Deep Creek Railway Bridge

Deep Creek Railway Bridge
Deep Creek Railway Bridge, 1994
Location	Mungar-Monto railway line, Didcot, North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates	25°28′00″S151°56′30″E / 25.4666°S 151.9418°E / -25.4666; 151.9418 Coordinates: 25°28′00″S151°56′30″E / 25.4666°S 151.9418°E / -25.4666; 151.9418
Design period	1900 - 1914 (early 20th century)
Built	1905
Architect	William Pagan
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name	Deep Creek Railway Bridge, Chowey
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600031
Significant period	1900s (fabric)
Significant components	abutments - railway bridge
Builders	Day labour
Location of Deep Creek Railway Bridge in Queensland Show map of Queensland Deep Creek Railway Bridge (Australia) Show map of Australia

Deep Creek Railway Bridge is also known as Chowey Bridge. It is a heritage-listed railway bridge on the Mungar-Monto railway line in Didcot, North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1905 by day labour. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. ^[1]

History

Scaffolding during construction, 1905

The Mungar-Monto railway line was built only as far as Degilbo before the financial depression of the early 1890s halted the rail construction program. Construction resumed on the Degilbo to Wetheron extension in February 1905 under the Railway Department's day labour program. The Deep Creek Railway Bridge was designed in the office of William Pagan who was Chief Engineer at the time. The Construction Department's Resident Engineer on site was Richard Ernest Sexton who later became Chief Engineer for Railways. ^{[2] [3]} William Pagan inspected the extent of the construction and preparatory work on the bridge in March 1905. The bridge was completed and the line opened by 21 December 1905. Pagan described the bridge in his annual report for that year as "a concrete bridge of somewhat novel design". ^[1]

The bridge represented a substantial development in concrete arch bridge design. It followed the 33-foot (10 m) spans used in Swansons Rail Bridge on the Main Line near Toowoomba and the 47-foot (14 m) span at Petrie Terrace road overbridge. It was followed by two substantial concrete arch bridges on the Main Line near Lockyer. ^[1]

Description

Steam train crossing the completed bridge, 1905

Deep Creek bridge is a concrete viaduct with an 80-foot (24 m) concrete arch flanked by two smaller 15-foot (4.6 m) arches, with the track run on sleepers and ballast in a trough. It has the date of construction, 1905, cast into the sides. ^[1]

It consists of: ^[1]

• Embankment
• 1 x 15-foot (4.6 m) concrete arch, ballasted top, concrete abutment, common concrete abutment.
• 1 x 80-foot (24 m) concrete arch with 4 x 15-foot (4.6 m) spandrel arches, ballasted top, common concrete abutments
• 1 x 15-foot (4.6 m) concrete arch, ballasted top, concrete abutments, common concrete abutment.

Heritage listing

Deep Creek Railway Bridge was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. ^[1]

The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.

This concrete arch bridge has the third longest span of its type in Queensland and was the third bridge of its type to be constructed in Australia. The bridge frames the rocky valley of the creek and its innovative design was associated with the Chief Engineer, William Pagan. ^[1]

The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage.

This concrete arch bridge has the third longest span of its type in Queensland and was the third bridge of its type to be constructed in Australia. ^[1]

The place is important in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period.

The bridge frames the rocky valley of the creek and its innovative design was associated with the Chief Engineer, William Pagan. ^[1]

The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.

The bridge frames the rocky valley of the creek and its innovative design was associated with the Chief Engineer, William Pagan. ^[1]

The Official Register of Engineering Heritage Markers listed

• Degilbo-Mundubbera Railway Bridges in October 2016. A total of 12 bridges that are situated on the Mungar to Mundubbera rail line, including the Chowey Bridge, are recognized with one Engineering Heritage Marker representing the “best example of a collection of historic railway bridges in Australia”. ^{[4] [5]}

References

1. "Deep Creek Railway Bridge, Chowey (entry 600031)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
2. "THE GAYNDAH RAILWAY". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay And Burnett Advertiser . No. 10, 324. Queensland, Australia. 26 December 1905. p. 2. Retrieved 12 October 2022– via National Library of Australia.
3. "Late Mr. R. E. Sexton". The Brisbane Courier . No. 22, 688. Queensland, Australia. 16 October 1930. p. 17. Retrieved 12 October 2022– via National Library of Australia.
4. McLachlan, Mark (6 June 2018). "Degilbo to Mundubbera Railway Bridges, 1905 to 1914". Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail Blog. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
5. McGrath, PSM, B. L.; Churchward, Alan (October 2015). "Nomination of the Gayndah Rail Bridges, Queensland for ENGINEERING HERITAGE RECOGNITION under Engineering Heritage Australia's Engineering Heritage Recognition Program" (PDF). Engineers Australia . Retrieved 26 September 2022.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014).

External links

Media related to Deep Creek Railway Bridge at Wikimedia Commons