Woolooga Rail Bridge
- 600645
- Theebine - Kilikivan Line, Wide Bay Creek
General
- Classification
- State Heritage
- Register status
- Entered
- Date entered
- 21 October 1992
- Type
- Transport—rail: Bridge—railway
- Theme
- 5.3 Moving goods, people and information: Using rail
- Builder
- McDermott, Owen & Co.
- Construction period
- 1884–1933, Woolooga Rail Bridge (1884 - 1933c)
- Historical period
- 1870s–1890s Late 19th century
Location
- Address
- Theebine - Kilikivan Line, Wide Bay Creek
- LGA
- Gympie Regional Council
- Coordinates
- -26.05748302, 152.37947235
Map
Street view
Photography is provided by Google Street View and may include third-party images. Images show the vicinity of the heritage place which may not be visible.
Significance
Criterion AThe place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland’s history.
The Woolooga Rail Bridge is important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history in particular the development of the railway network from Maryborough and the development of gold and copper mining in the Kilkivan area.
Criterion DThe place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.
The Woolooga Rail Bridge is an example of a lattice girder bridge dating from the 1880s still in use, although the spans have been halved by extra piers.
Criterion EThe place is important because of its aesthetic significance.
(Criterion under review)
History
The Woolooga Rail Bridge was built in 1884 and crosses Wide Bay Creek on the Maryborough to Kilkivan branch line.
The Kilkivan branch was built while the Maryborough Railway was not connected to any other system. A short section to Dickabram on the bank of the Mary River was opened on 1 January 1886. The section to Kilkivan opened on 6 December 1886 after the completion of a major combined rail-road bridge over the Mary River.
The Kilkivan branch, built in the hope of stimulating gold and copper mining, was ultimately extended to serve the South Burnett. Besides a major bridge over the Mary River, the Kilkivan branch crossed Wide Bay Creek three times. Tenders were called for just 4 miles, and had to be called twice as the short length made the project unattractive to contractors. The work for the whole section to Kilkivan was let to MCDermott, Owen & Co in August 1884.
In order to strengthen the bridge to permit C17 locomotives to operate, instead of just PB15 and B15 classes, the 100 feet spans were divided in the 1933-35 period by inserting timber piers at the centre of each span.
Description
The Woolooga Rail Bridge, Wide Bay No. 2 Crossing Bridge, at 25.14 km (15m45c) comprises two 100 feet lattice girder spans with steel cross girders and timber longitudinals supported on concrete piers with timber piers on a concrete base at the centre of each span.
