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Maryborough Wide Bay & Burnett Historical Society Inc., 427 Kent Street (PO Box 84), Maryborough (2026)

09/10/2026

Part 3 - From ferries to concrete: 100 years of the Granville Bridge

On 11 December 1926, thousands of people gathered to celebrate the opening of the Granville Bridge. For the first time, Maryborough and Granville were permanently united by road. This six-part series commemorates the bridge’s centenary by tracing the story of the ferries that first connected the two communities, the decades-long campaign for a permanent crossing, its construction, opening and enduring legacy.

Part 3 of 6 – Promises, politics and public arguments

By the late nineteenth century, the question was no longer whether Maryborough needed a bridge across the Mary River. Public opinion had largely settled that issue. The challenge now lay in turning decades of campaigning into a practical reality.
That proved far more difficult than simply agreeing that a bridge should be built. Once governments, engineers, local councils and ratepayers began examining the details, a host of competing interests emerged. The arguments now centred on where it should be built, how much it would cost, who would pay for it and whether tolls should be imposed on the very people who had fought hardest for its construction.

The bridge proposal quickly exposed tensions between competing interests in Maryborough. Shipping advocates feared that any low-level crossing would interfere with navigation on the Mary River, which still serviced sawmills, wharves, the sugar mill and industrial operations upstream. Motorists and Granville residents, on the other hand, wanted a practical and affordable bridge that would finally free them from dependence on the ferries.

The dispute over location became one of the most contentious aspects of the entire project. One proposal favoured a high-level bridge between Norway and Cardigan Streets. Supporters argued that a higher structure would avoid interfering with river traffic and eliminate the need for an opening span. Others supported a lower bridge between Tiger and Odessa Streets, incorporating a lifting section that could be raised to allow vessels to pass. The lower option was considered cheaper and more convenient for traffic, but opponents warned that shipping delays and mechanical failures could create ongoing problems.

Beyond the engineering arguments lay deeper anxieties about Maryborough’s future direction. River trade had built the town’s prosperity in the nineteenth century, but the rise of motor vehicles and road transport, plus the railway, was steadily reshaping regional commerce. The bridge debate became, in many respects, a contest between the old river-based economy and the emerging motor age.

Public meetings grew heated. Newspaper editorials criticised delays and accused officials of obstructing progress. Granville residents, who had endured years of queues at the ferry approaches, grew increasingly impatient with what they regarded as endless bureaucratic delays and political interference.

Then came the issue that inflamed public opinion more than any other — tolls. The projected cost of the bridge was substantial, and local authorities faced the difficult question of how to finance the project. Proposals emerged to have bridge users pay tolls to help recover construction costs and maintain the structure.
Many residents reacted immediately and with hostility. Granville residents argued that they had already endured decades of inconvenience and isolation while waiting for the bridge. Many believed it was fundamentally unfair to expect them to pay every time they crossed into Maryborough. Business owners feared tolls would discourage trade and place an unnecessary burden on commerce between the two sides of the river.

The toll debate struck a nerve because the ferries had long required payment for passage. Many residents believed the entire point of the bridge was to finally eliminate the delays, restrictions and ongoing expense of river crossings. The prospect of replacing one form of paid crossing with another angered many in the community.

Local newspapers captured the intensity of the public mood. Letters to the editor and meeting reports revealed growing frustration with what some regarded as political indecision and unnecessary complications. Each delay seemed to reinforce fears that the bridge might once again end in another failed proposal, as earlier schemes had.

Meanwhile, negotiations among the Maryborough City Council, the Burrum Shire Council and the Bridge Board became increasingly complex. Loan arrangements had to be negotiated, engineering recommendations considered and government approvals secured. Costs continued to rise as plans evolved.

Despite the disputes, public pressure for the bridge continued to build. Residents understood that Maryborough was changing rapidly. Motor vehicles were becoming more common, suburban expansion was continuing, and commercial traffic across the river was steadily increasing. The ferries, once regarded as reliable and practical, were struggling to cope with the growing demands placed on them.

The debate over the bridge increasingly dominated civic discussion in Maryborough. Supporters argued that the project would stimulate development, improve transport efficiency and finally properly unite Granville with the rest of the town. Opponents questioned the financial risks, engineering feasibility and the impact on river navigation.

At times, the entire project appeared to be in danger of collapse. Yet each new controversy seemed only to strengthen the resolve of those campaigning for the bridge. After decades of false starts and abandoned proposals, many Granville residents had grown unwilling to accept further delay. The ferries continued to operate day and night across the Mary River, but public sentiment was steadily shifting towards the belief that their time was coming to an end.

