BAS 119895
Springvale Suspension Bridge
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New Zealand
Manawatū-Whanganui
Rangitake
Taihape Napier Road, RANGITIKEI
Suspension bridge
Concrete, steel, Australian hardwood
1922
0.00 m
0.00 m
0.00 m
0.00 m
0.00 m
0.00 m2
in operation
Commissioned by Rangitikei County Council in 1922, the Springvale Suspension Bridge, as it is commonly known, provided an important and safe crossing of the flood-prone Rangitikei River. In this predominantly agricultural region, the river is a valuable resource but also posed a challenge for early settlers; early records show that a flood in 1897 destroyed all six bridges then in existence. Crossing this river has always been an essential part of community life. This once meant crossing the "prehistoric ford" directly below the suspension bridge. In 1903, a temporary suspension bridge was moved from Kuripapango to a location near the present one, but this was only for pedestrians. The need for a transport bridge was great, as the Taihape Daily Times reported on October 9, 1916: “This bridge is urgently needed to complete the road link to the land designated for Māori settlement and the large Mangaohane land, also designated for Māori.” The Māori movement in this area has a long history. The bridge crosses the Rangitikei River at the same point where generations of Māori walked the Inland Patea trail. This trail is an ancient Māori route from the east coast to the center of the North Island. Following another severe flood in 1958, one of the few moa hunting grounds in the North Island was uncovered upstream. European history dates back to the mid-19th century when Reverend Richard Taylor and the missionary William Colenso traveled the historic trail, spreading their Christian faith. The first European sheep farm was established in 1867 by Captain Azim Birch and his brother William, after they acquired the land between the Moawhango and Rangitikei rivers. They named the area Erehwon, spelled backwards, meaning "nowhere." Later renamed Erewhon Riding, this area became a well-known example of the late 19th-century post-World War I settler programs, which opened up large areas of fallow land for cultivation. The construction of a road bridge was therefore essential for the expansion of agriculture in the Rangitikei district at this time. It was needed to facilitate access to the inland farms and to enable the transport of livestock and wool to the port of Napier. Furthermore, it was important for the social life of the communities, as it provided a link to the rest of the country and thus offered the opportunity for travel as a leisure activity. For the people in this area, the bridge represented an opportunity to strengthen ties between communities and expand social networks.
The Springvale Suspension Bridge was designed by S.A.R. Mair (Sydney), the engineer for Rangitikei County Council from 1899 to 1947, who put the bridge construction out to tender. In November 1923, William Salt, a bridge builder from Wanganui, was awarded the contract. Salt went on to become a successful bridge engineer; despite his short career, he built numerous significant river crossings in the Rangitikei, Wanganui, and Waitotara regions. The Springvale Suspension Bridge was his largest work and is possibly the only one of his bridges still standing today.
Construction was completed in early 1925 at a cost of 4,473 pounds, 13 shillings, and 6 pence. The Erewhon Bridge, as it was then unofficially known, opened in early April, in time for the Easter holidays. The 61-meter-long structure, made of reinforced concrete, steel, and Australian hardwood, is visually impressive and an engineering masterpiece. The seven-meter-high, tapered concrete towers are anchored below ground level by large concrete blocks. The bridge utilizes 140 mm thick steel cables with a breaking load of 12 tons. Diagonal bracing is visible from the underside of the bridge; the bracing cables anchor the bridge to the riverbank. Due to the steadily increasing volume of traffic over a period of 45 years, repairs became increasingly necessary, and it became clear that a new bridge had to be built to accommodate the growing traffic. Thus, the Callender-Hamilton Bridge was built less than 50 meters away in 1970. With demolition imminent, R.A.L. Batley (Tony) from Moawhango campaigned for the bridge's preservation and recommended in 1974 that it be acquired by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
The Springvale Suspension Bridge is listed as a Category II Historic Monument due to its historical and social value, as well as its significant engineering construction. Once a familiar sight in New Zealand, few of these bridges are still functioning and have a viable future. Their existence testifies to their longevity and lasting importance. It is an iconic feat of engineering of its time and embodies the pioneering spirit of overcoming the challenges of the terrain and enabling the settlement of the Inland and Outback.
The Springvale Suspension Bridge was designed by S.A.R. Mair (Sydney), the engineer for Rangitikei County Council from 1899 to 1947, who put the bridge construction out to tender. In November 1923, William Salt, a bridge builder from Wanganui, was awarded the contract. Salt went on to become a successful bridge engineer; despite his short career, he built numerous significant river crossings in the Rangitikei, Wanganui, and Waitotara regions. The Springvale Suspension Bridge was his largest work and is possibly the only one of his bridges still standing today.
Construction was completed in early 1925 at a cost of 4,473 pounds, 13 shillings, and 6 pence. The Erewhon Bridge, as it was then unofficially known, opened in early April, in time for the Easter holidays. The 61-meter-long structure, made of reinforced concrete, steel, and Australian hardwood, is visually impressive and an engineering masterpiece. The seven-meter-high, tapered concrete towers are anchored below ground level by large concrete blocks. The bridge utilizes 140 mm thick steel cables with a breaking load of 12 tons. Diagonal bracing is visible from the underside of the bridge; the bracing cables anchor the bridge to the riverbank. Due to the steadily increasing volume of traffic over a period of 45 years, repairs became increasingly necessary, and it became clear that a new bridge had to be built to accommodate the growing traffic. Thus, the Callender-Hamilton Bridge was built less than 50 meters away in 1970. With demolition imminent, R.A.L. Batley (Tony) from Moawhango campaigned for the bridge's preservation and recommended in 1974 that it be acquired by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
The Springvale Suspension Bridge is listed as a Category II Historic Monument due to its historical and social value, as well as its significant engineering construction. Once a familiar sight in New Zealand, few of these bridges are still functioning and have a viable future. Their existence testifies to their longevity and lasting importance. It is an iconic feat of engineering of its time and embodies the pioneering spirit of overcoming the challenges of the terrain and enabling the settlement of the Inland and Outback.
(Source: New Zealand Heritage)
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