Hawthorn Railway Bridge
Encyclopedia
Hawthorn Railway Bridge crosses the Yarra River
five kilometres east of Melbourne
connecting Richmond railway station, Melbourne
and Hawthorn Station
on the Alamein, Belgrave and Lilydale Railway Lines. It is the oldest extant railway bridge over the Yarra River.
Hawthorn Railway Bridge was built in 1861 to the design of Francis Bell
., with a span of about 60 m., being one of the last major items of permanent way to be completed on the fledgling railway. The contractors were George Cornwell and Co
.
Cornwell had previously been involved as contractor in many other major construction works including the Melbourne Grammar School
, the Model School, Coppin’s Haymarket Theatre
, the Sunbury railway goods shed and other Melbourne and Suburban Railway works. Subsequently he was a contractor on Parliament House, Albert Park Station, Jack’s Magazine
and the Wallaby Creek water supply
.
It is likely that Kennedy Smith was involved in the design, but was perhaps out of his depth. He ordered trusses which were inadequate for the job, and had to shorten them, suggesting he did not understand the design. Construction of the bridge was partly delayed because the first order for iron lattice girders or trusses, intended to span the river, were lost. A newspaper account gives some of the details:
The extended line from Picnic (east of Burnley) to Hawthorn was opened on 13 April 1861. The bridge was duplicated in 1882 by the Railways Construction Branch and minor works to the bearings and girder ends were made in 1887-8 to lower the levels of its girders by 6 inches. A new double-track bridge using large double Warren trusses was built on its north side in 1912. The bridge was extended westwards in 1938-39 when a new span was added to cross the Yarra Boulevard, which was constructed as a scenic drive by Sustenance workers in the Depression. In 1971, the original piers were strengthened and the bridge widened to take a third track. The earliest views of the Hawthorn Railway Bridge show it to be a deck lattice girder with five intersects. The main span over the river was flanked by segmental stone arch spans on either side.
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 Richmond railway station, Melbourne
Richmond railway station, Melbourne
Richmond is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Richmond. It is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:...
and Hawthorn Station
Hawthorn railway station, Melbourne
Hawthorn is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Lilydale, Belgrave, and Alamein lines, at Burwood and Evansdale Roads in the suburb of Hawthorn...
on the Alamein, Belgrave and Lilydale Railway Lines. It is the oldest extant railway bridge over the Yarra River.
Hawthorn Railway Bridge was built in 1861 to the design of 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....
., with a span of about 60 m., being one of the last major items of permanent way to be completed on the fledgling railway. The contractors were George Cornwell and Co
George Cornwell
George Cornwell was a railway engineer and building contractor working in Melbourne, Victoria in the second half of the nineteenth century. Among his prominent works, were the Hawthorn Railway Bridge built in 1861, with a span of about , being one of the last major items of permanent way to be...
.
Cornwell had previously been involved as contractor in many other major construction works including the Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra and Caulfield, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, the Model School, Coppin’s Haymarket Theatre
George Selth Coppin
George Selth Coppin was a comic actor, entrepreneur and politician, active in Australia.-Early life:Coppin was born at Steyning, Sussex, England, son of George Selth Coppin and Elizabeth Jane, née Jackson. His grandfather had been a well-known clergyman at Norwich...
, the Sunbury railway goods shed and other Melbourne and Suburban Railway works. Subsequently he was a contractor on Parliament House, Albert Park Station, Jack’s Magazine
Jack’s Magazine
Jack's Magazine is a located on the Maribyrnong River at Footscray, Victoria. It was constructed in 1871, to provide safe storage for bonded gunpowder and explosives imported into the colony of Victoria...
and the Wallaby Creek water supply
Toorourrong Reservoir
Toorourrong Reservoir is a small reservoir located on the southern slopes of the Great Dividing Range approximately north of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is operated by Melbourne Water and forms part of the Melbourne water supply system...
.
It is likely that Kennedy Smith was involved in the design, but was perhaps out of his depth. He ordered trusses which were inadequate for the job, and had to shorten them, suggesting he did not understand the design. Construction of the bridge was partly delayed because the first order for iron lattice girders or trusses, intended to span the river, were lost. A newspaper account gives some of the details:
- Whilst at Sandridge we paid a visit to the wreck of the Herald of the Morning, a ship which some months ago was burned to the water's edge, and scuttled in Hobson's Bay, In it was a large iron bridge, intended to be erected over the Yarra River at Hawthorn, but it being supposed that it would be entirely destroyed by the fire, the contractors sent home to England for another bridge. The wreck was purchased by Ingles, Adams, and Gresham, of Sandridge, and exertions were made to raise it, but it was not until after weeks of hard labour that success attended their exertions. The hulk was then towed to a pier, and, at length, not only the bridge, but other iron articles, have been re deemed, very slightly injured.
The extended line from Picnic (east of Burnley) to Hawthorn was opened on 13 April 1861. The bridge was duplicated in 1882 by the Railways Construction Branch and minor works to the bearings and girder ends were made in 1887-8 to lower the levels of its girders by 6 inches. A new double-track bridge using large double Warren trusses was built on its north side in 1912. The bridge was extended westwards in 1938-39 when a new span was added to cross the Yarra Boulevard, which was constructed as a scenic drive by Sustenance workers in the Depression. In 1971, the original piers were strengthened and the bridge widened to take a third track. The earliest views of the Hawthorn Railway Bridge show it to be a deck lattice girder with five intersects. The main span over the river was flanked by segmental stone arch spans on either side.