By the mid-1920s, the bridge had become far more than an infrastructure proposal. For many residents, it symbolised progress, permanence and recognition that Granville was no longer a small settlement across the river but an important part of Maryborough, whose future could no longer depend on punts and ferrymen.

23/09/2026

From ferries to concrete: 100 years of the Granville Bridge

On 11 December 1926, thousands of people gathered to celebrate the opening of the Granville Bridge. For the first time, Maryborough and Granville were permanently united by road. This six-part series commemorates the bridge’s centenary by tracing the story of the ferries that first connected the two communities, the decades-long campaign for a permanent crossing, its construction, opening and enduring legacy.
Part 2 — The river barrier
By the mid-1880s, the debate about the ferries in Maryborough began to shift.
For more than 20 years, the community had focused on improving the ferry services across the Mary River. New punts had been introduced, the Guava Street crossing had replaced the earlier manually operated system with the steam-powered Alert, and successive operators worked tirelessly to keep the two sides of the river connected. Yet despite these improvements, it was becoming increasingly clear that the problem could never be fully solved by ferries alone.
The Mary River remained a barrier. On the eastern bank, Granville was steadily emerging as far more than a small riverside settlement. Timber mills, engineering workshops, slipways, a brewery, sugar plantations and other industries were established, while new homes continued to spread across the higher ground. Although separated from Maryborough by only a short stretch of water, Granville’s future remained constrained by the limitations of the ferry crossings.
Every horse, dray, wagon, bullock team and later every motor vehicle still had to wait its turn to cross the river.
The ferries performed remarkably well considering the demands placed upon them, but they could not escape the realities of a growing district. Floods interrupted services, delayed shipping movements, increased crossings, and rising traffic produced longer queues. What had once been regarded as an efficient transport system was steadily becoming a bottleneck.
Local newspapers increasingly argued that the issue extended well beyond convenience. An editorial in the Colonist during 1886 observed that the existing ferry arrangements were little more than “a compromise of the difficulty” and argued that the continued growth of Granville demanded “nothing less than...a permanent bridge.” The newspaper suggested that such a structure would not simply replace the ferries but would unlock the industrial and commercial potential of the eastern bank while effectively doubling the available waterfront for future development.
The argument was persuasive. Supporters pointed out that large areas of productive land east of the Mary River remained underdeveloped because access to Maryborough was unreliable during floods and inconvenient during periods of heavy ferry traffic. Industries that might otherwise have been established along the Granville waterfront were discouraged by the uncertainty of river crossings. Farmers, timber workers and local businesses all depended on a transport system designed for a much smaller community.
The bridge therefore became a question of economic development as much as transport and the river itself reinforced the argument.
Although the Mary River had made Maryborough prosperous as a port, it could also isolate the community with remarkable speed. During floods, the ferries became difficult or impossible to operate, leaving Granville and surrounding localities cut off from the town. Residents found themselves separated not only from businesses and markets but also from schools, medical services and government offices. The limitations of the ferry system were becoming increasingly apparent.
The campaign for a bridge gathered momentum through public meetings, newspaper editorials and deputations to the government. Civic leaders argued that Maryborough could not continue to expand while one half of its future remained dependent on ferries. Granville residents pressed their case with growing determination, while many businesses recognised that a permanent crossing would strengthen the entire district rather than simply benefiting one suburb.
The proposal, however, was far from straightforward. A bridge across the Mary River would require substantial government assistance, complex engineering and agreement between two local authorities. The estimated cost was well beyond the resources of either Maryborough or Granville acting alone, and the Queensland Government remained cautious about committing such a significant investment.
There were also broader questions to answer. Where should the bridge be built? How would it affect shipping on the Mary River? Should it be a fixed bridge or incorporate a movable span? Who should contribute to its construction, and should those using it continue to pay tolls, just as they had paid to use the ferries?
By the late nineteenth century, these questions dominated public discussion. The campaign had moved beyond simply asking whether a bridge was desirable and attention now turned to how — and where — it could actually be built.
For a summary of the history of the bridge see also the 1926 Maryborough Chronicle see http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article153159049

21/09/2026

Granville Bridge Centenary Exhibition
The exhibition from the Wings over Mary event is now on display in the Society's Museum in the School of Arts Building on Kent St. The display traces the connection between Maryborough and Granville from the first Ferry to the closure of the Bascule Span on the Bridge.

05/09/2026

What a great day at the Wings over Mary event run by the Maryborough Military Aviation Museum. Talked to a lot of interesting and interested people about the Centenary of the Granville Bridge.
If you missed it here are some images of our finished display - the wind was so jealous it kept blowing it over ;-). We will also be installing the exhibition in our Museum in the School of Arts building.

