The story of the Victoria Bridge – or high-level bridge – is one crucial to Cambridge’s development.
Cambridge Museum records show it was built over a seven-month period in 1907, using a kitset sent out from Kansas in the United States.
The bridge was built out from both sides of the Waikato River joining in the middle to perch some 35.4 metres above the water surface.
Tale of the Bridge.
It was the first braced steel arch bridge in Australasia, and came into service not long before the motor car replaced horse travel.
Part of Elizabeth Harvey’s presentation last week showed the bridge’s usage over just one week six years after it opened. A survey done in 1913 noted that 2422 motors, 3831 adults, 687 children, 485 bikes, 384 dogs, 1346 vehicles, 326 sheep, 809 cattle, two traction engines and two wagons crossed the bridge between August 3 and 9, proving its value to the fast-developing town of Cambridge.
Eagle-eyed readers may spot the perilously-perched workmen on the high-level bridge in 1907 – notably minus any of the safety features that would be required today.
Small Town, Big Stories
