| Back to search results » | Back to search page » |
|
McMillans Road Bridge,
LocationRokewood - Skipton Road, and Mt Missery Creek ROKEWOOD, Golden Plains Shire LevelRegistered |
|
Statement of Significance
National Estate Register:
It is of historical significance for its 1856 abutments, which are among the very earliest surviving examples of
Victorian bridge technology. It is associated with significant engineers: Charles Rowland; Charles AC Wilson,
an unusually skilled and adventurous Shire Engineer; and Professor WC Kernot. The early date of the bridge
is indicative of the route's importance in the pastoral pioneering of the Western District, and between Geelong
and the Ararat and Streatham goldfields in the 1850s. It is an extremely rare surviving example of a bridge built
by Victoria's short lived Central Road Board. The 1888-9 wrought-iron superstructure represents another major
era in Victoria's transport history, in which the main responsibility for maintaining Main Road infrastructure fell
to the newly instituted rural municipalities which proliferated after 1870.
Whereas the original main road bridge had been wholly designed and built by the State road authority, only
25% of the 1888 cost was met by the State. The new superstructure was locally funded, designed, and built. It
was built at Geelong. by Humble and Nicholson's important Vulcan Foundry. Its span length and deck width
are notable among Victoria's metal truss and timber deck bridges.
It is of scientific (technical) significance as one of Victoria's earliest surviving examples of a composite road
bridge, combining an unusual mixture of sandstone masonry abutments, riveted wrought-iron lattice truss
girders, and a longitudinally planked timber deck. The 1856 abutments are very rare examples of superior goldrush masonry bridge abutments (as distinct from integrated masonry arches), constructed according to an
old European tradition. Most extant rural examples of such stone masonry abutments for big composite road
bridges post-date the freak state wide floods of 1870, which forced a major reconsideration of rural bridge
technology and encouraged more high level structures. By contrast, the 1888 wrought-iron trusses, of notable
span, drew heavily upon the scientific theory and testing facilities of Professor Kernot's Department of
Engineering at the University of Melbourne, and are extremely light, efficient and advanced examples of
current bridge technology. The bridge represents an important step in the local evolution of wrought-iron
trusses for use in bridge construction: considerable economies were achieved, and iron bridge superstructures
became more competitive with traditional hardwood alternatives.
It is of aesthetic significance particularly for the superb red sandstone masonry abutments which support the
later neat wrought-iron superstructure elements. The abutments and wing walls feature coursed rusticated
stone work, with finely worked string courses and an ornate stepped profile. The design of these substantial
masonry abutments is quite distinct from that of other colonial Victorian masonry structures, and possibly
reflects the style of Telford, Brunel and early nineteenth-century British engineers who influenced David
Lennox and in turn his pupil, Charles Rowland. Although two 1859 sandstone arch bridges survive, sandstone
was a far less common bridge-building material in Victoria than the more durable basalt or bluestone.
Source: Victorian Heritage Register -
What is significant?
McMillans Bridge is situated on the Little Woady Yalloack River crossing of the Rokewood-Skipton Road 6
kilometres west of Rokewood. It was originally built in 1856 by the Central Road Board to the design of Charles
Rowland, and incorporates 1888-9 modifications by the Shires of Leigh and Grenville to the design of Charles
A.C. Wilson. It comprises two double-intersection wrought-iron deck-trusses which in 1889 were seated upon
1856 red sandstone abutments (originally constructed for a timber truss superstructure). The longitudinal
timber deck is supported by timber cross beams laid across the tops of the iron trusses. The 29 metre single
span wrought-iron lattice-girder trusses, connected by iron cross bracing, are of unusually light construction.
The original deck width of 6.1 metres has been widened to 7.3 metres. The single-layer longitudinal timber
deck is currently unsurfaced. It now has armco rails. The broad road reserve and open grassland terrain allow
easy observation of the bridge's impressive stone-masonry and iron work.
McMillans Bridge is of historical, scientific (technical) and aesthetic significance to Victoria.
It is of historical significance for its 1856 abutments, which are among the very earliest surviving examples of
Victorian bridge technology. It is associated with significant engineers: Charles Rowland; Charles AC Wilson,
an unusually skilled and adventurous Shire Engineer; and Professor WC Kernot. The early date of the bridge
is indicative of the route's importance in the pastoral pioneering of the Western District, and between Geelong
and the Ararat and Streatham goldfields in the 1850s. It is an extremely rare surviving example of a bridge built
by Victoria's short-lived Central Road Board. The 1888-9 wrought-iron superstructure represents another
major era in Victoria's transport history, in which the main responsibility for maintaining Main Road
infrastructure fell to the newly instituted rural municipalities which proliferated after 1870. Whereas the original
main road bridge had been wholly designed and built by the State road authority, only 25% of the 1888 cost
was met by the State. The new superstructure was locally funded, designed, and built. It was built at Geelong
by Humble and Nicholson's important Vulcan Foundry. Its span length and deck width are notable among
Victoria's metal truss and timber deck bridges.
