Windsor’s 1874 bridge resurrected – in an artful way

It’s being demolished right now, but Windsor’s iconic bridge is living on in a major art exhibition just opened at Hawkesbury Central Library.

The exhibition is being curated by Hawkesbury artist Greg Hansell who lives close to the bridge and it will be on show until the end of the year.

Greg Hansell with one of his Windsor Bridge artworks featuring in the new exhibition

It’s taken six months to put the show together but Mr Hansell, a Windsor local for 40 years, says he is thrilled with the result.

“It’s been a wonderful project,” Mr Hansell said.

There are 50 works in the exhibition, including 10 paintings and sketches by Hansell of the new Windsor Bridge with the old bridge in the background. Another artwork depicts the last day of traffic on the old Windsor Bridge.

Other items include an original 1820s engraving by Captain James Wallis and an 1853 work by FC Terry of the doctor’s house without the bridge. There are also photographs of the old Windsor Bridge at all the stages of its life.

There are descriptions and words from a speech made by William Walker MLC in 1890, as well as historians who wrote about Windsor during the same period.

“I record history in my work… how things are now,” Mr Hansell said.

“When all the mess is cleaned up most people will forget all that has gone on in the past up to now, this is a close focus look at the changes. The exhibition was my idea, the library expanded the brief to include the changes to the area since settlement ”

Mr Hansell is a fellow of the Royal Art Society of New South Wales and his paintings are on show in many corporate and academic collections. He has been a finalist over 20 times in the Archibald and Wynne prizes and Salon de Refuse and was awarded a Centenary of Federation medal in 2001 for services to community arts and Windsor Library.

Free tours of ‘The Crossing’ exhibition with Mr Hansell are taking place on Friday 16 October with two sessions at 2pm and 3pm. Numbers are limited for each session; bookings are essential through www.hawkesburylibrary.eventbrite.com

Hawkesbury Library Service has a COVID plan in place and there will be restrictions on the number of people allowed to attend at any one time.

The display can be viewed at the Hawkesbury Central Library, 300 George Street, Windsor until 31 December during opening hours. The Central Library opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm and Sunday 2-5pm.

Contact the library on 4560 4460, if you require further information.

Picture by Michelle Nichols