Gondolas on Ross Creek

One of the most spectacular fundraising events Townsville had ever seen occurred in 1929, when a “Venetian Carnival” was held in aid of the Anglican Church Schools League.

These gondolas, pictured on Ross Creek, formed part of a spectacular “Venetian Carnival” in Townsville in August 1929. Victoria Bridge is visible in the background.

Photo: James Cook University, NQID No. 3544 from E.R. (Bob) Hayles Album.

Described as “the most enchanting thing ever seen in Townsville”, Ross Creek was transformed into a scene resembling the Grand Canal of Venice, with brightly illuminated launches and gondolas that conveyed ticket holders from the Harbour Board pontoon to the Seamen’s Mission Hall, where a grand ball was held.

Mr I. MacDiarmid, whose artistic efforts in this regard were considered a triumph, had converted the grounds of the Seamen’s Mission Hall into an Italian garden. The Townsville Daily Bulletin reported on what they believed was “the brightest scene ever witnessed in Townsville”:

“From 7.30 music could be heard floating from the launch Malanda which was gaily decorated and had been anchored in midstream, and the launches and gondolas were busy taking people to the landing place at the Seamen’s Institute.

The slip was decorated with coloured lights, flags and streamers and as one walked out of the boathouse the paths each side were flanked with flowering rose bushes and on through an archway of wisteria through which showed coloured lights and then into the garden itself which resembled fairyland.

It was a revelation to see the transformation from a barren piece of ground to the brightly flowering garden. Beds of poppies bordered the stage and round the outskirts were beds of chrysanthemums, tulips, lillies and delphiniums.”

The evening began with an Italian quartet, whose members strolled through the crowd playing mandolins and guitars, followed by a tambourine dance performed by eight young ladies.

Later, twelve couples danced a traditional Minuetto, which was considered to be the attraction of the evening. The ladies wore bright floral frocks with plain bodices and the men wore suits to match their partner’s frock and all wore white wigs.

The Bulletin reporter described another dance:

“The Neapolitan Dance, the Tarantella, was most attractive and one realised the skill of the dancers when they saw them doing the intricate steps and the vim they put into it from start to finish. They deservedly received a vociferous encore and responded immediately.

The girls wore bright red skirts bordered with black, white blouses and boleros and a flat white bow on their heads and carried tambourines. The men wore black trousers, white shirts, coloured sashes and handkerchiefs on their heads.”

Catering for the evening was entrusted to Mrs J. Norris, who, together with a willing band of helpers that included 20 waitresses, provided supper for 500 people.

According to the Bulletin, if not for the work of Mr Bob Hayles, the water part of the entertainment would have been impossible.

“His launches, and those of Mr Sell, too, were at the disposal of the people and he superintended the construction of the gondolas and made it all safe for those who were inclined to be mistrustful of the water.

Mr Satini’s boat won the prize for the best-illuminated boat and it certainly was a very pretty sight as it sailed up and down the harbour. Mr F. Willmett’s Ariadne also came in for a lot of praise. Mr Tuesley won the prize for best gondola.”

Rooney's Bridge

A long awaited bridge that connected the suburbs of Oonoonba and Railway Estate opened in Townsville with the usual ribbon-cutting fanfare in December 1954 and was duly named in honour of a pioneering Townsville family – the Rooney family.

Rooney’s Bridge, Abbott Street, under construction in June 1953. The sawmill in the background (formerly Rooney’s sawmill) was by that time owned by the Stanply Timber Corporation, Pty Ltd.

Photo: Townsville City Libraries.

The proposal for the bridge was first put forward in the 1930s, and a loan was approved by the Treasury Department in 1939, but the Second World War interrupted any plans to start work on the bridge and the project was placed on hold.

It was originally planned to construct the bridge of concrete and timber, but shortages of materials after the war prompted the Council to consider constructing the bridge from steel.

Unfortunately, when it came time to make a start on the bridge in 1949, no girder steel could be obtained in Australia and the Council reluctantly had to resort to importing the steel from Britain. The steel for the bridge did not arrive until late 1952.

Another bridge project affected by the national steel shortage was the Burdekin River Bridge, between Ayr and Home Hill, which had commenced construction in 1947.

The bridge between Railway Estate and Oonoonba represented a significant investment by the Council, as it was expected to cost £50,000. It was hoped that it would not only be of great benefit to residents living in Oonoonba, but also a catalyst for industrial development in the Stuart area.

Strangely, no provision was made for pedestrians, as it was expected that pedestrians would continue to use the existing footway on the railway bridge.

One resident wrote to the Townsville Daily Bulletin about this, saying that he felt the bridge design lacked vision. He suggested, rather hopefully, that since the old railway bridge and footbridge was in such a “parlous state” it should be pulled down, and the new road bridge built to accommodate rail and pedestrians as well.

Aerial view of Rooney's Bridge at Ross River, connecting Railway Avenue with Abbott Street, 1969.
Photo: Townsville City Libraries.

Once complete, the new bridge meant that Oonoonba was only minutes away from the city by road, whereas the journey had previously taken half an hour via the bridge next to the Ross River Meatworks. Although it was soon discovered that the route from the General Post Office in Flinders Street to the Fairfield Hotel in Oonoonba using the new bridge, was only two miles shorter than the old route.

Early in the planning stages, the bridge was simply referred to as the Oonoonba Traffic Bridge, but in late 1954 the council announced that it had chosen to name the bridge Rooney’s – after the Rooney family – who had been associated with the development of Townsville from around the mid 1870s.

Brothers John and Matthew Rooney established the firms Rooney Bros. (architects, builders and contractors) and Rooney and Co. (timber merchants, sawmillers and joiners) in Townsville in the 1880s, obtaining red cedar, silky oak and other timbers from throughout north Queensland.

Staff of Rooney & Co.'s Steam Saw Mills & Joinery Works, Townsville, 1934.
Photo: City Libraries Townsville.

Rooney’s built a number of buildings in Townsville, and supplied prefabricated buildings to western Queensland mining towns. To accommodate their expanding business empire, the Rooney’s built a new sawmill on banks of the Ross River, near the site of the future bridge that would bear their name.

Employing 100 men by 1897, the North Queensland Register described Rooney and Co. as “the biggest timber business in North Queensland”.