Prahran, the Boroughs of St. Kilda and Brighton, the Shires of Caulfield, Malvern, and Moorabbin, was laid, and the said bridge was named, like the former, after his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, 'Prince's Bridge,' by Mrs. Amelia Henderson Stewart, the wife of the Right Worshipful the Mayor of Melbourne, on the anniversary of her birthday, the seventh of September, A.D. 1886.
"'In the fiftieth year of the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria.
"'In the third year of the Governorship of His Excellency Sir Henry Brougham Loch, Knight.
"'In the Premiership of the Honourable Duncan Gillies, M.L.A.
"'The Hon. John Nimmo, M.L.A., Commissioner of Public Works.
"'James Cooper Stewart, Esquire, Mayor of the City of Melbourne.
"'Robert Wright, Esquire, Mayor of the City of South Melbourne.
"'R. A. Forbes, Esquire, Mayor of the City of Prahian.
"'Frederick Wimpole, Esquire, Mayor of the Borough of St. Kilda.
"'J. F. Hamilton, Esquire, Mayor of the Borough of Brighton.
"'Richard Dawson, Esquire, President of the Shire of Caulfield.
"'R. G. Benson, Esquire, President of the Shire of Malvern.
"'David Abbot, Esquire, President of the Shire of Moorabbin.
"'William Henry Steele, Esquire, Inspector-General of Public Works.
"'Designed by J. H . Grainger, Esquire, Architect.
"'The Contractor (under contract entered into during the Commissionership of the Honourable Alfred Deakin, M.L.A., now the Chief Secretary of Victoria), David Munro, Esquire.'
"The Mayoress then gracefully laid the stone, assisted by Mr. W. H. Steele (Inspector-General of Public Works), Councillor Wright (Mayor of South Melbourne), and Councillor Forbes (Mayor of Prahran). The ceremony having been successfully completed, the Mayoress declared the stone well and duly laid, and named the structure 'Prince's Bridge.' The band played the National Anthem, and, at the instance of the Commissioner of Public Works, cheers were given for the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Governor, the Mayoress, and the Contractor. Mr. Munro called for cheers for Mr. Nimmo, which were heartily given, and the proceedings closed."
The Opening ceremony
Is thus reported in the Age of Friday, October 5th, 1888.
"At noon yesterday the new Prince's Bridge, which has been built across the Yarra in a line with Swanston Street, was officially and formally opened by the Commissioner of Public Works (Mr. John Nimmo, M.L.A.). Prior to the hour appointed for the opening to take place, some 2000 persons assembled at the city end of the bridge, where they were kept in check by Inspector Pewtress and a small force of police. At noon precisely the Mayor of Melbourne, Alderman Benjamin, accompanied by the members of the City Council, arrived on the bridge in four carriages. They drove along a clear space through the crowd, and on to the centre of the bridge, where the Commissioner of Public Works, together with a number of officers of his department, who have supervised the work; the contractor, Mr. David Munro, and a number of members of those Municipal Councils which, with the Government and the City Council of Melbourne, have contributed to the cost of the structure, met them. The vehicles were driven across the bridge, and subsequently a halt was made in the centre of the structure, by the carriage containing the Commissioner of Public Works and the Mayor of Melbourne. Mr. Nimmo then declared the bridge open for public traffic. He expressed the pleasure it gave him to meet there the Representatives of the Municipalities which had contributed to the cost of the structure. He had invited them to be present to inspect the bridge, and he congratulated them on its noble appearance. He believed there was only one bridge in the world of a greater width than the new Prince's Bridge—(Mr. Munro, Senr.: "No, there is not one")—and that one was in Dublin. He considered that all concerned might feel proud of the work they had combinedly accomplished, and it afforded him the greatest satisfaction to declare the bridge open for the use of the public.
