March 7th, 2026Our history with Natalie Poole
J.B. Enders and his toll bridge
In the late 1850s, there was no bridge to cross the ford of the Coliban River until J.B. Enders built a bridge. He charged a toll for the use of his bridge, which did not sit well with some in the district.
A Kyneton Guardian newspaper report dated June 26, 1869 reads: “The Hon. Treasurer of the Kyneton Ladies’ Benevolent Society desires to acknowledge the receipt of 10s (shillings), being the amount of toll charged by Mr J.B. Enders to Councillor Sinclair for the privilege of crossing his (Mr Enders’) private bridge over the Coliban.”
Who is J.B. Enders you may ask? Jeremiah Benjamin Enders was born July 15,1828 in New York to Philip Enders and Anna Hummel. In the late 1840s, Jeremiah headed to the California gold rush in the hopes of striking gold. His prospecting dreams may have been shortlived because he emigrated to Australia in 1852.
On arrival, he went to the Bathurst Goldfields in central New South Wales. From there, he came to the McIvor goldfields in Heathcote, Victoria and finally to Forest Creek Goldfields in what is now known as Castlemaine. He met his future wife while working in the Forest Creek area.
On November 5,1855, Jeremiah married Martha Ann Comrie at the Church of England Parsonage in Kyneton. They resided in Boggy Creek, Kyneton.
By late 1856, ‘Yankee Tom’ as he was commonly known, owned a half share in a sawmill located on the Coliban River on the outskirts of Trentham, heading towards Daylesford. In 1857, Yankee Tom bought out his partner Henry Morton and named the place ‘Union Steam Sawmills’ – Upper Coliban. Now back to the bridge.
His unpopular bridge was superseded by the Shire of Glenlyon building a wooden bridge over the Coliban River at Enders Sawmill with the Shire of Kyneton.
It was 100 feet (30.4 metres) long and named the Union Bridge.
The Kyneton Guardian newspaper dated December 31, 1870 remarked the bridge had been completed for at least three months and was acknowledged by all in the district to be a very great ’cause for rejoicing’ since it had been opened for traffic.
This bridge was replaced in 1902 due to heavy traction engines hauling large quantities of timber into the Trentham Railway Station causing relentless damage to the structure. At this time, the bridge became locally known as Enders Bridge.
The replacement bridge was constructed with bluestone mounts and iron girders to support the timber decking with the side rails being made of cast iron.
The Enders bridge still remains as a historical reminder of ‘Yankee Tom’ and his family to this day. It was fully restored in April 2000. Jeremiah Benjamin Enders died in 1914 and was laid to rest in the Trentham cemetery.
Note: Historical signage has been placed at the bridge and maintenance is conducted by the Enders family periodically.
