Coronation Drive retaining wall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coronation Drive Retaining Wall |
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_Retaining_Wall_(2010).jpg)
Coronation Drive retaining wall, from Coronation Drive, 2008
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| Location | Coronation Drive, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1887 - 1887 |
| Architect | Thomas Kirk |
| Official name: Coronation Drive (North Quay) Retaining Wall | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600134 |
| Significant period | 1880s (fabric) |
| Significant components | fencing, wall/s - retaining |
| Builders | George E Willcocks |
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The Coronation Drive Retaining Wall is a special old wall in Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia. It's listed as a heritage site, meaning it's important to history. This strong wall helps hold up the land along Coronation Drive. It was designed by Thomas Kirk and built in 1887 by George E Willcocks. People used to call it the North Quay retaining wall.
History of the Wall
In January 1887, Brisbane had very bad storms. These storms caused big floods and damaged many parts of the city. A few weeks later, parts of the river bank along North Quay fell into the Brisbane River. An old wall there had been weakened and collapsed.
The Brisbane Municipal Council needed a solution. Their Chief Engineer, Thomas Kirk, suggested building a new, very strong wall. They decided to build a mass concrete wall. This was a very modern idea for the time. Building with mass concrete was quite new in Australia. The project was expected to cost about £13,000.
Kirk created the designs for the new wall. The job was given to a builder named George E Willcocks. Work started in May 1887. The wall was built even faster than expected. The road was open again just four months later. One of the hardest parts was digging deep foundations. Workers had to build a huge coffer dam to keep the river water out. This allowed them to work safely below the low tide mark.
George E Willcocks was an important builder. He had worked on railways in South Africa. He came to Australia in 1885. He built many public projects in Queensland. These included drainage systems and other important walls. The Coronation Drive wall was one of his major achievements.
A small part of the wall was moved in 1983. The stone tops on the wall's pillars have been changed to bricks over time.
What the Wall Looks Like
_Retaining_Wall_(2008).jpg)
The Coronation Drive Retaining Wall is made of solid concrete. On top, it has a brick parapet wall. This parapet wall has decorative wrought iron railings. The wall stretches for about 200 meters (about 650 feet). It runs along the northern bank of the river.
The wall is built deep into the ground. It goes down between 3 and 8 meters (10 to 26 feet) into the bedrock. At ground level, the wall is almost 1 meter (3 feet) thick. It gets even thicker towards the bottom. At its base, it can be between 1.2 and 2.4 meters (4 to 8 feet) thick.
If you look at the wall from the road, you mostly see the brick pillars. You also see the fancy iron railings. But if you are on the bike path or the river, you can see the big concrete wall below. At each end of the wall, there are marble plaques. They say "James Hipwood Mayor 1887". This shows who was the mayor when the wall was built.
Why the Wall is Important
The Coronation Drive Retaining Wall is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it is a very important historical site. It was added to the list on 21 October 1992.
- An Early Engineering Feat: The wall was built in 1887. It is one of the earliest examples of using mass concrete in Queensland. This was a new and advanced building method at the time. It shows great technical skill for that period.
- A Special Builder's Work: The wall is also important because it was built by George E Willcocks. He was a famous contractor. He was responsible for many big public projects in Queensland. The wall is a good example of his important work.
Images for kids
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Retaining wall, as seen from the bikepath in 2018