04/09/2026

The buzzing of aircraft overhead is a reminder of this weekend's Wings over Mary event at the airport. The Society will have a display of photographs celebrating the centenary of the Graville bridge during this event on Saturday 5th September, for anyone who is not able to visit our museum during the week.

Attached are photographs of the volunteers sorting through our collection and preparing the display on Wednesday night.

03/09/2026

The Maryborough Wide Bay & Burnett Historical Society (MWBBHS) was established in 1955 with aim of recording and preserving the history of the Maryborough and surrounding districts. The society is now the custodian of a significant collection of items including: photographs, documents & books, paintings and other art work, material items (clothing, Manchester, hats, shoes, etc), and a wide range of metallic and wooden items. Many of these items are unique to Maryborough and require care when handling and storing. Different materials have different optimal storage and preservation requirements. In general, most items need to be stored in inert acid-free containers such as Polypropylene (PP) containers.

The Society recently received a Fraser Coast Regional Council Discretionary Grant from Cr Paul Truscott to purchase a selection of PP containers to safely store some of our more significant books. Including minute books from the Maryborough Fire Brigade, the Maryborough Sugar Mill and Tarrants.

29/08/2026

In the leadup to the anniversary of the opening of the Granville Bridge the Maryborough Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society is publishing a series of articles about the bridge’s history. A short outline of each article will be published in The Maryborough Sun newspaper. After which the full article will appear on our Facebook. Here is Part 1.

All photographs from the collection of the Maryborough Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc.

From ferries to concrete: 100 years of the Granville Bridge

On 11 December 1926, thousands of people gathered to celebrate the opening of the Granville Bridge. For the first time, Maryborough and Granville were permanently united by road. This six-part series commemorates the bridge’s centenary by tracing the story of the ferries that first connected the two communities, the decades-long campaign for a permanent crossing, its construction, opening and enduring legacy.

Part 1 - Across the river
From the time the settlement was established at a new site downstream around 1852, the Mary River served as the town’s commercial lifeline. Sailing vessels and steamships carried timber, wool, tallow, sugar and agricultural produce from the district, while bringing in people, goods, equipment and so on. The growing port attracted merchants, tradesmen and new settlers. Yet the same river that brought prosperity also divided part of the community. As settlement expanded across the eastern bank into what would become Granville, every journey between the two communities depended upon a ferry.
For more than 60 years, before the Granville Bridge finally spanned the Mary River in 1926, the ferrymen were among the district’s most important public servants. They carried workers to town before sunrise, children to school, families to church, drays laden with produce, livestock bound for market and, eventually, the first motor vehicles. Their ferries operated through moderate floods, storms and darkness, becoming an indispensable part of everyday life.

The first public ferry
As settlement grew during the early 1860s, pressure mounted for a permanent public crossing. In 1864, the Queensland Government approved funding for a ferry and approaches linking March Street in Maryborough with Napier Street in Granville, recognising the importance of opening the eastern bank for settlement and commerce. Construction of the approaches began early the following year, and by October 1865, the new Government punt was ready for inspection.
During his visit to Maryborough, Queensland’s Governor crossed the river aboard the new punt and officially named it the Victoria Ferry. It was an optimistic beginning for what was expected to become a vital public service.
The optimism proved short-lived. Only weeks after entering service, the Victoria Ferry sank. Rumours quickly spread that the punt had been deliberately scuttled, prompting an official investigation. The inquiry found no evidence of foul play, concluding instead that the ferry had become trapped as the tide rose, allowing water to wash over its deck.
The Maryborough Chronicle was considerably less sympathetic. While acknowledging that the punt had been well built, it observed that it appeared capable of carrying little more than its own weight and suggested that it needed steam power to be truly useful. When the vessel was eventually recovered, the newspaper could not resist a final jab, remarking that it was “nearly as useful—we mean useless—as it ever was.”
Despite the embarrassment, the crossing was far too important to abandon. In January 1866, the Government formally transferred responsibility for the ferry to the Maryborough Municipal Corporation, the forerunner of the Council. It immediately sought improved operating equipment, advertised for tenders to lease the service and established regulated tolls based on those charged at Prince’s Ferry across to Tinana. From that point onwards, the ferry became a municipal enterprise operated by private lessees under Council supervision.

