After being dismantled in 2021, the Prince Alfred Bridge, formerly in Gundagai, has remained a focus of Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) as they fight to keep the memory alive. A lot of the timber has survived the dismantling, with other parts given to other projects around the Shire.
Mayor Abb McAlister wanted the community to be the priority in what is done with the timber and has refused to sell it as originally suggested.
Now, a working party will comprise the Mayor, Councillors Penny Nicholson and David Graham to find a way to keep the flame alive.
Mayor McAlister said, “We always said the locals could have first go at it, and Council’s got some timber there for itself if we want to do things, but the rest of the timber will be first offered to the local community of Gundagai.
“There was talk of it going to open tender, but that won’t happen. The three Gundagai councillors will be meeting with Council to work on how we progress to letting the community people get timber from there.”
The bridge has a unique history in Gundagai as it saw heavy use before the Hume Highway, as it formed part of the only route from Melbourne to Sydney. It has a very special place in the heart of Gundagai locals as it still remains a historic piece of history.
The bridge was dismantled in 2021 after it had decayed over the decades and became a public safety risk.
When originally salvaged, ideas for what to do with the timber recovered ranged from viewing platforms and boardwalks to sculptures, park furniture and educational displays. A lot of the community, including school children, were excited to come up with ideas.
Nothing has ever come of it, however.
Mayor McAlister recalled, “At the time, it was put there as the main connection to Sydney and Melbourne because there was no connection across the Murrumbidgee. Before that, a lot of produce south of the river went to Melbourne; from the farmers’ point of view, a lot of the produce north of the river went to Sydney way.
“It’s been an historic wooden bridge there for so many years until they pulled it down about three years ago. We were told at the time that there would be money to do monuments and different things, but a little bit’s been done, but nothing like the amount they told us.
“It has always been a major part of Gundagai’s history and heritage. The old wooden bridge was renowned.
“In its heyday, it used to rattle and roll a bit and make a bit of noise; the planks on it were clanking, loose bolts and that. It wasn’t kept up to standard, and it closed back in the late 70s after they put the Sheahan Bridge there. It went for a few years after that and eventually closed.
“When they pulled it down, it was an unpopular decision for sure, but the majority of people knew it couldn’t be repaired. At least they’ve left some there and done a bit, put a couple of memorials for it, and we’ve still got a lot of the timber from it.
“The organisations, Crown Lands and the Government, they told us that they would give us a reasonable amount of money to do monuments and put furniture on Main Street from it, but we haven’t really seen any of that. We’ve got one monument down where the bridge actually was.
“I know the people were told that they’d have all these things as recognition for it in the future, but a lot of the stuff they said hasn’t occurred. We would like to see the Government come forward and do something about it because there’s still all the timber there from the bridge, and it is good timber.”
At the May 2026 ordinary meeting of CGRC, it was found that only 30 per cent of the timber remained in good condition, with years of exposure to the weather and storage directly on the ground speeding up deterioration.
Council officers estimated the timber could still be worth about $455,000, but Council declined to sell it.
An amendment moved by the mayor and seconded by Councillor Logan Collins established a working party to consider the timber’s future and report back to council.
Councillors also resolved that proceeds from any future sales be placed into a restricted reserve fund for projects and initiatives benefiting the Gundagai community.
Jack Murray