Victoria Bridge, Melbourne
Victoria Bridge | |
|---|---|
Looking east, with overhead tram gantry, 2002 | |
| Coordinates | 37°48′44″S 145°0′55″E / 37.81222°S 145.01528°E |
| Carries | Victoria Street |
| Crosses | Yarra River |
| Locale | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Begins | Richmond / Abbotsford (west) |
| Ends | Hawthorn / Kew (east) |
| Other name | Victoria Street Bridge |
| Named for | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | Walmer Street Footbridge |
| Followed by | Hawthorn Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Warren truss |
| Material | Wrought iron |
| Trough construction |
|
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. of tracks | 2 (tram) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8.5 in) standard gauge |
| Electrified | 1916 |
| History | |
| Architect | William Charles Kernot |
| Designer | Fraser & Chase |
| Contracted lead designer | Charles Rowand |
| Constructed by | Mr P. Platt |
| Fabrication by | H. Wallace and Son (1914; gantries) |
| Built | c. 1880–1884 |
| Construction cost | c.A£10,000 |
| Opened | 31 March 1884 |
| Rebuilt | 1890, 1915, 1933 |
Official name | Victoria Bridge |
| Type | Registered place |
| Designated | 14 June 2007 |
| Reference no. | H0374 |
| HO292, HO480 | |
Category | Transport – Road |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Victoria Bridge | |
| References | |
| [1][2][3][4] | |
The Victoria Bridge is a Warren truss bridge over the Yarra River between Richmond and Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[1] The bridge carries Victoria Street across the Yarra including vehicular traffic, Melbourne tram route 109, and pedestrians. The Main Yarra Trail passes underneath the western abutment of the bridge.
The bridge was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 14 June 2007 in recognition of its historical, scientific (technical) and aesthetic significance.[1]
Description
Completed in 1884, the bridge is a riveted, wrought iron, Warren truss bridge. The bridge was widened in 1890—to accommodate the horse-drawn trolley cars—by extending the double-arched piers and abutments to triple arches and adding a further truss girder on the upstream side. Following electrification, in 1915 the bridge was further strengthened to accommodate the extra weight of electric trams and widened to accommodate two cantilever footpaths. Further widening and reconditioning of the bridge took place in 1933, including the addition of four new welded trusses and a reinforced concrete bridge platform.[1]
The bridge initiated travel and trade between the industrial inner suburbs and the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and stands testimony to the development of the tramway in the city. It comprises two ornamental tramway overhead gantries which were installed in 1916. They hold an aesthetic significance because of their early 20th-century ornamental design.[5]
Gallery
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Speed limit sign for G-class trams on the bridge
-
The Main Yarra / Capital City trails under the bridge's western abutment
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Victoria Bridge, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H0374, Heritage Overlay HO292,HO480". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ^ "The Victoria-street Bridge". Mercury And Weekly Courier. No. 487. 5 April 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 26 September 2016 – via Trove. National Library of Australia.
... Before proceeding to notice the opening ceremony let us glance hastily at the beautiful (?) structure that has been five years in course of construction, and that has cost £10,000, and is not yet finished-and possibly never will be completed--as the first big flood in the Yarra may carry it holus bolus into the river…
- ^ "Thursday, March 27, 1884". The Argus. No. 11, 783. 27 March 1884. p. 5. Retrieved 26 September 2016 – via Trove. National Library of Australia.
...The Victoria street bridge, concerning which there has been considerable discussion and alteration of plans, has at last been completed, and will be formally opened for traffic by the mayor of Richmond (Councillor Adam) on Monday next. The opening ceremony will be celebrated by a luncheon at the Richmond Town-hall…
- ^ "General News". Weekly Times. No. 761. 5 April 1884. p. 7. Retrieved 26 September 2016 – via Trove. National Library of Australia.
...The Victoria street Bridge, which has been for a great length of time in course of construction over the Yarra, at the foot of Victoria street, East Richmond, was opened on Monday…
- ^ Victoria Bridge: Victorian Heritage Database Report. Heritage Council of Victoria (Report). 18 June 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
External links
Media related to Victoria Bridge, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
- Churchward, Matthew S. (July 2008). "Bridges". eMelbourne.net.au. School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- "Melbourne Tram Network Map" (PDF) (Map). Transport Victoria. n.d. Retrieved 31 May 2026.