Western Queensland Road Trip #9
To open up the far western districts of Queensland, the state government constructed a new railway line between Roma and Cunnamulla in the 1890s. The bridge over Angellala Creek, south of Charleville, was an amazing feat of outback engineering. It consisted of seven vast steel spans totalling 630 metres in length, and the timber trestles approaching either end were the longest in the state.
With the advent of heavier locomotives the bridge was reinforced in 1946 and again in 1994. In 1992 it was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its historic and cultural significance. The bridge continued in service well into the 21st century.
That was until the night of 5th September, 2014.
Just before 10pm a truck carrying a load of ammonium nitrate crashed and exploded on the road bridge on the Mitchell Highway over Angellala Creek, destroying both it and the historic Angellala Creek Bridge nearby.
A new road bridge was completed the following year, but the railway bridge has never been repaired.
The six cast iron piers which once supported the bridge now keep watch over the site, commemorating the event and the first responders who risked their lives to help others.
During Queensland’s celebrations of the Centenary of ANZAC 2014-2018, the new road bridge was named Heroes Bridge, drawing comparisons between those who served that night and the spirit of the ANZACS who served our country a century ago.
It seems the perfect way to remember those who toiled to bring much needed transport routes to the outback as well.
That’s a pretty amazing history for somewhere in the middle of nowhere….. And I agree completely with you Carol – a very fitting name for the new bridge. It is amazing what our early pioneers constructed without any of the modern technology we rely on now and first responders are our often unsung and unacknowledged heroes today.
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It really is in the middle of nowhere, which must have made it difficult to manage such a disaster.
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What a way to go, and what a shame, Carol. 😦 😦
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I’m glad they’ve left the remains there Jo. It is a great way to keep the story alive.
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oh my that was dramatic, extraordinary no one died. How sad though the history was lost
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I guess this becomes part of the history of the bridge and it’s nice that the story and the people involved are remembered this way.
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I agree
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Very interesting. I love to see historical infrastructure and read the stories.
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Do you remember hearing this story on the news Rose? It was such a big story at the time.
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Yes, now that you’ve reminded me. It was massive! Shame about the old bridge. I must investigate next time I’m out these. Such a big state – so much to see!
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It’s about 60 km south of Charleville on the way to Cunnamulla.
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I am always humbled by the length to which our ancestors went to pave the way for us to follow. In this case, it is also amazing that no one died the night of that accident and applause to all those brave people who responded to help. History – it is always a learning experience.
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It must have been a miracle that everyone survived, although some people were injured.
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Sad the rail bridge is gone but good to have the memorial to keep its history (and tragedy) ever present.
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It’s a nice way to recognise everyone who was involved.
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Such an interesting back story. Thanks for sharing it Carol! 😀
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I remember when the story hit the news. It was quite the event. A friend of our daughter was living in Charleville at the time and she felt the explosion at her home.
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Great hisory. Sorry it was lost, but so amazed that no lives were lost. The 6 cast iron piers seem like an apprpriate tribute. So difficult to repair and maintain roads and bridges in remote areas. Australia does a wonderful job. Thanks for showing another interesting part of history.
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Many of our rail links aren’t in operation any more, which is probably why this bridge was never repaired. More expensive to use it than the roads.
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I have to wonder what would happen if a truck carrying that sort of stuff were to explode in a town… it is a miracle that the driver was not killed.
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It would have been disastrous in a built up area. Bad enough where it happened. But it only exploded because the truck crashed.
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I am amazed that the truck driver escaped without losing his life. I wonder how his life went from then.
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I hope things have been okay for him. It would have been a traumatic experience.
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I was not expecting that when I started reading! Like others, I’m amazed the driver survived.
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He was very fortunate.
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History and drama.
Tragedy and Heroism.
What a trip
Regards Thom
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There’s more to come Thom! 🙂
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What a shame that the bridge was lost so tragically after all those decades of service. It sounds like a terrible accident.
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It must have been terrible for those who were there. Have a look at the video David found. He’s put the link in his comment.
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Wow the video is shocking. Thanks for letting me know to watch it.
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The people involved were lucky to survive.
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I never cease to be amazed at the engineering skills of folk 100+ years back when they didn’t have the power tools available today, nor the precise measuring equipment. Great story Carol.
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Me too, Denzil. They certainly did great work in opening up the Outback.
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I like how the original foundation stones are still there too.
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That is a lesson learned the hard way – more than 50 tons of Ammonium Nitrate on a vehicle. Add a crash, burning fuel – and there’s a recipe for disaster. Sad especially for those who came to help.
I found a video reconstruction put out by the Queensland Government:
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That’s a great video. Most freight in Australia is carried by truck so that load would not be unusual. Road trains are on the highways every day.
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Enjoyed your documentation and photos of this part of Australia’s history. What a shame the bridge was never repaired after the crash.
My father worked on the roads when he first arrived in Australia in the early 1950s – he didn’t speak English. It must of been so hard back then building roads by hand but in the 1890s, it would have been much harder.
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I suspect the rail line was becoming obsolete by then in favour of road trains. Your father made an important contribution to Australia’s development.
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Very true.
Yes he did and worked hard to save enough money to buy land and farm – his passion. Taught himself how to speak, read, and write English – no easy task especially in those times as there was no help for migrants.
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What a road trip! Road trips are always interesting. They tell stories, as in your case also. Thank you for this enjoyable post and its beautiful photos.
Have a good day!
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There are often great stories to be found along the way. Thanks, Matti.
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So interesting!
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Thanks. It was a very unusual event.
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I see!
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Wow, what a terrible thing to happen. It’s a miracle no one was killed. The monument is very fitting and I love the name, ‘Heroes Bridge’.
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Amazing that no one lost their life, although some of the injuries sustained were awful too. The bridge is a great way to acknowledge the first responders.
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I think it’s great they left the remains there as a kind of memorial. And how quickly they were able to build a new road. Very interesting but sad history. 😦
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It was the only direct route connecting the towns so it needed to be repaired quickly. Glad you enjoyed this post Cathy.
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What a dramatic story! I’m glad they have left the surviving parts of the bridge in place, and also think the name for the new bridge is very fitting.
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We remembered when it happened so it was very interesting to see it.
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