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The
old bridge across the Prosser was a single lane wooden bridge with a traffic
light.
There used to be clean white sand at the edges of both sides of the Prosser River as far as the front of Malunnah. There were no weeds in the river, but there were often logs floating in the water. |
| Over
the years the position of the sand bar has moved. In the early 1960s,
before the Prosser River was dammed, it was just behind the toilet block
at Millington’s Beach. There is a sign giving the boat speed limit
in the sand dunes today. This was where the river once flowed.
An Alginates factory was built at Louisville on the present site of the Eastcoaster Resort in 1964. They needed a water supply and consequently a dam was built on the Prosser River. Part of the "deal" was that they supplied water to the town of Orford as well. At the Alginates factory they produced a kelp setting compound that was used in toothpaste, icecream and other products. They had no trouble harvesting the kelp but in drying it they could never actually get it right. The company was owned by ETA and they decided in 1968 that they had spent enough money on it and closed it down.
A Boxing Day Regatta was held in the Prosser River in the early 1960s. There were dinghy races and fishing boat races on the river, sideshows and a ferris wheel. There would also be a dance in the Orford Hall. After the dam changed the river the regatta was held a couple of times at front beach but it was never really a success. Fishing competitions were held in the Prosser River after the Swansea Fishing championships in about January. Tagged fish were released but never seemed to be caught! Fishing was also a popular after school activity for local children and there were plenty of fish to catch. There were lots of bream in the river and they were bigger than they are nowadays. In the 1960s boats were built on the Prosser River. Many professional fishermen worked out of the river until the sandbar shifted and it was no longer possible for the bigger boats to get past. Large fishing boats were always moored to the jetties. A public diving board off Fuglsang’s Ramp was popular with both locals and visitors. There were even change rooms and showers on the jetty. The jetty is no longer there. The river used to be the most popular place to swim in the 1960s. Teenagers have always jumped and dived off the bridge across the Prosser, the new one and the old one. |
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| At the
opening of the new bridge across the Prosser, Orford State School students
were invited to be part of the parade. A competition was held to
see who could have the best-decorated bike for the occasion. After
the ribbon had been cut and the premier and official cars crossed the bridge,
the Orford students were allowed to follow on bikes and on foot. They went
across the old bridge and back over the new bridge. They each received
a small packet of lollies at one end and an icecream at the other! The
prize for the best bike was won by a boy who made his bike look like a
fish.
Nobody has very clear memories about the removal of the old bridge. It was thought that it was removed in parts and the wood was reused for other things. Some remaining parts of the old bridge can sill be seen under the water. |
