Goulburn Viaduct facts for kids

The Goulburn Viaduct is a special railway bridge in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. It carries the Main Southern railway line over the Mulwaree River. This important bridge was built in 1915. It is also known as the Mulwaree River Railway Viaduct.

The Goulburn Viaduct is owned by RailCorp, a government group in New South Wales. Because of its historical value, it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This means it's a protected site due to its importance to the history of the area.

Building the Goulburn Viaduct

In the early 1900s, the single railway tracks in New South Wales were not enough for all the trains. This was especially true for busy lines like the Main Southern line. So, plans were made to add a second track. This project also aimed to make the railway lines straighter and less steep.

This big project started in 1910 and lasted until 1923. During this time, many bridges were built using bricks. Most of these bricks came from the State Brickworks at Homebush, which opened in 1912.

Why Bricks Were Used

Bricks were chosen for a few reasons:

• There wasn't much expensive imported steel available.
• The government wanted to use local materials as much as possible.
• Even for shorter bridge sections, brick arches were built instead of steel.

So many bricks were used that this time (1910-1923) is called the "era of brick arch construction." Later, Australian-made steel became more common. But bricks were still used a lot for the bases and walls of bridges.

Duplicating the Main Southern Line

The Main Southern railway line was the biggest part of this duplication project. It had already been doubled to Picton by 1892. Then, from 1913 to 1922, the second track was extended all the way to Cootamundra. This was a huge distance of 343 kilometers (213 miles)!

The section of the Main Southern line from Moss Vale to Goulburn has some of the largest brick bridges. These bridges cross the Wollondilly River and its smaller rivers. The Goulburn Viaduct was completed in 1915 as part of this important upgrade.

What the Goulburn Viaduct Looks Like

The Goulburn Viaduct is a very long bridge made of brick arches. It has 13 arches, and each arch spans 13.1 meters (43 feet) across the Mulwaree River in Goulburn. It is the longest bridge of its kind on the Main Southern railway line.

You can see the viaduct easily from Mulwaree Street. Next to the current brick viaduct, you can still see the old brick bases from the original single-track railway bridge built in 1869.

The bridge is still in great shape and looks much like it did when it was first built.

Why the Goulburn Viaduct is Important

The Goulburn Viaduct is considered a heritage site for several reasons:

• Part of a Big Project: It was a key part of the huge project to add a second track to the Main Southern Railway. This helped trains move faster and carry more goods and people.
• Brick Construction: It shows how many brick arches were built between 1910 and 1923. This was a special time for bridge building in New South Wales. The Goulburn Viaduct is the longest bridge on the Main Southern line with 13 brick arches, each 13.1 meters long.
• Historical Connection: The old brick bases from the 1869 bridge are still there. These older parts were built during the time of John Whitton, who was the Chief Engineer of Railways in New South Wales.
• Looks Good: The use of brick helps the bridge blend in with the natural environment around it.
• Economic and Social Impact: The railway duplication, including this bridge, greatly helped the development of South Western New South Wales. It made it easier to transport goods and allowed people to travel faster.

The Goulburn Viaduct was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. It is a great example of brick arch construction from that time period.