MacDonald River, Bendemeer, NSW, Australia
S 30° 52.850 E 151° 09.400
56J E 323791 N 6582149
This Truss Bridge looks in good condition. It was built in 1903-5 from a design by H H Dare. It carried New England Highway traffic until 1985.
Waymark Code: WMWPWW
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 09/28/2017
Views: 2
There is a Historic Engineering Marker on the western of the bridge.
Professor Colin O'Connor is quoted in the following Nomination Report: (
visit link)
"Completed in 1905, it is one of the first examples of the Dare truss designed by H H Dare in 1903 and placed in service from about 1904 until at least 1912. This type was a composite Howe truss bridge with timber upper chords and compression diagonals, a metal lower chord and metal tension rods for the verticals. It was designed for spans of 22.4m and 31.7m. The Bendemeer Bridge is of considerable age for a timber bridge; the span is also considerable for a timber truss bridge. The bridge is thus of considerable technological significance.
"The bridge carries a 5.2m roadway and has spans of 9m, 10.6m, 10.6m, 10.5m, 31.6m, 9.3m and 9.2m. The six approach spans are timber girders. The main span is a half through composite truss of the Dare type. The main piers are concrete."
When a highway deviation was built around Bendemeer in 1985 this bridge became a pedestrian bridge.
Visited: 1715, Sunday, 23 July, 2017