The other day I was driving into Seymour from my campsite at Northwood Road Reserve and my GPS wanted me to turn left over a bridge – that wasn’t attached to the land! Fortunately there was actually no road to turn on to but it made me think about some of the old bridges I’ve seen that – well – don’t go anywhere anymore.

This bridge used to be on the old Hume Highway that everyone going between Sydney and Melbourne travelled on so it would certainly have some tales to tell. It was built in 1885.

Chinaman’s Bridge at Nagambie is another derelict bridge with a wonderful history. This information is from the Heritage Council of Victoria:

It is believed to have been constructed in 1891 and at the time was known as Kerris Bridge. (It) ….. included a lift span to enable sawmill and recreation steamers to continue to utilise the Goulburn River.

Chinamans Bridge was given its name because the Nagambie-Heathcote Road, once known as Chinamans Road, was in an area populated by Chinese market gardeners up until 1916.

Chinamans Bridge is a timber girder bridge with hand hewn squared timber stringers strutted to the piers and timber corbels and deck.

And then there was this one that I think once was a bridge at my camp at Jingellic, New South Wales. It looks to be of a much newer construction than the previous two but my research has uncovered it dates from a similar period and was in use until 1959.

The bridge was begun in 1887 but not opened until 1892. Once the bridge was opened, a customs house was built on the Victorian side and operated until 1915 from which time customs dues were no longer an issue. Apparently locals continued to use the nearby Horse Creek ford for smuggling. When the new bridge was constructed in 1959, it bypassed the town.                                                                         Source – Flickr

Here it is today, a remnant of its former self

And this wonderful photo that I found on Bonzle shows it in all its glory in 1926

The old bridge across the Moonie River at Nindigully is now only a great spot to fish from, although I’d be wary even stepping onto it!

And now for something completely different! This amazing construction used to carry the Ghan Railway until a new line was built some time ago. This structure was certainly built to last even though it carries no traffic and goes nowhere these days.

A Bridge Too Far – most of these bridges no longer make it to the other side, so definitely Not Far Enough

PS: ….. ooops, I hit the wrong button …… so, my apologies for my previous post of this name that had no content. Hope this one makes up for it!