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HO54 - Bridge over Kororoit Creek

Other Name

Melton Highway crossing of Kororoit Creek (at 37 km post), Plumpton.

Location

Melton Highway PLUMPTON, MELTON SHIRE

File Number

117

Level

Included in Heritage Overlay

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Bridge over the Kororoit Creek
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Bridge

Statement of Significance

The bridge over the Kororoit Creek, Melton Highway, Melton, is significant as one of few nineteenth century stone road bridges in the Melton Shire, as one of the few early round arch road bridges in Victoria, for its combination of an arch and a girder span, and for its likely early date. Probably built c.1860, it had a girder span added in 1870, with some interesting and rare design features. In the 1950s and 60s the parapets and original timber superstructure of the girder span were replaced with a concrete superstructure, and the masonry parts of the bridge may also have been sympathetically widened. It is moderately intact.

The bridge over the Kororoit Creek, Melton Highway, is historically and scientifically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC A.4, F.1). It illustrates a contextually rare form of stone bridge construction, being one of few nineteenth century stone road bridges in the Melton Shire. It is associated with one of Victoria's primary early roads from Melbourne to Portland, with the original Ballarat goldrush road, and was the main coach road between Melbourne and Ballarat until replaced by the railway in 1889. It is a scarce and probably very early example of a round or Roman arch bridge in Victoria. It is unusual within Victoria for having both an arch and a girder span, which demonstrates the event of the 1870 superflood, which devastated bridges throughout Victoria, and prompted a significant review of bridge design in the colony. The different spans are also likely to express the funding of the original bridge by the colonial government in the gold-era, and the funding of the new span by local government in the farming era. While modifications to its superstructure have compromised the ability of the girder span to demonstrate these changes, the rare shaped bluestone corbels and bluestone paved floor contribute especially interesting and illustrative feature with research potential.

Overall, the bridge over the Kororoit Creek is of LOCAL significance.

Group

Transport - Road