This week Sepia Saturday suggested bridges as our theme and my header above shows the bridge over the Barham River just as it flows into the ocean on the outskirts of the township of Apollo Bay in south-western Victoria. The Barham River rises in the Otway Ranges 16 km , i.e. less than 10 miles away from Apollo Bay. After coming down through narrow valleys it begins to widen as it passes through farmland then meanders through a flood plain before flowing into the sea.
But this final crossing of the river is not one that we would normally use, instead we would head west from the town along the Barham River Road, skirt the flood plain and follow the road between farms. A short distance out of town you come to the first river crossing.
This picture was taken at one of the Barham River bridges about 1936. On the right is my father’s youngest sister Norma Fricke. Born in 1926 she died earlier this year
The road continues between farming land until it passes between what used to be the Fricke and Garrett farms and comes to a second bridge.
This photo on one of the local bridges was taken in the early 1930s. Counting the photographer, who was possibly Tom’s wife Enid, there are nine people so they wouldn’t have all fitted in the family car, an Essex of about the 1930 vintage.
Entertainment was strictly of the home-made kind and a daytime walk was sometimes taken across this second Barham River bridge, following the road further upstream into the valley. In this Google Earth photo you can see the right hand road following the stream. Though the hills are cleared a narrow strip of bush remains along the river bank.
After crossing this second bridge a little further up the road is an area along the river called Paradise, and on a hot day in summer this gully really is Paradise – a cool paradise of lush tree ferns and other local trees and plants , lichens and mosses, and home to a variety of birds. It is a magical place. With its special aroma and the music of the water over the pebbles every leaf has the potential to have a fairy peeping out from underneath.
When you leave the road and walk along the river you can cross over on fallen trees or on stepping stones in shallow parts of the narrow river. . The bottom is pebbled and the water is fresh and clear.
More bridges from around the world can be found through
Interesting that the family would choose to pose in the middle of a road bridge. I know Apollo Bay but must visit Paradise one day soon. You don’t tell us about who is in those two sepia photographs.
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Well at the time of the photos there wasn’t much traffic on the road and what there was chugged along at about 30 mph. Re the last two sepia photos, I can’t be sure but the first one, going by the hat, could be my mother, and the second one possibly her sister-in-law, Hazel Fricke
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I love the juxtaposition (is that spelled correctly?) of the bridge photos followed by family on the bridge — very nice.
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Lovely old pictures. As soon as one reaches the centre of a bridge there is always this urge to stop and take photographs of the party. I did it recently in Prague and indeed do it whenever I cross a bridge.
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what wonderful treasures you have of these vintage photos! thanks for sharing
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As always I enjoyed your description as much as the pictures.
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Thank you for the story of your family walks, through (to me) an unknown part of Australia. Paradise looked a beautiful spot – cool and restful.
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Love Entertainment of the Home-made kind. Nice Post and great family snaps.
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So many lovely photos…i found the Google Earth one particularly interesting…it looked like some valley in England rather than dry old Australia. Paradise does indeed look like paradise on earth. Thank you for sharing such peace inducing pictures.
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I’m fascinated at the name Barham. I lived on Barham Blvd. In Los Angeles and had no reason to believe it was anything than a local name. Since then I’ve found quite a few Barham streets and now a bridge. So, who was Barham and why did they get so many things named for them?
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The river’s name is derived from the Aboriginal words Barrum or Burrum, meaning “river” or “junction of two rivers”. Apart from what I was writing about there is a smaller second branch feeds in near the second bridge. The name of the river was first recorded by European surveyor George Smythe, with the name Burrum believed to mean a “stony river bed”.
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That’s interesting. I have to wonder where other Barham names come from. It’s never been a name that I’ve seen other than a road in Los Angeles and one nearby where I live now. I doubt they all derive from the same place as yours, but who knows. Thanks for the update.
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Very enjoyable post, lovely photos and your family pictures are the best!
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You asked about a comment you made on my site. My comments are moderated. I checked just now (Sunday); it’s there between Alp’s and Caren’s.
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A very nicely posed family bridge photo. The flora and fauna of Paradise River look like paradise too!
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