Showing 2 items
matching orbost-snowy-river-bridge-1971 floods-orbost-1971
-
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, 1971
... orbost-snowy-river-bridge-1971 floods-orbost-1971... River Bridge was washed away. orbost-snowy-river-bridge-1971 ...This photograph shows the second major bridge across the Snowy River at Orbost. The current Snowy River bridge is the fourth to provide a crossing to the township of Orbost. The first, in 1891, lasted just two years before it succumbed to flood waters. The bridge in this photograph was built in the 1920s as a road and rail bridge, and was again partly washed away by flood waters in 1934. After the end of the first World War the Victorian Railways considered an extension of the railhead across the river at Orbost, and in 1922 a new timber and steel girder structure, a joint Country Roads Board — Victorian Railways venture, was built and completed at a cost of £41,000 (the steel girders came from the Flinders Street viaduct reconstruction). Subsequently it was decided not to take the railway across the river, and the bridge was only used by road traffic. It was severely battered by floods during its life. and after the devastating 1971 floods was eventually replaced by the current bridge in 1975. (info from Newletter 54N by John Phillips)This is a pictorial record of the flood damage in 1971 when part of the Snowy River Bridge was washed away.A black / white photograph of a bridge which has been damaged by floodwaters. It shows one end has been washed away.orbost-snowy-river-bridge-1971 floods-orbost-1971 -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, February 1971
This photograph was taken near the Snowy River Bridge on the the old Princes Highway in Orbost, near the caravan park. The 1971 flood was the the worst flood on record. At Jarrahmond it was at least 11 metres and up to one and a half kilometres wide on the flats causing enormous damage to the flood plain. Records say that "The brown floodwater stain in Bass Strait could be seen from passing airliners." Considerable damage was done to railway infrastructure, roads and farms. More information from the APRIL, 2008 newsletter by John Phillips. (see orbosthistory.com.au)This is pictorial evidence of a significant local event. Floods have been an integral part of Orbost's history for hundreds of years.A black / white photograph of debris, fallen power lines, a tree across the highway and floodwaters across the road.on front at bottom - handwritten in upper case print - " 1971 FLOOD PRINCES HIGHWAY NEAR SNOWY BRIDGE"floods-orbost-1971