Taxonomy Term

Bridge Inn

Term Description

The Bridge Inn was at Deep Creek in Victoria. In 1844 the former Chief Constable of Melbourne, William 'Tulip' Wright, built the first hotel, the Bridge Inn, by the Deep Creek. Until the late 1840's Bulla consisted of little more than Tulip's hotel and residence, but as the surrounding land was taken up for farming the township expanded as a service centre. Source: eMelbourne: Bulla, citing Symonds, I.W., Bulla Bulla: An illustrated history of the Shire of Bulla, Spectrum, Melbourne, 1985.

SUDDEN DEATH AT BULLA BULLA.
To the Editor of the Argus.
Sir, - The number of sudden deaths which has lately occurred at Bulla Bulla (better known as the Deep Creek) is truly distressing. The little cemetery (if I may so call it) which has been erected by Mr. Wright in front of his own dwelling, has received so many friendless 'strangers in a strange land' to their last resting place, that it has become necessary to inter the last two individuals - both within a period of six weeks, and in apparently good health six hours previous to their deaths - beyond its precincts, the extension of which must now entirely depend upon the generosity of the 'Samaritan,' whose character shone forth so brightly in the restoration of Mr. Hayden's child to his disconsolate parents.

The death which has given rise to the preceding and following remarks, is that of Mr. William Ward, formerly a superintendent of Judge Donnithorne's, and at the time of his decease, overseer to Messrs Brodie, whose unhappy end affords to the attentive observer the ruinous tendency of an immoderate use of intoxicating liquors, either to satisfy the cravings of a vitiated thirst, or, as in the instance before us, to drown by gone recollections, and to soothe the pangs of worldly adversity. The facts, or circumstances attending Mr. Ward's melancholy death, have doubtless already met the eyes of many of your readers, previous to the publication of the resent letter; so that my recapitulation of them would be wholly unnecessary; it is therefore only needful, in justice to the 'Tulip,' to say that the 'fiery draught' which accelerated, or rather caused his death, was not obtained from the Bridge Inn, but was a quantity of that liquid poison, which, under the name of Cape, finds such a ready market in this colony, and which is pregnant with so many of those tragical occurences with which the Deep Creek has been abundantly visited, as will doubtless be shewn by the absence of all fatalist purchasers, and mayhapsanatory agitators at the public sale of the township in January next.

I was present when the body of this poor man was committed to that 'bourne from which no traveller returns,' and although the service was read in as becoming a manner as the limited talents of the neighbouring inhabitants would allow, yet it struck me as strange, that within such a short distance of Melbourne, no messenger of the Most High was to be found to impress upon the minds of the beholders the uncertainty of life, and the sure and certain hope of a joyous resurrection; and if this was the case at the burial, what would it have been had that spirit, which has for ever fled, been permitted to hover in its earthly tenement after the King of Terrors had implanted his inviolable seal upon the victim ?. Why it would have been just the same ! A spirit whose duration is the countless ages of eternity, would have been permitted to pass unheeded into the presence of 'him who gave it,' unprepared and unreminded by his servants, of that inestimable benefit which was purchased by the death of Him, who came 'to seek and to save that which was lost.' Let, then, the ministers of Christ, and more especially the Diocesan, whose yes may perhaps rest upon this letter, ask themselves the question - Shall I, in the great and terrible day of accounts be totally guiltless of being an necessary to this spiritual death? Yes ! And let them ponder long, and well! Are laborers in the Lord's vineyard scarce ?. Let them then compare the poverty of their blessed Master - who had not where to lay his head - with their own worldly splendour, and let me ask them will their consciences excuse them on this momentous subject; and will the Diocesan be justified in not compelling the attendance of a clergyman more frequently than once in four months, at a place which is only distant seventeen miles from Melbourne.

Trusting to your kindness for the insertion of the present letter, and apologising for the intrusion,
I remain, Sir,
Yours reapectfully,
K. S. Y.
November 13, 1848.
P.S.—I would also suggest to the Bishop, the propriety of having this little burial ground consecrated, as upon enquiry I find that there are no less than eight bodies interred therein - a suggestion which Bishop Perry will find compatible with his duties to carry out. 1

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