Coronation Drive Retaining Wall is a heritage-listed

embankment Embankment may refer to: Geology and geography * A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea * Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railwa ...

at Coronation Drive, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane,

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It was formerly known as the North Quay retaining wall. It was designed by Thomas Kirk and built from 1887 to 1887 by George E Willcocks. It was added to the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...

on 21 October 1992.

History

In late January 1887

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

experienced severe storms which resulted in flash flooding and damage throughout the city. A couple of weeks after the floods, sections of the river bank and road along North Quay fell into the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...

. An existing embankment and "dry stone wall" had been undercut and collapsed. The Brisbane Municipal Council was advised by their Chief Engineer, Thomas Kirk, of several options for dealing with the problem. The council decided on the most permanent solution - to construct a

mass concrete Mass concrete is defined by American Concrete Institute Committee 207 as "any volume of concrete with dimensions large enough to require that measures be taken to cope with the generation of heat from hydration of cement and attendant volume change ...

retaining wall Retaining walls are relatively rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally so that it can be retained at different levels on the two sides. Retaining walls are structures designed to restrain soil to a slope that it would not naturally keep to ...

at an approximate cost of . Kirk's choice of concrete rather than masonry work was quite adventurous, as mass concrete technology was new to Australia. Kirk prepared the designs and the contract was awarded to George E Willcocks. Work began in May and the actual construction time was shorter than even Willcocks' optimistic estimate - the road was opened four months later. One of the most challenging tasks in the construction involved massive excavations, the deepest being for a huge

coffer dam A cofferdam is an enclosure built within a body of water to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out. This pumping creates a dry working environment so that the work can be carried out safely. Cofferdams are commonly used for construction or re ...

which kept the river waters out of the site. The men preparing the foundations many feet below the low tide mark worked behind this dam with the full force of the water bearing on the other side. G E Willcocks had been involved in railway construction in South Africa in the early 1880s. After hearing of the Queensland government's plan to borrow for an expanded railway construction programme, he migrated to Australia in 1885. In 1886, he began a long career in municipal and government works by winning a contract for building a storm water drainage system in

South Brisbane South Brisbane is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people. Geography The suburb is on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, bounded to the north-west, ...

and Kangaroo Point. Other public works followed - Stratton Drain, the Ann Street wall, the North Quay (now Coronation Drive) wall, extensive railway works in southern Queensland and northern

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and the wood blocking of

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

and

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

Streets. The stone cappings which were on the piers have been replaced with bricks. A section of the western end of the wall was moved in 1983.

Description

A mass concrete wall topped by a brick

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

wall and

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag Inclusion (mineral), inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a ...

railing which extends for a length of about along the northern river bank between Boomerang Street and Eagle Terrace. It is built into bedrock at depths varying from . The wall, which is almost thick at ground level extends by a series of gradations to thicknesses between at the base. The view of the wall from the road reveals only the brick

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

and decorative wrought

iron railings An iron railing is a fence made of iron. This may either be wrought iron, which is ductile and durable and may be hammered into elaborate shapes when hot, or the cheaper cast iron, which is of low ductility and quite brittle. Cast iron can also ...

of the parapet wall. At either end of the wall are marble plaques inscribed with the words "

James Hipwood James Hipwood (2 December 1842 – 22 January 1926) was an Australian politician. He was an alderman on the Brisbane Municipal Council from 1884 to 1897, and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland from 1886 to 1887. Personal life James Hipwood was b ...

Mayor 1887". Beneath the parapet wall the concrete retaining wall is visible from the bike path and from the river.

Heritage listing

The Coronation Drive retaining wall was listed on the

on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. Constructed in 1887, the Coronation Drive retaining wall is as an early example in Queensland of mass concrete technology and is a major engineering achievement of the period. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. Constructed in 1887, the Coronation Drive retaining wall is as an early example in Queensland of mass concrete technology and is a major engineering achievement of the period. The place is important in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period. Constructed in 1887, the Coronation Drive retaining wall is as an early example in Queensland of mass concrete technology and is a major engineering achievement of the period. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. The retaining wall is as an example of the work of George E Willcocks, a contractor who was responsible for a number of large public projects.

References

Attribution

External links