Heritage and conservation register

Item

Name of Item Hawkesbury River Bridge
Item Number 4309511
Type of Item Built
Item Sub-Type Pre-1948 Concrete Slab and Arch Bridges
Roadloc  
Address **** Kurrajong Road North Richmond 2753
Local Government Area Hawkesbury City 
Owner Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority)
Current Use Road bridge
Former Use Road bridge

 

Statement of significance

Statement of significance The bridge has rarity value at a State level as one of the earliest surviving reinforced concrete road bridges in NSW. It is one of few concrete Monier arch bridges in Australia and probably the only one in NSW built between 1900 and 1948. It has technical significance due to its size and scale at time of building and position as the largest concrete arch bridge in Australia for twenty-five years, demonstrating the development of technological and engineering skills that were not repeated for another quarter of a century. The bridge is important in the pattern of development of NSW's cultural history. It has been an important item of transport infrastructure in the history of the Hawkesbury district for almost a century, ensuring continued ability to cross the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond at all times except for periods of excessive flooding. It ensured access to the interior via the Bell's Line of road, the only alternative crossing of the Blue Mountains to the west of the Blue Mountains from the Sydney Basin for many years. The stability this has brought to transport movements in this part of the Hawkesbury Valley has made a significant contribution to the commercial and social development of the Valley. The bridge is an impressive and attractive structure, making a significant aesthetic and historical contribution to a historically rich landscape.

The bridge has been assessed as being of State significance.
Date Significance Updated 22 October 2003

 

Description

Designer Department of Public Works
Builder Department of Public Works
Construction years 1904 - 1905
Physical description The original bridge is a Monier concrete arch bridge of 13 spans, spans 2-12 of 16.45 m, spans 1 and 13 of 15.84 m. The superstructure is monolithic with the piers, which consist of two concrete caissons founded on rock, joined by a deep headstock with a curved soffit. The abutments are of the stone pitched spill-through type, founded on timber driven piles. Deck level is approximately 7 m above the normal river level, which is controlled by a downstream weir. Flooding has been a regular feature of the site although frequency has been reduced by strategic storage in Warragamba Dam. A third column has been added at each pier, supporting two riveted steel girders that were added to support a railway track but now support a widened road deck. The bottom flanges of the girders are curved to match the adjacent concrete arch profiles. The steel girders appear to be fixed at three piers, with roller bearings elsewhere. Expansion occurs at the abutments and two piers each at the third points, with the expansion apparently taken (poorly) by compressible material in the wearing surface. (By comparison, the Monier arches have no provision for expansion, and appear to be performing without problem in this regard, presumably due to their large thermal mass). A further set of steel cantilever brackets supports a large diameter watermain across the river. The current deck consists of an upstream footpath on precast concrete covers over a utility duct, the westbound carriageway on the original arches, and the eastbound carriageway on the old railway alignment. The upstream handrail is detailed to allow it to be swung down onto the footway in the event of floods (the height of which well exceed the deck level). On the downstream edge of the deck there is a light rail formed of scaffold tube or similar, with a simple bolt arrangement allowing removal or easy replacement in the event of damage. (A previous (failed) drop-down rail along this edge is evidenced by the remaining pivot brackets.) There is also a permanent low-profile tubular traffic railing along each edge of the roadway. A parkland/floodway setting enhances the aesthetic qualities of the bridge and also the possibility for the public to appreciate it. The northern embankment is landscaped; done in 1994 to celebrate the Hawkesbury's European bicentenary. The southern side is overgrown with weeds.
Physical Condition
and/or
Archaeological Potential		 Original condition assessment: 'The bridge is in fair condition considering its age and the fact that it has been regularly subjected to large flood events. Some cracking of the piers at the underside of the headstocks is evident, and the inspection reports reference leaching. The road surface shows some cracking at expansion lines. The western abutment of the previous timber bridge remains visible.' (Last updated: 31/07/2003.) 2007-08 condition update: 'Good.' (Last updated: 17/4/09.)
Modifications and dates c1926-28 - The bridge was expanded by the addition of a third column at each pier, supporting two riveted steel girders that supported a railway track. The bottom flanges of the girders are curved to match the adjacent concrete arch profiles. The steel girders appear to be fixed at three piers, with roller bearings elsewhere. Expansion occurs at the abutments and two piers each at the third points, with the expansion apparently taken (poorly) by compressible material in the wearing surface. (By comparison, the Monier arches have no provision for expansion, and appear to be performing without problem in this regard, presumably due to their large thermal mass.) 1966 - the railway track was replaced by a widened road deck. 1975 - flood causes the breakage of about 20% of the footway slabs February 1982 - 94 timber piles on the downstream side of the bridge probably removed. Addition large diameter watermain. It appears that this was originally on the upstream (Southern) face, but was relocated after a flood to the better protected downstream side. (1975-1980)
Date condition updated 17 April 2009

