Richmond Bridge

Background

Richmond Bridge is Australia’s oldest extant bridge, with construction, using convict labour, having commenced on 11 December 1823 and completed in September 1824.

Richmond Bridge was erected on the site of an early transport route and served early pastoral and agricultural developments, especially on the eastern seaboard and, later, the Tasman Peninsular (including Port Arthur). The bridge was built just prior to development of Richmond township and served to consolidate Richmond as a focus for commercial and institutional development.

The only major changes to the bridge have been the raising of the western parapet (1835) and the addition of cutwaters (1884).

Equipment and Subsequent History

Richmond Bridge is a stone arched road bridge. That is, it is constructed of sandstone, the river water passes through arched openings (four large openings and two small) and holds up a road which passes between parapets built on the edges.

The bridge is constructed of local brown sandstone in random coursed rough ashlar work with some tooling marks evident. It has six spans, of 4.3, 8.1, 8.3, 8.5, 8.1 and 4.1m. Stone parapets with copings sit on a simple string course and run between stone terminating columns. The bridge width is 7.2m between parapets. At the springing point of the arches the three central piers have large sloping cutwaters encasing the original vertical cutwaters.

The bridge is founded on the river bed at unknown depth and has been subject to settlement - particularly in 1829 when undermining and settlement caused two piers to require rebuilding. A diagonal view of the bridge today shows clearly the undulations of the bridge caused by settlement over the years.

• In May 1835 the parapet wall on the western side of the bridge was raised.
• In 1859 William Rose Faulkner recommended underpinning of piers, river bed excavation and paving between the piers.
• In 1884 the piers were cased in stone and brought to a cut water edge. The paving around the piers is thought to have been installed at this time.
• In 1928 additional river bed paving was laid and a masonry wall was constructed to prevent undermining of one abutment.

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Current bridge
Source: Web

Engineering Heritage Recognition Program

Marker Type	Historic Engineering Marker (HEM)
Award Date	April 1991
Heritage Significance	It is the oldest bridge still in use in Australia and was constructed by convict labour under the direction of engineer-soldiers of the Royal Engineers. It has been in continuous use since 1823. The original materials and workmanship are substantially intact and adaptive works carried out to overcome engineering problems are reasonably sympathetic. Richmond Bridge is listed on the Register of the National estate and has a Tasmanian Heritage Register Listing, THR Reference: 1101.
Nomination Document & Ceremony	Nomination Document & Ceremony