Barham-Koondrook Bridge, Murray River
Murray-Darling river trade was underway at the time of the Victorian gold rushes in the 1850s with the first paddle steamers passing upstream of the twin settlement of Barham (NSW) and Koondrook (Vic) by the 1860s. When river transportation reached its peak in the 1890s some 200 paddle steamers were actively engaged in the trade.
In the earlier days, much of the cross-river transportation was by punts and ferries but as traffic grew, so did local pressure for their replacement by bridges. When designing these structures, engineers needed to make provision for a movable span to allow the passage of river traffic.
The six basic types of movable span bridges are the pontoon, sliding, transporter, swing, bascule and lift bridges. Eighteen movable span bridges were built in the Murray-Darling system between 1858 and 1969, one pontoon, one swing, one push-up, three bascule and twelve lift bridges.
Several designs of the lift bridge were used in the Murray-Darling system. Around 1900 NSW Public Works bridge engineer E M de Burgh produced a design which was of combined metal and wooden construction, cheaper to build and easier to operate and maintain than existing movable span bridges in the system. Two bridges of this design were built, one at Cobram-Barooga (1902) and the other at Barham-Koondrook (1904). They are the only lift bridges flanked by de Burgh composite steel and timber trusses.
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | Historic Engineering Marker (HEM) |
| Award Date | 8 October 2004 |
| Heritage Significance | The bridge, comprised of a lift span and two de Burgh composite timber trusses, was designed by E M DeBurgh MICE Bridge Engineer of the NSW Public Works Department and opened on 8 October 1904. An improvement on earlier designs, it was built by Messrs, Monash & Anderson of Melbourne. The bridge allowed the passage of paddle steamers and continues to efficiently serve the northern inland stock route to Melbourne. |
| Nomination Document | Available here. |
| Ceremony Booklet Ceremony Report |
Not Available. |
| Plaque/Interpretation Panel | None Installed. |
