lasted from 1891 until 1929.
With the building of this new bridge, the fishermen and other boatmen appeared to have had notice taken of their
problems, since, when the bridge was designed, it was of much higher clearance, particularly in its middle spans, and
boat movement was generally unimpeded. The new bridge was constructed immediately downstream from the old one
and it was officially opened to traffic on Saturday, 19 th October 1929. It was part of a project sponsored by real estate
developers, T.M. Burke Pty Ltd5 to help open up Golden Beach now known as Sunshine Beach, for development.6

1
    Pomona Museum: photograph from its collection displayed at Noosa Council's library as part of the heritage exhibition forming part of the
          Heritage Week opening ceremony on 19 March 2001.
2
    Pedley, Ian, Winds of Change 100 years in Widgee Shire. Gympie, Widgee Shire Council, 1979, p.36.
3
    ibid.
4
    Monks, Colin, Noosa The Way It Was The Way It Is Now, Tewantin, Colin Monks, 2000, p.17.
5
    The Dynamo No. 20, T.M. Burke Pty Ltd, (No other publication details are available. Copy forms part of Noosa Council's archival files).