Hawthorn Bridge
Encyclopedia
Hawthorn Bridge crosses the Yarra River
five kilometres east of Melbourne
connecting Bridge Road
and Burwood Road. It was designed by Francis Bell
and is the oldest extant bridge over the Yarra River.
Hawthorn Bridge's tall bluestone
piers and abutment
s were completed in February 1858. When the ship carrying the wrought iron trusses from England caught fire and sank in Port Phillip
, another set had to be ordered, made and delivered, delaying completion of the bridge until November 1861. The bridge was widened in 1890 by extending the piers and abutments and adding additional trusses.
In 1885, Hawthorn Bridge was the destination of Melbourne's first tram
service.
Because the bridge joins two municipalities
and services a tramway, there have always been problems with management, on-going maintenance and finance. In 1928, when funds to repair or replace the bridge were not available, the Richmond
City Engineer declared it unsafe and closed it.
The State Government was forced to act and, after much debate, the bridge was repaired, strengthened and widened by the Railways Construction Branch, using in-situ
electric arc welding
; the timber deck was also replaced with reinforced concrete
.
Today, the deck of the bridge retains its 1931 appearance; however, the trusses, piers and abutments underneath appear as they were in 1861.
The bridge is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
.
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
five kilometres east of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
connecting Bridge Road
Bridge Road, Melbourne
Bridge Road is a major shopping strip in Melbourne, Australia. It is best known for its abundance of clothing factory outlets, which makes it a popular tourist attraction...
and Burwood Road. It was designed by Francis Bell
Francis Bell (engineer)
Francis Bell CE MICE , was a British railway engineer, who worked extensively in Australia, and was involved in a number of important railway construction projects and bridges....
and is the oldest extant bridge over the Yarra River.
Hawthorn Bridge's tall bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
piers and abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s were completed in February 1858. When the ship carrying the wrought iron trusses from England caught fire and sank in Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
, another set had to be ordered, made and delivered, delaying completion of the bridge until November 1861. The bridge was widened in 1890 by extending the piers and abutments and adding additional trusses.
In 1885, Hawthorn Bridge was the destination of Melbourne's first tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service.
Because the bridge joins two municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and services a tramway, there have always been problems with management, on-going maintenance and finance. In 1928, when funds to repair or replace the bridge were not available, the Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
City Engineer declared it unsafe and closed it.
The State Government was forced to act and, after much debate, the bridge was repaired, strengthened and widened by the Railways Construction Branch, using in-situ
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...
electric arc welding
Arc welding
Arc welding is a type of welding that uses a welding power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals at the welding point. They can use either direct or alternating current, and consumable or non-consumable electrodes...
; the timber deck was also replaced with reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
.
Today, the deck of the bridge retains its 1931 appearance; however, the trusses, piers and abutments underneath appear as they were in 1861.
The bridge is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
.