It is of scientific (technical) significance as one of Victoria's earliest surviving examples of a composite roadbridge,
combining an unusual mixture of sandstone masonry abutments, riveted wrought-iron lattice-truss
girders, and a longitudinally planked timber deck. The 1856 abutments are very rare examples of superior
goldrush masonry bridge abutments (as distinct from integrated masonry arches), constructed according to an
old European tradition. Most extant rural examples of such stone masonry abutments for big composite road
bridges post-date the freak state-wide floods of 1870, which forced a major reconsideration of rural bridge
technology and encouraged more high-level structures. By contrast, the 1888 wrought-iron trusses, of notable
span, drew heavily upon the scientific theory and testing facilities of Professor Kernot's Department of
Engineering at the University of Melbourne, and are extremely light, efficient and advanced examples of
current bridge technology. The bridge represents an important step in the local evolution of wrought-iron
trusses for use in bridge construction: considerable economies were achieved, and iron bridge superstructures
became more competitive with traditional hardwood alternatives.
It is of aesthetic significance particularly for the superb red sandstone masonry abutments which support the
later neat wrought-iron superstructure elements. The abutments and wing walls feature coursed rusticated stone work, with finely worked string courses and an ornate stepped profile. The design of these substantial
masonry abutments is quite distinct from that of other colonial Victorian masonry structures, and possibly
reflects the style of Telford, Brunel and early nineteenth-century British engineers who influenced David
Lennox and in turn his pupil, Charles Rowland. Although two 1859 sandstone arch bridges survive, sandstone
was a far less common bridge-building material in Victoria than the more durable basalt or bluestone.
National Trust:
CITATION
McMillan's Bridge, originally built in 1856 by the Central Road Board to the design of Charles Rowland and
incorporating 1888-9 modifications by the Shires of Leigh and Grenville to the design of Charles A.C. Wilson,
is of scientific, aesthetic and historical significance at a State level.
It is notable technically as one of Victoria's earliest surviving examples of composite road-bridge construction,
combining an unusual but aesthetically pleasing mixture of sandstone masonry abutments, riveted wroughtiron
lattice-truss girders (forming a single main span of 29 metres or 95 feet) and a longitudinally planked
timber deck (7.3 metres or 24 feet wide). The red sandstone abutments of 1856 are very rare examples of
superior goldrush masonry bridge abutments, constructed according to an old European tradition. By contrast,
when they were added in 1888 the extremely light but efficient wrought-iron trusses of the current bridge were
of advanced design, and drew heavily upon the scientific theory and testing facilities of Professor W. C.
Kernot's Department of Engineering at the University of Melbourne. The current McMillan's bridge represents
an important step in the local evolution of wrought-iron trusses for use in bridge construction. By significantly
decreasing the weight of lengthy and cumbersome truss components, considerable economies were achieved
both in terms of materials and of construction costs, and iron bridge superstructures became more competitive
with traditional hardwood alternatives.
Aesthetically, McMillan's Bridge is significant particularly for its superb sandstone masonry abutments, which
support the later neat wrought-iron superstructure elements. The masonry abutments and wing walls feature
coursed rusticated stone work, with finely worked string courses and an ornate stepped profile. The design of
these historic and substantial masonry abutments is quite distinct from that of other colonial Victorian masonry
structures, and possibly reflects the style of Telford, Brunel and early nineteenth-century British engineers who
influenced David Lennox and in turn his pupil, Charles Rowland. Though two sandstone arch bridges dating
from 1859 still survive in Victoria, sandstone was a far less common bridge-building material than the more
durable basalt or bluestone.
McMillan's Bridge is also of considerable historical importance. Charles Rowland designed the unusual
masonry abutments for a substantial composite bridge of 1856, built by Victoria's short-lived Central Road
Board, which places them among our very earliest surviving examples of Victorian bridge technology. Very few
detached stone-masonry road-bridge abutments (as distinct from integrated masonry arches) of the 1850s
goldrush era are known to exist in Victoria. Most of our extant rural examples of such stone masonry
abutments for big composite road bridges post-date the freak state-wide floods of 1870, which forced a major
reconsideration of rural bridge technology and encouraged more high-level structures. Surviving elements from
Central Road Board bridges of any type are extremely rare today. The early date of the bridge is indicative of
the importance of the road as an early trunk route, both to the Western District squatters, and between
Geelong and goldfields at Ararat and Streatham in the 1850s.
The current wrought-iron superstructure elements of 1888-9 represent a very different era in Victorian road
and bridge development, when the State had off-loaded the main responsibility for maintaining Victoria's main
road infrastructure to newly instituted rural municipalities which proliferated after 1870. The original main road
bridge had been wholly designed and built by the State road authority, at State expense, but only 25% of the
1888 reconstruction cost was met by the State. The adjoining Shires of Leigh and Grenville contributed most of
the cost from local rates revenues, for a locally-designed superstructure constructed by a Geelong engineering
firm.
Class: State
Group
Transport - Road
Category
Road Bridge