Monowai’s one-way, some-sway bridge
Our About The South columnist Lloyd Esler looks back on a bygone bridge, an award of not-so-damaging damages against a polluter, and some navvies who were determined to enjoy their work.
Monowai’s first bridge across the Waiau River was built in 1921 when access was needed for the construction of the Monowai Power Station.
It was the third bridge to cross the Waiau, the others being at Clifden and Tuatapere. The bridge swayed uncomfortably when cars crossed.
In 1959 the bridge was destroyed when a scrub fire got out of control.
The remains of the concrete abutments and the wire ropes can still be seen a couple of kilometres below the present bridge.
Fortunately, the new bridge – the present one – had been completed so access to the Monowai area was not disrupted.
Not-so-damaging damages The smallest damages awarded in
Southland were a farthing, given on several occasions by juries with the indication that although the plaintiff had a case, it was too trifling to have troubled the court with.
A farthing is worth a quarter of a penny.
In one case in 1875, Longuet v Kingswell, the plaintiff had alleged that Kingswell had polluted the Waikiwi Stream. The case was proven, but there was comment that water pollution was an essential part of manufacturing.
No New Zealand farthings were struck, but we did use British farthings which were probably circulating into the 1940s.
A work in (slow) progress
Progress on the railway line to Tuatapere was stalled for years at Waihoaka.
Exasperated farmers and millers had to transport their produce and timber by traction engine to the railhead at Waihoaka.
Some millable bush was simply burned because of the difficulties with transport.
The languid nature of the progress was infuriating.
The Invercargill Railway League visited the end of the line and in place of the expected sweating band of navvies they found (according to The Southland Times February 2, 1906) ‘‘a gang of men engaged on formation work, which in this particular instance was the making of a cutting round a hillside, the earth removed being utilised to fill up the gully to the required height’’.
‘‘To those of the visitors who had entertained visions of horny-handed, hard-working sons of toil the awakening to the reality was a shock.
‘‘The men, almost without exception, appeared to look upon the work as excellent amusement, and had not the slightest inclination to disguise their feelings from the deputation.
‘‘The clay which was being moved was soft and easily worked, and it was being worked in a most delicate and careful style – delicacy of style is apparently cultivated assiduously.
‘‘When a handcart, holding about half a cubic yard, was filled and the wheels carefully put on the broad planks leading to the end of the new formation, one of the men essayed to push it along, so that it might be emptied into the gully.
‘‘He managed to get the cart along a few yards and then the wheels came off the planks. This upset the equilibrium both of the cart and carter, and the clay was also upset. Several others of the gang came along and laboriously cleared the track and put the wheels on the planks again.
‘‘The visitors left the scene with very mingled feelings – pleasure that the extension had been commenced, and indignation at the ridiculous method in which the work was being carried on. The clay could easily be worked with a plough and scoop, and the saving in both time and money would be considerable.
‘‘The gang worked as if they were out for a vacation from city life, or as one put it, ‘for the good of their health’.’’