Our first excursion for the year was north to Seymour and we came across this fine old timber trestle bridge. It had been erected between May 1892 and April 1893 by contractor J.B. Farquharson and costed three thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven pounds, seventeen shillings and ten pence. A government grant of three thousand pounds was made to the Shire of Seymour, so they only had to scrape together one hundred and thirty-seven pounds and a few more coins. In today's terms the grant might be about six million dollars.
Until late October 1967, the bridge carried all the Hume Highway traffic. Because of the great weight of some wartime vehicles, the timber stringers (lengthway beams of the bridge) were replaced with steel girders about 1940. When the bridge reached the limit of its heavy traffic life, in 1987, Seymour Shire Council preserved it, incorporated in the local heritage walk. Judging by the state of the bridge, there is much repair work needed for public access.
Our first excursion for the year was north to Seymour and we came across this fine old timber trestle bridge. It had been erected between May 1892 and April 1893 by contractor J.B. Farquharson and costed three thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven pounds, seventeen shillings and ten pence. A government grant of three thousand pounds was made to the Shire of Seymour, so they only had to scrape together one hundred and thirty-seven pounds and a few more coins. In today's terms the grant might be about six million dollars.
Until late October 1967, the bridge carried all the Hume Highway traffic. Because of the great weight of some wartime vehicles, the timber stringers (lengthway beams of the bridge) were replaced with steel girders about 1940. When the bridge reached the limit of its heavy traffic life, in 1987, Seymour Shire Council preserved it, incorporated in the local heritage walk. Judging by the state of the bridge, there is much repair work needed for public access.
No comments:
Post a Comment