noosa-heads

                                                                                                                            5




                                              1886 photograph showing “Alexandra Bridge”

This bridge was of timber construction and, although it may have proved adequate for the needs of its time of
construction, it soon proved to be unequal to coping with the requirements of modern transport in such areas as the
greatly increased sizes of trucks and passenger coaches. The widths of these vehicles in particular made passing on the
bridge impossible and their weights were too much for the structure to carry. There was also the greatly increased
volume of traffic using the bridge with the growth of Noosa Heads and Sunshine Beach.
Construction of the third Weyba Creek bridge thus became imperative and a major concrete structure was built some 50
metres downstream from the existing one. The bridge was completed in 1973, but there was no official opening
ceremony in relation to it.7
The old bridge, despite its inadequacies as a traffic distributor, has a certain aesthetic charm and it spanned a part of
Weyba Creek that provided good recreational fishing opportunities for tourists and local residents. It was therefore
decided to retain the bridge, but to close it to vehicular traffic. This was done and the old bridge served as a walking and
cycling path, and as a fishing platform until 1991, when, on 7 November that year, two middle spans suddenly collapsed.
The cause of this minor disaster was due to vermin infestation 8 aided, in all probability, by continued subjection to traffic
movements while in its active life.
By 5 June 1992 the Shire Engineer had to report to Council that further severe deterioration had occurred in the
remaining structure of the bridge. Only two spans, both at the Noosaville end of the bridge were at all safe and it was
recommended that the bridge be demolished.9 The need for the work carried some urgency as certain foolhardy
members of the community were still using the bridge and were thus endangering their lives. The result was that the task
was commenced on 5 January 1993 with completion achieved shortly thereafter. 10 The building contractor for the project
was Alan Guymer of Black Mountain Road, Cooroy.11




6
    Edwards, Denise, Coast to Country - A History of development in Noosa Shire, Edwards, Noosa Heads, 2001
7
    `No Official Opening of Weyba Bridge', Noosa News, 4 Oct. 1973.
8
    Noosa Council Archival Files.
9
    ibid.
10
     ibid.
11
     Pers. comm., Aline Gillespie, 2001.