Manly Retaining Wall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Manly Retaining Wall |
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Structure in 2015
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| Location | Falcon Street, Manly, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1933 |
| Architect | Eneas Fraser Gilchrist |
| Official name: Manly Retaining Wall, The Great Wall of Manly | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 5 October 1998 |
| Reference no. | 602039 |
| Significant period | 1930s (fabric) |
| Significant components | steps/stairway, sculpture |
| Builders | Relief work |
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The Manly Retaining Wall is a special wall in Manly, Australia. It's a big, strong wall that helps hold back the land. It was designed by an engineer named Eneas Fraser Gilchrist. The wall was built in 1933 by people who were looking for work during a tough time. Many locals call it "The Great Wall of Manly." This important structure is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
The Wall's Story
The Manly Retaining Wall is found where Falcon Street and Wellington Street meet. It was built in 1933. The wall is made from unique, uneven stones. These stones came from a quarry in Lytton. They are held together with concrete.
Early Days in Manly
Europeans first settled in the Wynnum-Manly area in the 1860s. At first, there were sugar mills here. Soon, the area became popular for holidays. People built holiday homes along the bay. In 1882, land was sold in the Manly Beach Estate. This is how the area got its name, like the famous Manly Beach in Sydney.
A Growing Seaside Town
In 1889, a railway line was finished. This made Manly even more popular as a seaside resort. It also stayed important for fishing. By the late 1920s, people could reach Manly easily. They came by train, bus, or car. It became a popular place for holidays and for families to live.
Why the Wall Was Needed
The streets in Manly were a bit winding. This was because of how the land was shaped. Some slopes leading to the bay were very steep. Falcon Street was one of these. It was divided by a high bank of earth. This made it hard for cars to pass. A strong retaining wall was really needed here.
Building such a big wall was very expensive. It would have cost more than the value of the nearby homes. But then, the Brisbane City Council found a way. They applied for help from a special government program.
Building During Tough Times
The Great Depression was a time in the 1930s when many people lost their jobs. To help, the Queensland Government started the Unemployment Relief Scheme in 1932. This program created work projects for people who were unemployed.
The Brisbane City Council used this scheme to build the Manly Retaining Wall. The Council provided tools and materials. The Queensland Government paid for the workers. Other projects in the area, like the Wynnum Wading Pool, were also built this way.
A Big Engineering Project
Building the wall was a huge task. It is about 200 meters (656 feet) long. The ground it sits on was tricky because it was made of clay. So, the foundations of the wall had to be very strong.
Engineers from the City Engineer's office drew up plans in February 1933. Eneas Fraser Gilchrist was the City Engineer who signed the plans. Workers even made calculations on site. They used simple methods, like loading concrete blocks onto a wooden post.
Art in the Wall
Because many different people worked on the wall, some unknown artists were involved. They added special touches to the concrete. They shaped figures of Australian animals. You can see kangaroos, emus, and boomerangs. There are also human heads. One head is even said to look like the engineer in charge!
The wall is a well-known landmark in Manly. It's often called "The Great Wall of Manly." It's even featured in the Brisbane City Council's heritage walk guide.
What the Wall Looks Like
The Manly Retaining Wall is at the corner of Wellington and Falcon Streets. It divides both streets into two levels. This helps traffic flow better. At the corner, the wall is about 7 meters (23 feet) high. It stretches for about 100 meters (328 feet) along both streets. It gets lower towards the ends, following the slope of the roads. There are concrete steps at the end of the wall on Wellington Street. These steps let people walk between the two levels.
Materials and Design
The wall sits on a concrete base. It is built from basalt blue metal stone. This stone was dug up from a nearby quarry in Lytton. Behind the front of the wall, there's a thick layer of dry stones. This helps make the wall very strong. The front of the wall is straight. It has a flat concrete top, about 30 centimeters (12 inches) wide.
The stones in the wall are all different shapes and sizes. They are placed in a random pattern. Each stone is set in concrete. The gaps between the stones are filled with a lot of cement plaster.
Hidden Art
As mentioned, some of the plaster has been shaped into figures. These figures show Australian native animals. You can find kangaroos, emus, and goannas. There are also human heads and boomerangs. These artistic touches make the wall even more unique.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Manly Retaining Wall was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 October 1998. It's considered important for several reasons:
A Look into History
The wall shows how the government helped people during the Great Depression. It was built in 1933 as part of the Unemployment Relief Scheme. This program gave jobs to people who needed them.
Beautiful to Look At
The Manly Retaining Wall is very large. Its size makes it a major landmark in the area. The way the stones are placed in a random pattern is interesting. The concrete plaster, with its animal figures, also makes the wall special and beautiful.
A Smart Design
The wall shows great technical skill. It was a challenging engineering project. The way it was built shows high-quality workmanship.
Important to the Community
Locally, the wall is known as "The Great Wall of Manly." It's part of the Brisbane City Council's Heritage Trail. This shows that the wall is very important to the local community.
