Stone kerbing, channels and footbridges of Charters Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stone kerbing, channels and footbridges of Charters Towers |
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Stone kerbing, channels and footbridges of Charters Towers
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| Location | Various locations throughout Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1884 - 1930s |
| Official name: Stone kerbing, channels and footbridges of Charters Towers | |
| Type | state heritage (built, archaeological) |
| Designated | 7 February 2005 |
| Reference no. | 602512 |
| Significant period | 1880s-1930s (fabric) 1880s-1930s (historical) |
| Significant components | bridge - foot/pedestrian, kerbing and channelling, bridge/viaduct - road, drain - storm water |
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The Stone kerbing, channels and footbridges of Charters Towers are a special group of old water systems. They are found in different parts of Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia. These structures were built between 1884 and the 1930s. They are important because they show how the town managed water and helped people get around a long time ago. They were added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2005.
Contents
History of Charters Towers' Waterways
Charters Towers was a very important place for gold mining from 1872 to 1907. By 1901, it was the second biggest town in Queensland! The stone kerbs and channels show us which parts of the town were busy during the gold rush. Most of these stone structures were built between 1884 and 1905. You can see great examples in the original town area, like Hodgkinson, Church, High, Lee, Bow, Anne, Mary, and Deane Streets.
How Water Was Managed
These old stone kerbs and channels created a special way to move water. They directed rainwater through and out of the town. This storm-water flowed into Mosman, Deane, and St George Creeks. The creeks themselves were lined with stone to make them better drains. Bridges were built over them, which helped create more land for buildings nearby. The Deane Street kerb and channel is a great example. It moves most of the water away from the city center.
Local workers or companies built these stone structures. The stone probably came from nearby, but no one knows the exact spot. The many footbridges still in the city today show how people moved around during the wet season. They could cross yards, footpaths, kerbs, channels, and streets to reach all parts of the town for work and fun.
Gold Discovery and Town Growth
Gold was found in Charters Towers in late 1871 by Hugh Mosman and his 12-year-old Aboriginal helper, Jupiter Mosman, along with George Clarke and John Fraser. The Charters Towers Gold Field officially started on August 31, 1872. Many miners and businesses quickly moved in. As the mines got deeper, large companies took over from small miners.
Charters Towers became an official "municipality" (like a local government area) on June 21, 1877. This meant it had its own mayor and council members. The town council started many improvements. These included building a water supply from the Burdekin River. They also developed the city's drainage system with storm-water kerbs, channels, and drains. They built footpaths, paved roads, and put up bridges over creeks.
Building Bridges and Roads
By January 1884, a bridge was built over Hospital Creek. This bridge was on the road from Charters Towers to the railway station in Queenton. It was very helpful for travelers.
In March 1884, the town's Foreman of Works, Mr. Hugh Swann, reported on road improvements. They were preparing roads for paving and fixing drainage near Plant's Day Dawn mine. They also repaired streets and footpaths.
In September 1884, the council oversaw work on Deane Street. This included building a bridge where Gill Street and Deane Street meet. Mr. Swann suggested making Deane Creek the main drain for most of the town. The council decided to make the creek into a road. It had a raised middle for carriages and wide, deep stone-lined channels on the sides for water. A bridge was built at Gill Street so water could flow underneath. This bridge was finished by the end of September 1884. The successful crossing of Deane Creek helped Gill Street become the main shopping street.
In October 1884, the council asked for bids to build a bridge over Mosman Creek in Mary Street. It's not known who won this job.
In November 1889, the council built a bridge near the Show Grounds. This bridge was described as the best one built in Charters Towers at the time. It helped people living on the north-west side get to the town center during the wet season.
Keeping Things Maintained
By 1899, the Town Clerk reported that many town improvements had been made. Roads and pedestrian access were a top priority. Parts of High, Mary, Mexican, and Stubley Streets had new stone kerbs, channels, and footpaths.
After the gold mining boom ended in 1907, the town's population went down. But the Charters Towers City Council kept maintaining the stone kerbs, channels, and footbridges. During the Great Depression around 1929, the council did repair work on the Gill and Deane Street intersection. You can even see "1929" etched in the concrete there. Many timber footbridges were replaced with stronger concrete ones around this time.
Over the years, the street levels in Charters Towers have risen. Some old stone kerbs and channels are now hidden under soil and grass. In recent years, new areas of stone kerbing have been found. For example, during work at the Venus State Battery in 2002, an old section of granite kerbing was uncovered in Jardine Street.
The Charters Towers City Council has been working to repair these old granite kerbs and channels. In 2003, a section on Mosman Street was "capped" with new granite stones set in concrete. This new work looks different from the original dry stone method. In August 2004, a section of Anne Street that had been changed was rebuilt with granite kerbing and channeling.
What Are These Structures?
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The old kerbing and channeling in Charters Towers are made of granite. Granite is a very hard rock that resists erosion, making it great for building.
Granite Kerbs and Channels
These old granite kerbs and channels were built using "dry stone masonry." This means the stones are fitted together without mortar. You can see them in many streets across the city. They stretch from Hackett Terrace in the north to Daydawn Road in the south.
