Kilburnie Homestead Tree Bridge
| Address: | Section 534 Hd. Port Gawler. |
|---|---|
| Town or Locality: | Lower Light |
| By: | Allen Willcox |
| Used for: | Access |
This suspension bridge provided access from the early Kilburnie homestead on the north side of the river Light to the stock sheds and workman's cottage on the south side of the river. The property was originally owned by the Faulding, Fisher and Barr Smith families,passing to Francis Rowe,an Old Colonist. In 1898 Mr. Rowe sold the property to Charles Willcox M.L.C. an Adelaide businessman and ex Mayor,who made extensions to the buildings. His son Allen built the footbridge,typical of this style of bridge, with steel cable support and a wooden plank floor. The living redgum supports and the long overall span stretching from tree to tree made this example the most significant of those surviving in the district. In 1936 the property was sold to the Bruce and Hooper families to whom the footbridge was a vital link between households. Barry and Lois Wasley became tenants of Kilburnie when they married in 1954. The bridge was then in fair repair,with loose planks and bits of corrugated iron hammered over the holes, hand rails were fencing wire and wire netting which gave some sense of security to those crossing. Unfortunately,the wire widened out so much at the middle that it was impossible to hold on to anything. On one occasion the local parson thought that he would seek out the new bride but retreated in haste when confronted by a large goanna also using the footbridge When the nearby river ford was impassable the treebridge became a vital link between the homes,the shearing shed and other farm buildings.Small children, prams and the odd wheelbarrow of goods were transported to the other side ,some times at night by torchlight..
Allen Willcox graduated from Roseworthy Agricultural College and setup Kilburnie as a model farm, installing an irrigation system for about 70 citrus trees. Mains water was later available and the connecting pipe was lashed to the bridge supplying water for domestic and stock use on the northern side. Clem Wasley subdivided and sold Kilburnie in 1976.The remains of the old home and remnants of the garden were later demolished and the bridge fell into disrepair..
Sources
- Local History Family Histories
Memories of Kilburnie Homestead Tree Bridge
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