Recent floods wash away another piece of our cane history

Recent flood damage above, and past damage from 1947, below.

by Nambour Museum President Clive Plater 

The former Moreton Sugar Mill’s lift span tramline bridge across the Maroochy River has been substantially washed away. The bridge’s future has been in limbo since it was ‘heritage listed’ after the mill closed in 2003 and various jurisdictions deliberated on who would actually take ownership and accept responsibility for it. 

In 2020, by which time the Queensland Government seemed to have accepted ownership and responsibility, the lift span section had become so dangerous that it was removed. The removed components were saved and are now securely stored at a government storage facility. 

The bridge was constructed in 1921 to connect the cane growing areas north of the Maroochy River to the mill’s tramway system. The construction of the bridge saw the tramline extend to Coolum and the mill operated a passenger service between Nambour and Coolum on weekends.  

This is not the first time the bridge has been damaged during a flood, about half was totally washed away in 1947 and substantial damage occurred during floods in the 1950s. This was of course when the bridge was in good condition and well maintained unlike the past 20 years when no maintenance has occurred.

Let’s hope something can be preserved. It has always been a popular fishing spot so a couple of the remaining spans on the Coolum side could be made into a jetty and the previously removed lift section could be re-erected on dry land adjacent to the jetty along with relevant interpretive signage telling the history of the bridge.