Nestled quietly alongside the highway, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of commuters lies a relic from a bygone era. Many have driven past, and most wouldn’t even know it was there, but to the residents and farmers of Kuttabul, the bridge is an icon and an essential part of their day-to-day lives.
The Watt family has lived in Kuttabul for five generations. The family came to North Queensland in the early 1900s, relocating from the outskirts of Brisbane to the quiet town of Kuttabul. Ever since then, the family has been farming cattle and cane. This story isn’t unique to the Watt’s, most of the farms and properties scattered around Kuttabul are many decades old and are passed down from generation to generation.
The Kuttabul railway bridge was originally constructed when the railway line was built to connect Mackay and Proserpine, which then completed the line running from Brisbane to Townsville. The bridge was built in 1923, making this year the 100th birthday of the old timber thoroughfare. While still standing, the bridge is showing its age, and although it remains an icon of the community, its structural integrity is beginning to degrade.
The Watt family, and many families like them rely on precious infrastructure like the old railway bridge as a means of access to other areas. Harvesters and carting tractors use it constantly, alongside the regular vehicle traffic that depends on it to access the main road. The bridge not only acts as an access route for locals but has posed in the backdrop of wedding photos and graduation photos for many of the families in the area, further cementing its iconic status.
Although the bridge will always hold a special place in the hearts of all those who drive across its hardwood boards each day, it is set to be demolished. This is bittersweet news to the residents of Kuttabul. While they love the bridge dearly, its rapidly deteriorating condition means that it’s no longer safe to drive on, especially for heavier vehicles. Overall, the news the bridge was being torn down and replaced was happy news to all those who need it, and something that has been a concern of theirs for some time now.
It is time for the residents of Kuttabul to say goodbye to the iconic bridge. Access to the road and surrounding farms will be easier and safer for all those who need it, and the old railway bridge will become a fondly remembered landmark from a time that has now passed by.
The old railway bridge. Photo credit: Eamonn Doyle
The deteriorating timber of a local landmark. Photo credit: Eamonn Doyle
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