Across the Yarra River, a sentinel of steel and concrete stands: the Spencer Street Bridge. This bridge, a vital artery in Melbourne’s transport network, has a story as fascinating as the city it serves. The Spencer Street Bridge, completed in 1930, wasn’t always here. Before its construction, a rather quaint mode of transport ferried people across the Yarra: a steam ferry! From 1884, this charming vessel chugged back and forth, its steam engine pulling on a chain anchored to each bank. Imagine the sight: a puffing, chugging ferry linking the bustling city to the developing south. The construction of the Spencer Street Bridge itself was no small feat. Deep foundations were needed, and during excavation, workers unearthed a relic of Melbourne’s ancient past. A red gum stump, estimated to be around 8,000 years old, was discovered 20 meters below sea level! This ancient tree, a silent witness to millennia, briefly delayed the bridge’s completion. The Spencer Street Bridge: a symbol of Melbourne’s progress, built upon the foundations of its distant past.
Kororoit Creek
Is this where the river meets the sea? This is Kororoit Creek. It flows right here through Melbourne’s western suburbs