RAIL BRIDGE

The Broken River Bridge was completed in March 1875 for the Victorian Railways' main north eastern trunk line, which connected Melbourne with Belvoir (Wodonga) in 1873, and which was extended to Albury in 1883. The ballasted single track bridge, comprising sixteen approach spans of 12.8m and one span of 36.9m, is supported on pairs of cylindrical iron piers supplied by James McEwan & Co, and erected by George Eskdale. The main span has a riveted wrought iron plate girder, featuring flying lateral braces at the abutments supplied by the Landlands Foundry Co. The iron girders on the approach spans were replaced with steel girders in 1912.

How is it significant?

The bridge over Broken River is of scientific, historical and social significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?

The bridge is a significant element of the North Eastern railway, the Colony of Victoria's third main trunk line. The line is important as an expression of the importance of the north eastern goldfields, and of the priority given by the colonial government to build a railway to connect the goldfields, the New South Wales Riverina, and the Murray River trade with the Port of Melbourne. The line is significant as the nation's first inter-capital rail link, and in this respect eclipses the earlier trunk lines in its economic role.

At the time of its construction it was the longest metal girder bridge in Australia (in overall length) and remained so until the completion of the Echuca-Moama Bridge in 1877. It was the second bridge of its type built in Victoria, and is believed to be the first metal railway bridge both designed and fabricated within the colony. Its cylindrical cast iron piers and large components of locally fabricated structural iron work demonstrate the change in construction technique adopted by the Victorian Railways following the opening of the first trunk lines to Ballarat and Echuca. The intact flying lateral braces on the main span girders are a distinctive characteristic of the major bridges on the north eastern railway.

The structure is a representative and essentially intact example of a railway bridge.

The bridge is a significant element of the first trunk line built totally under the direction of Thomas Higinbotham, Engineer in Chief of the Victorian Railways (1860-78).

Group

Transport - Rail

Category

Railway Bridge/ Viaduct