The kerbs are built at different depths, depending on how much rainwater they needed to handle. The granite stones used are not all the same size. In the main town area, the stones are about 200 by 300 millimeters (about 8 by 12 inches). They are usually laid at a steep angle, like in Deane Street. In other areas, they are laid flatter, forming a shallow stone drain.
In Gill Street, which is the main commercial area, most of the old granite kerbing has been replaced with concrete. However, a small section of stone kerb is still visible between High Street and Vulture Street. In some places, the old granite is covered by a thin layer of concrete that has cracked, showing the stones underneath.
The granite channels vary in width, usually between 800 to 900 millimeters (about 31 to 35 inches) wide. The stones in the channels are more irregular in shape. Sometimes, individual stones have come loose or are missing.
Today, concrete slabs called "cross-overs" are often placed over the old stone kerbs and channels. These allow cars and people to get to homes and businesses.
Water flows from the slopes of Towers Hill down the granite kerbs and channels along Deane Street. At the intersection of Deane and Gill Street, a large stone-lined underground drain carries the water under Gill Street. The water then flows along a steep, stone-lined open drain down Deane Street to Lissner Park. This area used to be where Deane Creek and Mosman Creek met.
Footbridges and Road Bridges
Around Lissner Park, there are five footbridges and one road bridge. These help people cross the open stone-lined drains to get into the park.
- Footbridge No 1: On the north side of Lissner Park. It's a simple bridge with steel beams and a timber deck covered with concrete. It has steel handrails.
- Footbridge No 2: On the north-east side of Lissner Park. It's an extension of the footpath on Church Street. It has steel beams and a concrete slab. You can see "H.P. POOLE. MAYOR. 15.3.29" etched into the concrete.
- Footbridge No 3: On the eastern side of Lissner Park, leading to the Animal Enclosure. It's a long bridge with steel beams and a concrete slab. It has concrete steps with small granite stones.
- Road Bridge No 4: On the western side of Lissner Park. This bridge is for Charters Towers City Council staff to access their depot. It has steel beams and a timber deck covered with concrete.
- Footbridge No 5: On the western side of Lissner Park, at Mosman and Deane Streets. It's a simple bridge with steel beams and a timber deck covered with concrete. The date "28.10.1940" is etched into a concrete support.
- Footbridge No 6: On the western side of Lissner Park, near Jane Street. It has steel beams and a timber deck covered with concrete. It has dark green iron handrails.
- Show Street Bridge (No 7): This is a road bridge on the south-eastern corner of the Charters Towers Show Grounds. The original timber bridge has been replaced with a concrete slab. The old granite drain is still underneath.
- Mary Street Bridge (No 8): A footbridge on the north side of Mary Street. It has a steel deck supported by concrete piers. "EAT 95" is etched into one pier.
- Elizabeth Street Footbridge (No 9): On the south side of Elizabeth Street. It has steel beams and a timber deck. It has white painted steel handrails.
- Marion Street Footbridge (No 10): At the corner of Marion and Stubley Streets. It's a concrete slab bridge with white painted steel handrails.
- Towers Street Footbridge (No 11): On the north side of Towers Street, near the Family History Library. It's a concrete slab bridge. The date "1.2.29" is on one of the concrete supports.
- Towers Street Footbridge (No 12): On the north side of Towers Street, at the end of King Street. It's a concrete slab bridge. The date "23.8.37" is etched into the concrete supports.
- Boundary Street Footbridge (No 13): At the northern end of Boundary Street. It's a simple concrete slab bridge over a dry creek bed, with steel handrails.
- Brisk Street Footbridge (No 14): On the western side of Brisk Street, near the School of Distance Education. It's a concrete slab bridge. It has paw prints, "25.7.85", and names like "MARC" and "HECTOR" in the concrete!
At the eastern end of Mexican Street, there's also a small granite culvert (a tunnel for water) with old granite kerbing.
Why These Structures Are Important
The stone kerbing, channels, and footbridges of Charters Towers are very important to Queensland's history. They were added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2005.
A Look into the Past
These structures show us how Charters Towers grew. It was once a rich gold mining town and the second largest in Queensland. The work started in the mid-1880s after the Charters Towers Municipal Council began other town improvements. These included building a water supply and roads.
The old granite kerbs and channels also show how early towns in far north Queensland managed their drainage in the late 1800s. The footbridges show how people got around before cars were common. They helped residents and visitors reach their jobs, schools, churches, shops, homes, and places for fun.
Unique and Special
These granite kerbs and channels are rare in Queensland. Such a large use of granite shows how confident and hopeful the town leaders were about Charters Towers' future in the late 1800s. Only Cooktown in far north Queensland has similar extensive granite kerbs and channels from that time. Together, they are a very special part of Queensland's history.
Clues for Future Discoveries
These old granite kerbs and channels might hold more secrets! After the gold boom ended in 1907, many parts of the town were left empty. Over time, street levels have risen. It's possible that even older kerbing and channeling exist hidden underground. Finding these could teach us more about the early work of the Charters Towers Municipal Council.
Making the Town Look Great
The granite stone kerbs, channels, and footbridges make Charters Towers look beautiful and unique. They give the town a consistent look because of the materials and design used. Both local people and visitors value these structures as an important part of Charters Towers' history and identity. The Charters Towers City Council has even been rebuilding some areas of granite kerbing to match the old work, showing how much the community values them.
