Williams River bridge, Clarence Town facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Williams River bridge, Clarence Town |
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Clarence Town Bridge
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| Coordinates | 32°34′51″S 151°46′56″E / 32.5808°S 151.7823°E |
| Carries | Limeburners Creek Road |
| Crosses | Williams River |
| Locale | Clarence Town, Dungog Shire, New South Wales, Australia |
| Owner | Roads and Maritime Services |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss bridge |
| Material | Timber |
| Pier construction | Cast iron cylinders |
| Total length | 116 metres (380 ft) |
| Width | 4.6 metres (15 ft) |
| Longest span | 30 metres (100 ft) |
| Number of spans | 2 |
| History | |
| Contracted lead designer | NSW Public Works Department |
| Constructed by | J. K. McKenzie |
| Construction begin | April 1879 |
| Inaugurated | 24 May 1880 by the wife of William Johnston |
| Rebuilt | October 1926 |
| Replaces | Local ford |
| Official name: Clarence Town Bridge over Williams River; Williams River bridge, Clarence Town | |
| Type: | State heritage (built) |
| Designated: | 20 June 2000 |
| Reference #: | 1462 |
| Type: | Road Bridge |
| Category: | Transport - Land |
| Builders: | J. K. McKenzie |
The Williams River bridge in Clarence Town is a special road bridge in New South Wales, Australia. It crosses the Williams River and helps people travel on Limeburners Creek Road. This bridge was designed by the New South Wales Public Works Department and built by J. K. McKenzie. It is owned by Roads and Maritime Services, a government group in NSW. The bridge is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, meaning it's an important historical site. It was added to this list on June 20, 2000.
Contents
Building Bridges: A Look Back
Why Timber Bridges Were Important
Timber bridges played a big part in building roads in New South Wales. Before these bridges, crossing rivers was often dangerous. When it rained, rivers would flood, making it hard to move goods. This made it very expensive to transport farm products and mining materials. Only valuable items like wool could be moved easily.
The New South Wales Public Works Department liked using timber for bridges. This was from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. Timber was cheap and could be found locally. The government wanted to build roads and bridges without spending too much money. This meant they mostly used local materials. Iron and steel had to be brought in from England. This changed only after steel factories were built in Newcastle.
New South Wales became known as the "timber bridge state." This was because timber bridges were so common.
The Clarence Town Bridge Story
The Clarence Town bridge was built to replace an old river crossing called a ford. A ford is a shallow place where you can cross a river. But this ford became impossible to cross when the river was high.
Work on the new bridge began in April 1879. The builder, J. K. Mackenzie, won the contract in January 1879. During construction, a flood washed away some parts of the bridge. This caused delays in building it.
The first bridge officially opened on May 24, 1880. The wife of a local politician, William Johnston, helped open it.
By 1924, people were worried about the bridge. They said it was in a "dangerous condition." So, the bridge was completely rebuilt in 1926. This cost about £8,000. While the bridge was being rebuilt, light traffic used an old ferry. Heavy traffic had to use the old ford. This caused complaints from local people. The rebuilt bridge opened again in October 1926.
More recently, around 2020, strong cables were added to the bridge. These cables help make the bridge even stronger.
How the Bridge Looks
The Clarence Town Bridge is a timber truss road bridge. A truss bridge uses a framework of triangles to make it strong. It has two main timber truss sections. Each of these sections is about 30 meters (100 feet) long.
The bridge also has other timber sections at each end. This makes the total length of the bridge about 116 meters (380 feet). The main parts of the bridge are held up by two cast iron cylinders. These cylinders are strengthened with iron bars.
The bridge has one lane for cars. The narrowest part of the road is about 4.6 meters (15 feet) wide. There is a timber fence along the sides of the bridge for safety.
At one point, temporary metal structures called Bailey trusses were on the bridge. These were used to support it during big repairs. As mentioned, cables have also been added to make the bridge stronger. In 1998, the bridge was in good condition. This was even after being rebuilt and having extra cables added.
Why the Bridge is Special
The Clarence Town bridge is an important historical site. It is a very old type of timber truss road bridge. It was finished in 1880 and rebuilt in 1926-1927.
A Link to History
This bridge connects us to important historical events. It shows how the road network grew in New South Wales. It also shows how people started to accept American bridge designs. The bridge is also linked to William Bennett. He was a key person in the Public Works Department. He was in charge of building many bridges.
Old Public Works Department (PWD) trusses were the first type of timber bridges in NSW. They were made from local timber. This was because a rule from 1861 said that public works should use local materials. These bridges used the strong hardwood found in NSW. Their design was inspired by old European timber truss bridges. These European designs came from the work of an Italian architect named Andrea Palladio in the 1500s.
The Hunter region, where Clarence Town is, has many old bridges. There are 15 historic bridges built before 1905. The Clarence Town Bridge is special because it is near so many other old bridges.
A Rare and Important Bridge
In 1998, only two Old PWD truss bridges were left in NSW out of 147 built. Also, only 82 timber truss road bridges survived out of over 400 built. The Clarence Town Bridge is the oldest surviving timber truss bridge in New South Wales.
This makes the Clarence Town bridge a very rare example of its kind. It is important for its history and how it was built.
The Clarence Town Bridge over Williams River was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on June 20, 2000. It met several important rules to be listed:
- It shows how history unfolded in New South Wales.
The bridge shows how the road network grew. It also shows how new design ideas were accepted. Its link to William Bennett also makes it historically important.
- It shows great design and technical skill.
The bridge's design is clear and well-built. It looks nice in its natural setting. This gives the bridge good aesthetic value.
- It is important to the community.
Timber truss bridges are easy for travelers to see. NSW was once called the "timber truss bridge state." Many people in NSW respect these bridges. The Clarence Town Bridge is especially valued by people in the Hunter region.
- It is a rare part of New South Wales history.
The bridge is very rare. It is one of only two Old PWD design bridges left. There were 147 of them built originally.
- It shows the main features of its type of structure.
The bridge is a great example of a type of construction that was once very common.