 

History

Historical notes The North Richmond bridge is the crossing of a powerful waterway which has always been important to the movement of the local community and movement over the Great Dividing Range via the Bell's Line of Road, marked in 1823, which became an important stock route in the nineteenth century. It was a strategic second crossing over the Great Dividing Range during World War II. The bridge on Kurrajong Road over the Hawkesbury River was built during 1904 and 1905 by the Department of Public Works. It replaced an earlier, lower bridge, in an effort to ensure that floods did not prevent crossing of the river. The Hawkesbury River defines the topography and the history of the Sydney area. The Hawkesbury area was originally home to the Darug and Dargingung peoples. Deerabubbin was one Aboriginal name for the river. Early in the white settlement of Sydney it was important for transport and farming, particularly of wheat and maize, which were established on its fertile flats in the 1790s. By the 1860s the river was a centre for recreational activities. The river has been subject to serious pollution and siltation as a result of settlement and farming but is still highly significant for its natural values, recreational and other uses. (Rosen 1995, pp.1, 66, 72-7, 151-5) In June 1789 an exploring party under Governor Phillip rowed up the Hawkesbury, which they had named three weeks earlier, to the mouth of the Grose River, on the way camping at and naming Richmond Hill. In 1794 Governor Grose placed 22 settlers along the banks of the river in the area of present-day Windsor. As settlement developed, the Hawkesbury district became the chief granary of the colony - produce being transported along the river - and remained so until serious attacks of rust in the 1870s resulted in the abandonment of wheat growing in the area. Vegetable growing replaced the wheat farms and also focussed on the Sydney market, requiring extension of the nascent irrigation system. Richmond was established by Governor Macquarie in 1810, with Windsor, Wilberforce, Pitt Town and Castlereagh. The Macquarie towns were established on high ground and intended partly as a refuge for farmers in future floods. Boat building has been an important industry there. Gold discoveries west of the mountains (by 1851) made Windsor and Richmond the 'gate keepers' of roads to the north and the west with the increased traffic providing impetus for the development of road and river-crossing development. (Regional Histories, 1996, pp. 23-4, 34-5) A Royal Australian Airforce Base and the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, established in 1888, are situated close to the town. Despite the steady encroachment of new residential estates on Richmond and Windsor over the last decade and currently, the two towns retain much of outstanding heritage value, have a distinctive visual identity and are still separate from the urban sprawl of north western Sydney. Until 1860 the Hawkesbury, both at Windsor and Richmond, could only be crossed by ferry. The first bridge over the Hawkesbury at Richmond was planned in 1857 and completed by 1860, partly in response to increased traffic over the range due to the several goldrushes. It was constructed by the specially formed Richmond Bridge Company chaired by William Bowman. The timber bridge was damaged recurrently by flooding of the river; the floods of 1867 and 1870 washed away large areas of the bank. In April 1871 the inhabitants of Windsor, Richmond and Kurrajong and other road users "begged for the restoration of the privately constructed bridge which connected Richmond with the Bell's Line of Road", locals in the western side unable to access the supplies needed for daily living, and those from the north west bringing their livestock over the range to market via the Bell's Line of Road finding themselves unable. In 1876 the Government purchased the timber bridge and restored, raised and extended it to better cope with flooding. However, in 1900 the decking of the bridge was again severely damaged in flood and the river bed had silted up so far that the slightest fresh was stopping traffic. In 1905 the subject bridge was built a few metres upstream, at an even higher level. Remnants of the older bridge can be seen when the water level is low. (Rosen, 1995, pp 65, 66, 76-7; Jack, 1990, p. 163; Bowd