Mooring rings, Elwood Canal

These wrought iron rings look to stem back to the Elwood Swamp Canal's 1889 construction through the lagoon, where not only reclamation was a goal, but securing safe anchorage for small vessels between Brighton and St Kilda was also an essential goal. 

One of the remaining mooring rings

 Image: © VanishedVictoria

The industrial scale of the Canal was primarily designed for navigational purposes, with an early proposal for a deep water lagoon for commercial vessels and barge transport.

'Tinnies' regularly moored in the Canal, though with the lowered height of the two 1967 Country Roads Board Marine Parade bridges, access became difficult. The new St. Kilda Marina nearby was also seen to provide alternative anchorage.

Only 11½  mooring rings remain out of the original 82.

1956: A low tide view of the Elwood Canal anchorage from Marine Parade

Image: Development of the Elster Creek Drainage System / 

 Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, 1979.

 1976: High tide view from Marine Parade

Image: Development of the Elster Creek Drainage System / 

 Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, 1979.

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Hazard signs at Elwood Canal footbridge

These two canal slip hazard signs at either end of the 1970s Elwood Canal mouth footbridge signalled a period where traversing the 'Chinese' or 'Rocking Bridge' was a risky venture, especially when joggers were on it. Often groups of joggers would veer over to the adjoining 'John Cribbes Footbridge' for bicycles only. 

These two safety signs were unique cartoon-like caricatures. They went missing about August 2021.

Up until the bridge's thorough overhaul in March 2022, crossing over it remained a risky proposal especially during frosty, wet or busy periods.

One of the missing signs

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The other missing sign and the bridge

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The bridge was known by some as the 'Chinese Bridge'  and separately by kids as the 'Rocking Bridge'. Chinese because of its traditional arched form, clearly seen in the photo below;  and rocking bridge (from rocking horse)  because it had a terrible swaying that kids enjoyed.

The bridge during refurbishment works, March 2022

Image: © VanishedVictoria

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