Dickabram Bridge

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Dickabram Bridge
Dickabram Bridge59.JPG
Dickabram Bridge over the Mary River
Coordinates 25°57′14″S152°29′43″E / 25.9540°S 152.4954°E / -25.9540; 152.4954
CarriesMotor vehicles, Railway
Crosses Mary River
Locale Miva, Queensland
Heritage status Registered (ID 15956)
Characteristics
Design Truss bridge
Material Timber, Steel
Height3.5 metres (11 ft) maximum vehicle height [1]
Longest span36.6 metres (120 ft)
No. of spans14 (6.1m, 7.9m, three at 11m, 11.6m, 24.1m, 36.6m, 24.1m, 11.6m, two at 11m, 7.9m and 6.1m)
Clearance above 4.3 metres (14 ft)
Clearance below 23 metres (75 ft)
History
Designer Henry Charles Stanley
Constructed byMcDermott Owen & Co.
Construction start1885
Construction end6 December 1886
Location
Dickabram Bridge
Dickabram Bridge
Australia Queensland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Dickabram Bridge in Queensland
Locationacross the Mary River, between Miva and Theebine, Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates 25°57′14″S152°29′44″E / 25.9538°S 152.4956°E / -25.9538; 152.4956
Design period1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built1885 - 1886
Architect Henry Charles Stanley
Official nameDickabram Bridge, Mary River Bridge (Miva)
Typestate heritage (built)
Designated21 October 1992
Reference no.600836
Significant period1880s (fabric)
Significant componentspier/s (bridge)
BuildersOwen McDermott & Co.

Dickabram Bridge is a heritage-listed road-and-rail bridge over the Mary River between Miva and Theebine, both in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. It was the major bridge on the Kingaroy railway line. It was designed by Henry Charles Stanley and built from 1885 to 1886 by Messrs Michael McDermott, Owens & Co. [2] It is also known as Mary River Bridge (Miva). The bridge was registered on the former Register of the National Estate in 1988. [3]

Contents

The bridge is one of three remaining road-and-rail bridges in Australia [4] and the only one in South East Queensland following the completion of the Burdekin Bridge in 1957. It is the oldest remaining large steel truss bridge constructed in Queensland. [5]

History

The Dickabram Bridge over the Mary River was the major bridge on the Kingaroy branch railway line. The contract for construction of the line to Kilkivan was awarded to McDermott, Owens & Company on 8 August 1884, the contract to be completed by the 1st June 1886.  This contract Included several other bridges, drainage structures, formation & track consisting of a total length of railway of 26 miles (42  km )35 chains (700  m ) and 2 links. [6] Work was delayed in 1885 awaiting casting of the cylindrical piers for the central spans. During construction it was known as the Kilkivan railway bridge, and at least one worker died, as well as two children of workers drowning. [7] [8] The bridge was tested in November 1886 with a two-engine train. The line opened for traffic between Dickabram and Kilkivan on 6 December 1886. [3]

The original road bridge across the Mary River at Miva had opened on 30 October 1878. This bridge was damaged by floods in July 1879 and swept away by floods in February 1880. A replacement road bridge was swept away by floods in October 1882. [3] Prior to these bridges a punt had operated at the crossing. [9]

It was provided in December 1882 that the proposed rail bridge be built to carry road traffic as well. Because of the delay in opening access roads it was March 1889 before it opened to road traffic. [3]

The steel and timber truss bridge, built by McDermott, Owens & Co., was completed in November 1886 and the line opened for traffic between Dickabram and Kilkivan on 6 December 1886.