pp. 61-2) Premier Sir John See turned the first sod for the construction of the existing bridge over the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond in January 1904. It was opened in September 1905, its construction costing 20, 224 pounds. It was Australia's largest reinforced concrete bridge and remained so for twenty-five years. (O'Connor, 1985 p. 42) Despite being a higher level crossing than its predecessor, the bridge was still designed for flood waters to flow over it, featuring a lowerable handrail. Until 1933 the bridge was allocated its own caretaker who was responsible for general maintenance and had special duties in flood, including lowering and raising the handrails at the appropriate times, making sure that all floating logs were passed under the bridge or diverted to calm water and preventing the public, including nearby campers, from coming to harm in flood or fire involving the area around the bridge. In the late 1920s applications for the position of caretaker were received from applicants from as far afield as North Sydney, Botany and Wollongong, many of whom were veterans of the First World War. The last two caretakers were Francis Gavin, and a Mr Donohoe. A major change to the fabric of the bridge occurred with the addition of a rail bridge to the structure in 1926, part of the short-lived Kurrajong Line. The Kurrajong Line closed in 1952 and in 1956 plans were set in motion to utilise the disused rail bridge for vehicular traffic in conjunction with straightening out the four lethal right-angle turns in the approach from Richmond. (Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) File 91.1528) The river has been an important source of building sand throughout the life of the current bridge. In the late 1920s a sand extraction business operated near the bridge that supplied sand for the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, among other projects. Recurrent controversy over the proximity to the bridge at which sand dredging operations may be conducted safely is recorded in Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) files. In 1964 the Bridge Engineer of the Department of Main Roads (DMR) expressed the opinion that some dredging would have a positive effect on the bridge by reversing the effects of siltation, others begged to differ, including the North Richmond Progress Association, The Terrace Development Association, Colo Shire Civic Association, Kurrajong District Improvement Association and the Yarramundi Progress Association, their members concerned for the bridge and about other environmental and public amenity affects. An application to dredge was approved by Windsor Council in 1969, while Colo Council was not consulted, and the coverage in local papers was very negative. The issue has continued to arise. (Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) File 91.1528) In past decades the community, local Government and DMR have also debated the recreational use of the bridge for swimming and fishing, whether to ban diving off and swimming around it. (Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) File 91.1528) Floods continue to disrupt traffic crossing the bridge as frequently as once a year and scouring of the banks and silting-up have continued to be problematic. In 1929 there were repeated requests by Colo Shire Council to the Main Roads Board for a boat for crossing the river when in flood. It was asserted by the Council that such a boat had been provided until 1912, and was necessary for the amenity of Colo residents. By 1950 there was some community demand for a high-level bridge at North Richmond, as the subject bridge was frequently under water. In 1978, several options were mooted for new bridges further south, to provide flood-free access to the western side of the river, but no plans for its replacement were made at that stage. Many North Richmond residents, whose only other access to the city is through Penrith, continue their campaign for a new bridge, others see the current bridge and its flooding as a part of the Hawkesbury way of life. (Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) File 91.1528) Whilst the current release strategies followed by Sydney Water are aimed at reducing the incidence and severity of flooding in the Lower Hawkesbury, flooding of the Richmond Bridge will continue to cut this route.

