Why is this place significant?

Why is this place Category 1 / Category 2?

The St David Street Footbridge over the Water of Leith adjacent to the University of Otago has been a local landmark, and has served the community for over one hundred years. The pedestrian bridge was designed in the City Engineers Office and is notable for its elegant detailing. The bridge has survived several deluges on the flood prone Leith, and stands today as a much-admired landmark within the University precinct. The contract for the construction of the bridge was let in November 1902, and signed off in 1903. Both the contractor William Duncan & Son and John Rogers, the City Engineer signed the contract. John Rogers, who had previously held a similar position in Brisbane, was appointed as City Engineer in February 1901 at a salary of £800. His tenure was short. Following the controversy over the Waipori power scheme Rogers resigned. The new bridge replaced an earlier footbridge. The earlier footbridge dated from pre-1877, as a newspaper report from that year notes the presence of a bridge, and an 1881 survey plan shows the location of that bridge (DP 303). There were reports in 1910 and 1914 about minor damage to the bridge following flooding. There was serious flooding in the Leith in 1923 and again in 1929. A report written for the Dunedin City Council after the 1929 flood noted serious damage done to bridges on the lower reaches of the Waters of the Leith. The report noted the need for a new bridge at St David Street, but no replacement appears to have been made. Restoration and maintenance was carried out on the St David Street Footbridge in 1975. Ownership of the bridge was transferred from the Dunedin City Council to the University of Otago in September 1999 as part of a stopped road transfer. In the 1990s and early 2000s there were plans to replace the footbridge with a vehicle bridge. After a long period of controversy, negotiation and discussion these plans were not followed through. The St David Street Footbridge is a distinctive local landmark, and is a significant element in the historic University precinct. In a world increasingly dominated by the car, the pedestrian bridge is a reminder of the pace of the past, and allows a leisurely appreciation of both the bridge itself and the historic landscape surrounding it.

The St David Street Footbridge spans the Water of the Leith next to the University of Otago, and is a notable feature in the University precinct. It is 13m long and 1.8m wide. The bridge has four Port Chalmers Breccia stone columns, with plinths and caps, approximately 1.4m high, each situated at the end of the bridge balustrade sides. The decking is concrete and asphalt, with reinforced steel beams. The decorative wrought steel work on the handrails and the fascia are notable features. The hand rail is cast steel. Decorative Lamp gallows span the centre of the bridge. The Footbridge predates the flood control work completed on the Water of the Leith. Originally the abutments and wing walls for the bridge were masonry (as noted on the original plan). These original abutment were incorporated into the concrete flood channel walls when the flood control work was completed in the 1930s. The bridge now spans the concrete walls of the channel. In 1975 the pressed zinc fascia was replaced with fibreglass moulded on the original pattern. The cast iron work was repainted, or replaced where the corrosion was too severe. The steel framing was cleaned and repainted. The lantern was replaced.

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A fully referenced version of this report is available from the NZHPT Southern Region Office. Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.