The name of the bridge comes from a local Aboriginal word dickabram meaning sweet potato that grew along the river flats there. The bridge decking was submerged under water only once during the 1893 floods. [10]

The bridge has remained in use without substantial modification. Work since its completion includes undertrussing a 36-foot (11 m) span in 1911, strengthening the 26-and-36-foot (7.9 and 11.0 m) spans for C17 locomotives in 1935, a concrete base for pier 9 in 1968, and scour protection in 1976. Work strengthening the line from PB15 to C17 standard was completed between 1933 and 1935. Diesel electric locomotives were first permitted in 1977. The decking has been modified by adding a kerb in the 1970s–80s to separate road and rail traffic to save the need for a gatekeeper to control road traffic. [3]

The extensive restoration of the bridge, involving replacement of hardwood timber beams [4] and decking, was completed in April 2009. [5]

Rehabilitation works were carried out in 2017-2019 by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. This involved replacing some of the aged timber girders, decking, piles and other structural elements and re-painting the steel elements with a coating applied to protect the structure from further corrosion. [11] In 2018 the smaller and less complex pier 8 was rehabilitated. The project team identified issues and mitigation measures required before dismantling and in January 2019 starting work on the larger pier 11. [12]

A plaque was erected on 12 October 1986, as an Australian Bicentenary Project to commemorate the historical significance and the centenary of the Dickabram Bridge. [6]

The Kingaroy to Theebine railway was used for agriculture and commercial freight as well as transporting passengers and was one of the first branch lines built in Queensland. The Theebine to Kingaroy line was officially closed in early 2010. [13]

Description

The Dickabram Bridge over the Mary River is 191 metres (627 ft) long and stands 23 metres (75 ft) above the Mary River. All spans are metal trusses except for the 11-metre (36 ft) approach spans which are tied timber girders. The two river piers are cast iron cylinders; the remaining piers and road deck are timber. It comprises two 80-foot (24 m) parallel chord lattice girder spans either side of a 120-foot (37 m) hogback lattice girder span, having steel cross girders, supported on two cylinder piers and two double timber piers. [3]

Heritage listing

Dickabram Bridge was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. [3]

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

The bridge is a late 19th-century and essentially unmodified high level road-rail bridge with half-through double by 2 lattice girder approach spans and hogback through double x 2 lattice girder main spans. It was constructed on the site of several low-level bridges that had been destroyed by floods. [3]

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

It is one of the few extant road-rail bridges in Queensland. [3]

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

It is the oldest extant of its type in Queensland with the longest hogback span of its type in Queensland. [3]

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

Its design was associated with the Chief Engineer, Henry C. Stanley. [3]

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References

  1. ↑ https://cloud.hemax.com/Place/LocationDetails/b1b971e5-2f67-483e-b0b5-2284976c8cde?Dickabram%20Bridge%20Park%20Rest%20Area
  2. ↑ "NOTES AND EVENTS". The Colac Herald . Vol. XV, no. 1522. Victoria, Australia. 26 August 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 29 October 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Dickabram Bridge (entry 600836)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Work has begun on restoring Dickabram Bridge". Gympie Times. 26 December 2008. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Dickabram Bridge reopens". Queensland Government. 24 April 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Centenary of the Dickabram Bridge | Monument Australia". monumentaustralia.org.au. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "COUNTRY MAILS". The Brisbane Courier . Vol. XLI, no. 8, 803. Queensland, Australia. 2 April 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 29 October 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ Walker, Carlie (19 May 2017). "Bridge with worker entombed to undergo renovation". The Courier Mail . Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette . Vol. III, no. 272. Queensland, Australia. 6 July 1870. p. 3. Retrieved 5 November 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "Dickabram Bridge". Fraser Coast Online. 9 February 2009. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  11. ↑ "Dickabram Bridge rehabilitation works project flyer". Department of Transport and Main Roads. Queensland Government. May 2017.
  12. ↑ "Rehabilitation works on heritage-listed Dickabram Bridge Project update". Department of Transport and Main Roads. Queensland Government. January 2019.
  13. ↑ Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail Brochure v4. "Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail". Gympie Regional Council . Retrieved 29 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Attribution

CC-BY-icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates text from "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 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).

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