Mr. Catani, engineer of roads and bridges connected with the Public Works department, visited Casterton to-day for the purpose of making an official inspection of the bridge over the Glenelg which it is proposed to replace this season by a new structure. Plans recently prepared by the shire engineer were submitted to Mr. Catani, who seemed impressed with the urgent need for the work. The patching up of the old bridge has been going on for years, and for some time past it has been regarded as so insecure that notice boards have been posted on each end warning carriers against crossing with loads exceeding four tons. (2).
At the Glenelg Shire Council meeting of November 19, 1897, the motion was passed to call for tenders for the new bridge (3) and at the December meeting it was reported that five tenders were received...and that of Burgess and Sons, of Digby, £1135, was accepted (4).
A month later in January 1898 the Shire Engineer, William Henry Scott (5) reported to the Council meeting that -
A consignment of piles for the new bridge at Casterton had been delivered, and it was expected that work would be commenced within about 10 days (6). The Age noted that on February 14, the first pile of the new bridge over the Glenelg River at Casterton was driven today by the contractors, Messrs. Burgess and Sons. (7).
In mid-April, the Hamilton Spectator, had this update the contractor for the new bridge over the Glenelg is making fair progress, but is hampered by the difficultly of obtaining the necessary teams to deliver the big timber. The long drought has helped them considerably, and the hope to have the heaviest portion of the work completed before the river begins to run (8).
The bridge was completed towards the end of June and officially opened on July 7, 1898 by the wife of the Shire Engineer, Mrs Scott and after the opening ceremony the President will entertain his colleagues and the contractors at a dinner at Mrs. Schofields hotel (9). The Weekly Times reported that a public demonstration was held to celebrate the event (10), by which I presume they mean a celebration and not a protest.
In 1918, the bridge was twenty years old and it was re-decked -
The work of re-decking the bridge over the Glenelg at Casterton, which had been in progress for about five weeks, was completed yesterday. The re-decking of the bridge involved the taking up of 2,000 feet of old timber, and replacing it with a like quantity of now stringy bark planks 8in. x 4½in., and the work of removal and replacing was necessarily delayed through it being carried on with-out interruption of traffic over the bridge, which on the contrary frequently interrupted the re-decking operations. An excellent job has been made, by the men engaged, with Mr J. Davis as foreman, acting under supervision of the Shire Engineer (Mr F. A. Wilson), and it is gratifying to learn that it was found in connection with the re-decking work, that the beams, piles, and other wood-work of the main structure were thoroughly sound, and apparently in as good condition as when the bridge was erected nearly 20 years ago, under, direction of a former Shire Engineer, Mr W. H. Scott. The new deck provides smooth going for traffic, and it is expected that it will, like its predecessor, stand for about 20 year's wear. The cost has not yet been fully computed, but is expected to be below the Engineer's estimate.(11).
This was the third bridge over the Gleneng River at Casterton - the first one was a low-level structure, known as Kirby's bridge, built in the 1850s. The second bridge was built in 1867, a high-level bridge down stream from Kirby's Bridge. The 1898 bridge was replaced in1937 by a concrete bridge, opened by the Governor of Victoria, Lord Huntingford, on December 2, 1937. On the same day, Lady Huntingfield opened the remodelled Hospital at Casterton (12).
On a side note - the photograph, above, shows Mohr's Bridge Inn. Samuel and Myrtle Isabel Mohr are both listed in the Electoral rolls at Casterton as hotelkeepers from 1914 until 1919. In October 1919, the Bridge Inn closed as it had been deprived of its license at a Licences Reduction Board hearing, because it was considered not necessary for the convenience of the public or the requirements of the locality (13). The owner was compensated £735 and the licensee £150. The building was reported to have been sold for removal (14). As a matter of interest the Hamilton Spectator reported in July 1898 - The will of James Doyle, late of Carapook, farmer, has been filed. The estate is valued at £8641, which is left to the widow for life, and to be distributed amongst the children subsequently. There is a special clause in the will instructing his executors to sell his property, the Bridge Inn at Casterton, as he did not wish any of his children to engage in the trade of a publican (15).
And so ends the story of the only connection I can find between Carlo and the town of Casterton.
Trove list - I have created a list of articles on the 1897 bridge at Casterton and the Bridge Inn, access it here.
Footnotes(1) The Argus, October 20, 1897, see here.
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