Monowai - Power Station Works, old bridge at Monowai
Shared by Central & Western Murihiku Southland Archive
The old Monowai Bridge which spanned the Waiau River, was built in 1921 and came to a tragic flaming end in an out of control bush fire in 1959. Thankfully the new bridge had already been built and opened. This old bridge was specifically made to transport machinery and materials across the Waiau River, to the Monowai Power Station works at Lake Monowai. The bridge is said to have swayed while being driven across, which must have made for some interesting trips for those hauling gear for the works and also for the public on excursions! A photo of an early tourist bus at the bridge is under CWA.037.150.058 The Power Station itself, the works created to build it, and this bridge built to access them, were all popular tourist attractions for locals on a day's drive out about in the district, as it began to be built just as motorcars and public buses became part of everyday life for those with the money to be able to afford one. People would also travel from out of the area to look at the Southland Electric Power Scheme works. The bridge shown here was unfortunately burned down accidentally in a scrub fire nearby in 1959, and only the concrete abutments remained, along with the cables that fell in the water as the structure burned. This photo is of history from the O'Brien's Sunnyside Station and is still in the hands of a family descendant today. This bridge was the one the station accessed its land from, so it was a large part of family life there. Remains of the bridge can still be seen in the water and on the banks of the river, around a couple of kilometers downstream from the bridge you drive across today. It was fortunate that this had already been completed before the fire, so access was not lost after the old bridge had burned. The family also have footage of this old bridge on fire on the fateful day it was burned down, and the new bridge being built, which are being gifted to the Community Archive for all to share, so watch this space for these two amazing home movies, soon to come. There will be a lot more photos and information coming in the future on the Monowai Power Station works, as we have been donated albums of the project works. In the meantime, it would be wonderful if more people contributed memories, photos and other memorabilia to add to the story and history of these life-altering project works. If you can help with this, please comment in the section under this image page, or contact us.
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Details
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Title
Monowai - Power Station Works, old bridge at Monowai
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Maker
Unknown
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Date made
1922-1932
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Subject
Waiau District, Monowai, Road & Bridge Building, Bridge, Vehicles, Transport or Vehicles, Infrastructure, Energy Production, Early Travel, Tourism, Boating, Fire, Waiau River, O'Brien Family, Sunnyside Station, Power Stations, Power Station, Hydro-Electric, Lake Monowai, Southland Electric Power Board, Borland, Early Tourism
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Additional information
Digital file copy of original only
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Rights
Public Domain
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Location
Main Rd, Tūātapere, next to the old Railway Station. We also belong to the internationally recognised 'Safe Space Alliance'.
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Central & Western Murihiku Southland Archive
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Text adapted with permission from Te Papa and Digital NZ
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