Bridges
History
- '‘In the Gold Rush period of the 1850s over 100 permanent bridges were built by the Central Roads Board, many in stone. These classical bridges survive in comparatively large numbers such as those at Axedale, Djerriwarrh, Avenel, Yendon, etc.'’[1]
Timber Bridges
Bridges connected people and places. Possibly the first bridges were wooden foot bridges, spanning the smaller creeks and tributaries of the Yarrowee River. They were regularly swept away in floods. One of these bridges was at Sunny Corner, connecting central Mount Pleasant to Redan.
As the Ballarat Star reported in October 1869:
- 'Early in the afternoon this little bridge came gallantly down the stream apparently quite un-injured. It lodged in a bend of the creek amidst other wreck of the same sort, and would finally succumb to the force of the water and float on in pieces toward the sea, if not secured on the way by the busy "wreckers".' Its replacement was also swept away in October the following year. It was complained that the loss 'will cause great inconvenience to the residents thereabouts, and at this spot there were several narrow escapes during the flood. It seems that the approaches had been washed away, and when people were endeavoring (sic) to reach the bridge more than one man lost his footing and was nearly carried away by the stream'.[2]
Nimon's Bridge
Located near Scarsdale and Newtown Nimon's Bridge was Victoria's fourth-tallest timber trestle bridge when built, and is the third-tallest surviving example. It is also the second-largest composite bridge combining traditional timber piers with rolled steel joist spans and a timber deck. The bridge is the most visually spectacular timber-trestle rail bridge in Western Victoria and is among the most iconic timber-trestle rail bridges surviving anywhere in Australia.[3]
Metal Bridges
- Perhaps the greatest impetus to bridge design in Victoria came with the unpredictable floods, which washed away many early timber bridges.[4]
- The history of metal road bridges is also the history of settlement in Victoria.[5]
Concrete in Bridges
Places
Ballarat
Clunes
Jorgenson's Bridge, Clunes
Coxtown (later Timor)
Creswick
Birch's Bridge or Wheeler's Bridge
Daylesford
Garibaldi
Hepburn
Inverleigh
Lawrence
Scarsdale
Smeaton
References
- ↑ Gary Vines, Ken McInnes and George Deutsch, ‘Historic Metal Road Bridges in Victoria,’ Australian Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2004, pages 75—76.
- ↑ History of Mount Pleasant FaceBook page. https://www.facebook.com/1700362523541241/posts/the-bridges-of-mount-pleasantits-easy-to-overlook-them-when-you-zip-across-in-a-/2667083163535834/
- ↑ https://www.visitgoldenplains.com.au/blog/28
- ↑ Gary Vines, Ken McInnes and George Deutsch, ‘Historic Metal Road Bridges in Victoria,’ Australian Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2004, page 77.
- ↑ Gary Vines, Ken McInnes and George Deutsch, ‘Historic Metal Road Bridges in Victoria,’ Australian Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2004, page 75.