Wheelers Bridge
Wheelers Bridge is significant as it was one of the earliest bridges built by Monash & Anderson to the Monier Patents in Victoria.
Despite Monash’s unbounded confidence in the appropriateness of reinforced concrete, the piers of this bridge are bluestone.
The underside of the arch reveals two problems which 113 years of service have illuminated; the dark mark is water draining from the spandrel fill. Water in this fill is thought to have contributed to expansion of the fill which has caused outward swelling of the spandrel walls. The other problem is spalling of concrete from the underside of the arch. The good practice rules for cover over reinforcement had not yet evolved at the time of construction of the Monash & Anderson Monier bridges. By modern standards the cover was inadequate. Both these problems are entirely repairable using present-day concrete technology.
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | Engineering Heritage Marker (EHM) |
| Award Date | 15 June 2013 |
| Heritage Significance | Wheelers bridge, with its two spans of 22.9 metres clear, was only the third completed in Victoria using the early "Monier" system of reinforced concrete, after the Morrell Bridge across the Yarra in Melbourne and the Fyansford Bridge near Geelong. Only six multi-span bridges of this type were built in Victoria. The bridge, with its tall central pier some 8 metres high, is impressive in appearance when viewed from the banks of the creek. |
| Nomination Document | Available here. |
| Ceremony Booklet Ceremony Report |
Available here. |
| Plaque/Interpretation Panel | Available here. |
