Melbourne’s Mighty West

The Melbourne’s Might West artwork by Kerrie Gottliebsen captures the sun setting over Melbourne’s iconic West Gate bridge. Twice as long as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and one of the highest bridges in Australia, the bridge is a gateway to Melbourne’s west, a melting pot of new and old families, migrant families, those seeking more affordable bayside living options and a huge array of excellent cafes and restaurants.

I’ve spent 22 years travelling over the West Gate since moving to Seaholme. This has included experiencing the horror of a flashing petrol alert on my dashboard in stand-still traffic at the top, gazing at the wonderful pink lake under the bridge, breaking down in the old days when there was an emergency lane, marvelling at the shimmering city skyline and the heading on the downwards slant towards the Williamstown and Altona exits.

The West Gate bridge curves around to reveal suburbs boasting Melbourne’s increasingly gentrified industrialised and maritime history.  The beautiful bridge however has a tragic past when it collapsed while under construction in 1970, killing 35 men. My artwork pays tribute to those that that died working on the bridge, and to their families left behind.

The West Gate Bridge Collapse

On 15 October 1970, the day of the collapse, engineers and workers under their instruction, had been attempting to maneuverer half girders into place on the Western side of the construction. The half girders needed to meet, but the camber difference was 4.5 inches. Engineers decided to place large concrete blocks onto one girder to pressure it into place, but a buckle in the bridge formed. At 11.50 am, workers were asked to remove bolts to smooth the buckle. The bridge groaned, the metal turned blue, and a major section of the bridge construction collapsed. The disaster killed 35 employees and injured many more. Workers and emergency personnel searched through the night and into the next day to retrieve bodies from the freezing muddy wetlands. This collapse remains Australia’s worst industrial disaster in construction. A 36th worker lost his life while working to build the West Gate. In 1972, after construction on the bridge had resumed, Joe Owens, a rigger, died in a fall. ( www.thewestgateproject.org/a-brief-history-of-the-west-gate-collapse-and-the-names-of-those-killed/ )

Community, Opportunity and Refuge

May the west continue to be a place of refuge, community, opportunity and friendship, as it has been for me. The artwork comes in A4, A3, A2, A1 and AO and would be a wonderful gift for lovers of Melbourne’s West and the West Gate bridge. The artwork also comes with the following font. Let me know if you would prefer this version.