Ideraway Creek Railway Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ideraway Creek Railway Bridge |
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Ideraway Creek Railway Bridge
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| Location | Mungar - Monto Line, Ideraway, North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1906 - 1907 |
| Architect | William Pagan |
| Official name: Ideraway Creek Railway Bridge (Ideraway) | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600519 |
| Significant period | 1899, 1900s (fabric) |
| Significant components | pier/s (bridge) |
| Builders | day labour |
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The Ideraway Creek Railway Bridge is a special old railway bridge in Queensland, Australia. It's located on the railway line that runs from Mungar to Monto, near a place called Ideraway. This bridge was built a long time ago, between 1906 and 1907. It was designed by a famous engineer named William Pagan. What makes it really cool is that it uses parts from another huge bridge! Because it's so important, it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
How the Bridge Was Built
Building the railway line from Wetheron to Gayndah started in March 1906. Workers were paid daily, which is called "day labour." The project faced a challenge because they needed to build two special bridges over deep gaps between Ideraway and Gayndah.
The Ideraway Creek Railway Bridge was one of these special bridges. Its design was drawn up by William Pagan, the Chief Engineer, in December 1906. The whole railway line, including this bridge, was ready for trains by December 16, 1907. The other special bridge nearby is the Steep Rocky Creek Railway Bridge.
What Makes This Bridge Special
The Ideraway Creek Bridge is one of the most unusual bridges in Australia. It's unique because it cleverly re-uses a large part of a temporary structure, called a truss, that was used to build a much bigger bridge. This truss was originally used for the Burdekin River Rail Bridge near Townsville, which opened in 1899.
The original truss was 250 feet (76 m) long. But for the Ideraway Creek Bridge, only 150 feet (46 m) of that truss was used. This truss was designed to be put together and taken apart quickly.
The bridge is made up of different sections:
- A raised earth section on the Wetheron side.
- Sections made of timber and concrete supports.
- The main part, which is the 150 feet (46 m) long "fishbelly truss." This is the special part that came from the Burdekin River Bridge. It has many steel parts joined together.
- More sections made of timber and concrete supports.
- A raised earth section on the Gayndah side.
Why This Bridge Is Important
The Ideraway Creek Railway Bridge was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. It's considered important for a few reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed. The main part of the bridge, the "deck-type pin-jointed fishbelly truss," is very rare. It's the only one of its kind in Australia and the longest of its type in Queensland. It's special because it cleverly re-uses parts from the Burdekin River Bridge. This shows how people found smart ways to save money when building railways in Queensland.
- It shows rare or uncommon parts of Queensland's history. As mentioned, this type of main bridge span is unique in Australia.
- It shows great creative and technical skill. Re-using parts from another bridge was a very smart and creative idea. This "falsework" (the temporary structure) had actually been used on two other bridges before it came to Ideraway Creek! This shows how clever engineers were at the time and how they found ways to build railways without wasting materials.