The Gordon family and the March Street Ferry
Among the earliest and best-known operators were Stewart Gordon and later his son William Gordon. By the late 1860s and early 1870s, the Gordon family had become closely associated with the March Street crossing, managing the hand-operated ferry that linked the town with Granville.
The work was physically demanding. The small wooden punt was guided across the tidal river using heavy ropes and chains, requiring considerable strength and skill, particularly when carrying horses, small drays or livestock. Every crossing depended upon the judgement of the ferryman, who had to contend with tides, currents and changing weather.
The work could also be hazardous. In June 1870, one of the municipal punts sank after a team of bullocks became frightened and surged to one side of the vessel, overturning it. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, but the incident highlighted the risks faced by both ferrymen and passengers.

A second crossing at Guava Street
As Maryborough and Granville continued to expand, a second and larger ferry crossing developed between Guava Street in Maryborough and Raglan Street in Granville. Whereas the March Street ferry primarily served passenger traffic, the Guava Street crossing increasingly catered for commercial transport, carrying wagons, timber, livestock and heavy freight between the two communities.
Initially, this larger punt also relied upon manual operation. Guided by cables stretched across the river, it was hauled between the banks by hand. The system worked, but only just. Every time a steamer travelled upstream, the cables had to be lowered, interrupting both ferry operations and river navigation. Newspapers regularly complained of cables snapping or being damaged, with one report noting that such failures had become almost a weekly occurrence.
Recognising that the old system could no longer cope with increasing traffic, the operators sought a more efficient solution. During the late 1870s, plans were advanced to modernise the service, and by the late 1880s, the Guava Street ferry had been transformed through the introduction of the locally built steam launch Alert. Constructed by Maryborough’s Vulcan Foundry, the steam-powered Alert propelled the large iron punt across the river, replacing the cumbersome manual hauling system and significantly improving the efficiency of the crossing.
The Guava Street ferry soon became the principal crossing between Maryborough and Granville.

The ferrymen
Like many public services of the nineteenth century, the ferries were operated under lease from the Municipal Council. Over the years, a succession of lessees and ferrymen managed the crossings, including Thomas Madsen, Mr Griffiths, Messrs French and Gordon, and later Fred von Hein and his son Hugo, whose names became almost synonymous with the Guava Street ferry.
The von Hein family operated a continuous 24-hour service. Passengers arriving after dark rang heavy metal bells fixed to timber piles on either side of the river to summon the ferryman. Local folklore recalls that mischievous youngsters occasionally rang the bells for amusement, forcing the ferryman to cross an empty river in the middle of the night.
The ferrymen became familiar figures in the community. They knew the regular passengers by name, watched children grow into adults and worked through floods, storms and long nights to keep Maryborough connected with Granville.
Floods, growth and the limits of the ferries
The Mary River was never entirely predictable. During the devastating flood of February 1893, the Guava Street ferry was torn from its moorings while much of the Granville riverfront, including hotels and dozens of homes, was swept away by the floodwaters. Although the ferry service resumed, the disaster demonstrated just how vulnerable the community remained.
By the early twentieth century, however, Maryborough had outgrown its ferries. Granville was developing into an important industrial and residential suburb. Timber mills, engineering works, businesses and homes generated increasing traffic across the river. The ferries continued to serve faithfully, but they were struggling to cope with the growing number of passengers, wagons and motor vehicles.
What had once been regarded as an innovative solution was increasingly viewed as a bottleneck.
As one newspaper observed during the 1920s, the ferries had become “antiquated”. Residents no longer wanted simply a better ferry. They wanted a bridge.

Part 2 – The River Barrier to appear shortly. For a preview see The Maryborough Sun article in the Thursday 20th Aug issue on page 13.

28/08/2026

Latest addition to our collection. A Manager's desk from the Dominion Flour Mill. We would be interested to hear about the use of the two call buttons located on the front of the desk. The desk will be the centre of a new static exhibition on the Flour Mill, which will develop over the coming weeks - stay tuned 🙂.

27/07/2026

In celebration of the Recent birthday for the Maryborough Regional Art Society Inc. Here are some of the ephemeral artworks which appeared on Exhibition catalogues from about 1971 to 2014. These catalogues are some of the MAS historic documents that have been entrusted to the care of the Maryborough Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society. More examples will be on display in the Maryborough Historical Society Museum in the School of Arts building on Kent St, opposite the Town Hall

03/06/2026

A big thank you to Councillor Daniel Sanderson and Mayor George Seymour for funding several important purchases for the Maryborough Historical Society through their discretionary funds.

This has meant that the Society has been able to buy a specialist vacuum cleaner to be used for cleaning our many historic books in the former School of Arts library without damaging them.

Also acquired has been some specialist baits for ‘nuking’ those nasty bookworms that are not avid readers but eaters, plus a much need replacement computer monitor for use in our research and cataloguing work.

Thanks again and much appreciated.

Maryborough Wide Bay & Burnett Historical Society Inc.

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