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Nine to replay West Gate Bridge special

Special which marks the 50th anniversary of Victorian tragedy to now be screened in other cities.

Viewers around the rest of the country will be able to see the recent Nine special West Gate Bridge Disaster: The Untold Stories next week.

This recently screened on Nine in Melbourne to mark the 50th anniversary of the Victorian tragedy.

Produced by WTFN this has been a passion project for performer Shane Jacobson, who has developed a strong relationship with many of the families of the victims of the disaster.

Presented by Shane Jacobson, it is the first documentary ever made about one of the most tragic and monumental events in Australia’s history.

While many people have heard of the West Gate Bridge collapse, very few have heard the detailed stories of what really happened that terrible day in 1970 and the fallout on the familes of the workers who died needlessly.

This was an avoidable tragedy that killed 35 men, widowed 28 women, and left 88 children without fathers. But what happened afterwards was also an immense tragedy and a scar in our history books that is rarely reflected upon.

However, the bridge catastrophe led to significant industrial reform that transformed workplace safety laws and strengthened the role of trade unions. Thanks to the victims’ ultimate sacrifice, an engineering disaster like this is unlikely to ever happen again.

The survivors and the shattered families have never fully told their intimate stories of survival, grief, injustice, reform – even pride – until now, on the 50th anniversary of the disaster.

Shane Jacobson was born in Melbourne’s western suburbs the same year the West Gate Bridge collapsed. His passion for this story drives the narrative and also secures the exclusive access to those who reveal the incredible and sometimes shocking accounts of the tragedy.

This is a dark piece of Australian history that should be remembered and respected for its impact both then and on our lives today.

At 11.50am on October 15, 1970, two years into its construction, Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge collapsed when a 2,000-tonne section broke off and plunged 50 metres to the water below, taking with it the lives of 35 construction workers.

Fifty years on, we finally tell the whole story of what really went wrong that day, how the disaster led to big changes in industrial safety laws, and how the bridge was salvaged to become one of Melbourne’s vital transport links. More importantly, we reveal the poignant story of the survivors and their families: how they have managed to forge mateship and find rare strength through the adversity of this crushing tragedy.

West Gate Bridge Disaster: The Untold Stories is an intimate and compelling documentary about the strength, endurance and camaraderie of its key characters, including many survivors speaking publicly for the first time. We hear the stories of those who lived to tell the tale – and remember the sacrifice of those who didn’t.

Had to Be Told Productions and Oceanview Entertainment.

9:50pm Tuesday November 10 on Nine (and repeated in Melbourne).

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