Brunswick River Road Bridge 1929

The Brunswick River Road Bridge spans the Brunswick River along the South Western Highway and has been a vital link for the community since its construction in 1929.

Designed by E.W. Godfrey and built by E.S. Woods for the Public Works Department, the bridge is a four-metal-girder structure supported on timber piles. It was originally 9.2 metres wide (excluding the footbridge). The bridge has been upgraded over the years: widened in 1963, when soon after it collapsed in 1964 floods, overlaid with concrete in 1987, and received a further concrete overlay in 2005. A pedestrian bridge was also added alongside the main bridge, giving school children a safe way to cross the river.

1964 Floods

The August 1964 floods had a major impact on commerce, transport, and people across the region, with Brunswick Junction particularly affected. Potato growers, dairy farmers, and orchardists on low-lying ground along the Brunswick and Collie Rivers suffered significant losses to stock, crops, and infrastructure.

Robyne Petricevic recalled:

“I was about 13 and remember cows being caught in trees when the water receded.”

The railway bridge causeway, about 100 metres upstream, created a significant artificial narrowing of the Brunswick River floodplain. When the causeway gave way, debris and the sudden release of backed-up water likely caused the collapse of the Ommaney Road (South Western Highway Bridge) bridge. This occurred around 3 am, just after 220 Harvey evacuees had crossed it. The evacuees were taken to Brunswick Hall and were unable to return to Harvey for several days.

Bill Arthur’s Bridge was the only road bridge left standing in the area, linking Perth to Brunswick and the South West via Wellesley Road. Built in 1938 and named after local resident and 10th Light Horse Regiment veteran Bill Arthur—known for riding a bull to visit the Brunswick Hotel—the bridge became crucial for transporting milk from farms south of the river, including the Roelands area, to Perth.

Although floodwaters overtopped Bill Arthur’s Bridge, it remained intact, though too dangerous for heavy milk tankers and farm machinery. Peters Creameries transported milk by piping it from one tanker to another on the northern side, and full milk cans from local farmers were carried or rolled across by hand.

Rob Cox recalled the operation, commenting on a photo of the milk transfer:

“The truck is the Leyland Super Hippo number 18. It looks like Lui Lamberto is up on top of the tank. My dad also drove this one through to Perth when the floods were on. This truck was going nonstop, with drivers changing over when it returned home. The old bridge showed all the modern bridges up.”