 

Listings

Heritage Listing Reference Number Gazette Number Gazette Page
Register of the National Estate    126  0007 
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register       

 

Assessment of Significance

Historical Significance The existence of the bridge, together with evidence of its predecessor, help demonstrate the history and development of transport in the Hawkesbury area and from Sydney to the far side of the Great Dividing Range. Its character has formed the course of transport history locally. The use of Monier arches and early use of concrete demonstrates changing technology in bridge construction. The bridge was the largest reinforced concrete bridge in Australia at time of building, holding this position for twenty-five years. It is also one of the earliest concrete bridges built in New South Wales, and the oldest extant concrete arch bridge. It is linked with the local historical theme of engineering and building the road system and its location shows the continuity of the road system from early tracks to the current status as a main transport route. The bridge has association with regular flooding along the Hawkesbury-Nepean Rivers and the development of technology and practices to overcome the difficulties for movement around the Hawkesbury Valley arising from these floods. It has also seen the coming and going of the railway to the western shore.
Historical Association ****
Aesthetic/Technical Significance The subject bridge has a high level of aesthetic significance. Its length and strong, simple lines are visually impressive, endowing it with landmark qualities. The bridge is readily appreciable by the public, there being a park and walkway and viewing platform on the northern side of the river. The uninterrupted views from the bridge along the river are also significant, aided by the low handrails and other features originally designed to cope with floodwaters of greater height than the bridge.
Social Significance The bridge is significant to the communities of the Hawkesbury who rely on it for everyday transport purposes and who have had, and continue to have, a strong involvement with it due to their work to continue to ensure it meets their needs.
Research Significance This bridge remained as the largest reinforced concrete bridge in Australia for twenty-five years after its construction. This is one of very few Monier arch bridges in Australia and appears to be the only one in NSW. Its position as the largest reinforced concrete bridge in Australia suggests significant technological and engineering feat to achieve and maintain this status for a lengthy period of time.
Rarity This is the earliest and probably only reinforced concrete Monier arch bridge in NSW. It is also likely to be one of the earliest concrete bridges in NSW generally.
Representativenes Representative of the Monier arch concept, effectively linking it to the invention and patenting of reinforced concrete some thirty years earlier.
Integrity/Intactness Substantially intact.
Assessed Significance State

 

References

 
Type Author Year Title
Written  Ian Jack  1990  Exploring the Hawkesbury - Heritage Field Guide 
Written  Doug Bowd    'Macquarie Country': A History of the Hawkesbury 
Written  Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) (Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority))    General File 91. 1528 
Written  Colin O'Connor  1985  Spanning Two Centuries. Historic Bridges of Australia 
Written  Sue Rosen  1995  Losing Ground 

 

Study details
Title Year Author Inspected by Guidelines used
Pre-1948 Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) Controlled Concrete Slab and Concrete Arch Bridges in NSW  2004  Burns and Roe Worley and Heritage Assessment And History (HAAH)    Yes 

 

Custom fields

Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) Region Sydney
Bridge Number 429
CARMS File Number ****
Property Number Bridge
Conservation Management Plan ****

 

Images
Photo of western abutment showing flood scour (Source Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) files)
Photo of western abutment showing flood scour (Source Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) files)

Previous timber bridge over the Hawkesbury River at Richmond 1879 (Source Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) file)
Previous timber bridge over the Hawkesbury River at Richmond 1879 (Source Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) file)

Richmond Bridge 1928. Rail track is visible in background (Source Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) files)
Richmond Bridge 1928. Rail track is visible in background (Source Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) files)

Eastern approach spans showing railway girders and attached water main.
Eastern approach spans showing railway girders and attached water main.

Oblique view of upstream face
Oblique view of upstream face

View east showing low permanent traffic railing and higher collapsible railings (for flood). Carriageway on left is supported on girders originally installed for railway.
View east showing low permanent traffic railing and higher collapsible railings (for flood). Carriageway on left is supported on girders originally installed for railway.