Tasman Bridge Construction (1965)

Produced for the Department of Public Works Tasmania.
Please be advised that this footage may contain words and descriptions that may be culturally sensitive, which reflect the attitude of the period in which the film was produced, and which may be considered inappropriate today.
Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office: Film - Tasman Bridge Construction - 16mm Eastmancolor Composite Release Print (colour, sound) - 26m 59s - (Reference: AB869/1/2610)
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[@sama-vh8ge]

My city has changed so much in the 24 years I've been around more cranes here in Hobart than you can poke a stick at, nice to come back to a simpler time.

[@officialWWM]

Amazing technology for 55 years ago! I pass under that bridge in my boat all the time and I've often wondered how it was built. Incredible really. The old bridge was eventually towed out to Betsy Island and sunk as a FAD. Today, it's a very popular fishing spot.

[@gilzor9376]

Surely a lot of well earned pride surrounds this bridge . . . . . but contrary to the statement made at @ 0:34, I cannot possibly see where there is anything about this bridge that brings it into the same class as the Golden Gate Bridge in California. The Tasman Bridge is clearly a design that, at a glance, is of a utilitarian design. It is basic and to the point . . . . . getting you from here to over there. The Golden Gate Bridge on the other hand, even at a glance, gives one the sense of an immense, near magical structure of gravity defying qualities that somehow carry you over a huge expanse of air over water. Breathtaking to see even through photos and video.

[@ericsonenopia]

I drove pass this bridge last weekend. Tassie is a place you have to visit and experience.

[@danrobinson572]

Good video never watched this channel before. Going to check it out now. These programs are interesting to me.

[@ianraper4304]

Left Hobart in September '61 just before I turned 8. We travelled over the old bridge many times and work on the approaches from both sides had just commenced - with three or four supports each side being ready or prepared. Returned in November '93 for a holiday and journeyed across the new bridge and enjoyed the drive between airport and CBD. Only query - good documentary but would have liked to see a diagram interspersed with the commentary showing where each section went when mentioned in the commentary for us non-engineering types. other than that - good memories.

[@RaveDave871]

Ya got tru blue aussie accent there mate 🤠

[@Match2100]

Excellent, seen clips of this in other Tas film unit films, great to finally see the whole thing!

[@MatthewHarrold]

At 19 minutes ... the foreshadowing horror of the pile inadequacy begins ... and any dream of unobstructed travel by shipping slowly dies. In 2019 ... cars wait for around 10 minutes every time a ship passes under, the congestion is terrible, the journey frustrating, and most of us scream "WHY!?" ... one drunk captain and we wrap ourselves in bubble wrap and suffer like it's 1959.

[@arcspike193]

im sure the family's of the dead don't mind giving up a simple 10 mins of there life every now and then

[@officialWWM]

They recently had a vote on wether to continue closing the bridge when big ships go under it and the idiots voted to continue! With today's modern navigation aids, it would be almost impossible to hit the bridge again but nope, it's Tassie, so we will stay stuck in 1959...

[@patrick9761]

I love Tasmania! when war of the worlds crank up.. this is where it is safe to be lol.. great place great island great people sustainable economy .. bloody treasure chest!

[@forget2bhuman993]

sustainable economy? tell me that again when me and the other 20thousand unemployed in Tasmania can get work

[@officialWWM]

And here we are in 2020. The world has gone mad and with zero Covid cases, Tasmania may we'll be the safest place in the world right now. You saw the future!

[@eli-la-ceti4318]

Trying to see my old house in montague bay

[@suncoastbart]

13:40 damn, those hardhats look so comfy back then 🤣

[@rock1722]

Think it’s a beanie

[@KevinAPamwar]

Amazing

[@whynot64928]

It wasn't always unobstructed sailing by ships at least not for one

[@elleM176]

But little did they know that 10 years later something bad would happen.

[@smitajky]

The old bridge had an adequate footpath on one side only. The new bridge has a grossly inadequate footpath on both sides. It is so narrow that to get a person past me when wheeling my pushbike I had to lift it over their head. The path has vertical bars that snag handlebars with jutting out steel obstacles. At the end there are narrow cement openings with great gouges from handlebars. In other words it is horrendously dangerous for anyone trying to ride over the footpath but you dare not ride in a traffic lane. It is an example of a completely negligent design process. In the film they say that the path is 4'6" wide ( 145 cm) but that would have given a clearance of 35 cm at each side of the handlebars. Perhaps that is the maximum width of the path without considering the various bottlenecks. But it is not representative of trying to get over the bridge. I mentioned the vertical siderails. If they were horizontal then a slight misjudgement would merely leave you bouncing off. The vertical bars grab one handlebar and turn it. Slamming you into the supports. I tried walking over the bridge a 20 minute delay. I tried going Northward to an alternative and much better crossing but that was a substantial loss also. Basically the bridge and the freeway beyond do not provide for all comers the way that the old bridge did.

[@kineticdeath]

I just dont think that cycling and cyclists were really on the radar as a big thing back in the 70's

[@officialWWM]

The bridge originally had much wider footpaths when it was first built but when the ship hit it and damaged a large section, they took advantage of the downtime and decided to build an extra lane during the reconstruction. Space was stolen from the footpaths on either side, leaving what you have today.

[@emmaziegler6647]

No concrete pumps just shovels and hand saws

[@chloehall3916]

Omg it took 4 years to Build then 10 years after the official opening it was crashed into and sunk 😬😭 the people who worked so hard for 4 years

[@roncooke3964]

O.H.A.S was strong back in those days !!😱

[@TasmanianHillBilly]

At least you could take a fart without having to take insurance out on your arse first

[@Yeah_na]

Didn’t have to wear cut proof gloves when using the pencil sharpener to sharpen your pencil either...

[@chrisbell8240]

Hmmmm, The gravity fenders didn't work then did they .

[@rods7476]

The ship didn't hit either of the two "protected" piers either side of the main shipping passage, he tried taking a shortcut and wiped out two of the un-protected ones.

[@user-rx1fb1cc8k]

Except we still have to stop when a boat goes under tge bridge

[@BhilipBu]

anyone here coz of cven2101??

[@MrKevinPan]

how that possible to find the excavation equipment they used, study like archeologist.

[@isaacjbradbury]

0:27 Bringe.

[@billypoppins9138]

1:04.. Big fish

[@tassieman9293]

and now the Bridge is having a *$65 million for the Tasman Bridge Upgrade;

[@QFLad]

The guy standing out at the edge of the steel construction at 6:10. Does not look very safe.

[@Homeo67]

You better phone worksafe.

[@jashugg]

Perfectly safe if you take personal responsibility

[@fins59]

It sounds like the commentator says fitten, erecten and bringe instead of fitted, erected and bridge.

[@Brad-kq9oc]

He's Tasmanian, ask someone from Smithton Tasmania where they're from and you'll hear smitten

[@aussiegamer1883]

im in tasmania 1:06 is the bridgewater bridge

[@RaveDave871]

In our politically correct 21st century, we need to ask would this bridge project have been worthy of the 🌈✔