E.G.W. Wood Bridge

“A bridge, you say? It’s more than just steel and concrete.” We stand before the E.G.W. Wood Bridge. It represents the vision of one man, Ernest Gaden Western Wood. The E.G.W. Wood Bridge stands as a testament to his dedication to the Redland Shire. Ernest wasn’t just a politician. He was a jackeroo, an overseer, a banker, and even a small crops farmer. He served his community tirelessly. He was a councillor and then Chairman of the Redland Shire Council for seven consecutive terms. He was a member of the Moreton Regional Coordination Council, the South Coast Fire Brigades Board, and the Parochial Council of the Church of England. He even chaired the Redlands Strawberry Festival Committee and the Redland Fruit Growers Council. This bridge, linking Wynnum and Cleveland, is just one piece of his legacy. As Redland Shire Chairman, Ernest spearheaded the E.G.W. Wood Bridge project. He also had the foresight to preserve the railway land between Cleveland and Thorneside after the steam trains were decommissioned. This preserved land later paved the way for the electric line to be brought to the shire in the 1980s. Ernest, or “Dick” as he was known, was born in Toowoomba in 1906 and passed away in Wellington Point in 1984. His contributions to the Redland Shire are still felt today, each time someone crosses the E.G.W. Wood Bridge. His life, much like this bridge, connected people and places.