HO136 - Beattys Bridge - 660A Beattys Road, Aintree

The remains of the timber bridge known as Beattys Bridge which crosses Kororoit Creek and the stone cobbles located to the west of the bridge. The 3-span bridge has unhewn piles, stringers and corbels with large sawn cross beams and remnants of a circa 1930s longitudinal deck.

How is it significant?

The remains of Beattys Bridge and the nearby stone cobbles are of local historical significance to the City of Melton.

Why is it significant?

Historically, the Beattys Bridge ruins are significant as the remains of a timber vehicular bridge from the late 19th/early 20th century, of which only a few remain in the City of Melton. Beattys Road had been part of a major route from Melbourne to Ballarat. The crossing of the road over Kororoit Creek has associations with both the nearby water reserve and the Rockbank Inn which began as an early 1850s goldrush wayside inn and was later used by the Beatty family as a residence for about 90 years. The cobblestone road pavement is also associated with this important crossing. (Criterion A)

As one of only a few extant timber bridges in Melton, the remnants of Beattys Bridge have the potential to yield information that could contribute to an understanding of how the construction of timber vehicular bridges evolved from the 1890s, when part of the extant bridge was probably constructed, through to circa 1930s when the superstructure of the bridge was likely changed. The cobbles located to the west of the bridge are one of only a few knapped or cobbled basalt roads that survive in the City of Melton. These roads, which were constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, have the potential to yield information about early road construction in Victoria. (Criterion C)

The remnant structure of Beattys Bridge is of representative significance as a timber bridge with a longitudinal deck that became a standard type constructed by the Country Roads Board and municipal councils post-1930. The use of round, unhewn log stringers and corbels was common for road bridges that were constructed both during and after the 1890s depression. (Criterion D)

Primary source

City of Melton Heritage Assessments Project 2018: Findings, RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants (November 2018)

Group

Transport - Road

Category

Road Bridge