Barraba (Ennisdale), Oakey Creek Underbridge

Item details


Name of item:	Barraba (Ennisdale), Oakey Creek Underbridge
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Transport - Rail
Category:	Railway Bridge/ Viaduct
Primary address:	534.118km, West Tamworth To Barraba Railway, Ennisdale, NSW N/A
County:	0
Local govt. area:	Tamworth Regional

Boundary:

The curtilage includes the bridge structure and approach spans, and extends for a distance of 20m in all directions.

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
534.118km, West Tamworth To Barraba Railway	Ennisdale	Tamworth Regional		0	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
TAHE - Country Rail Network (CRN)	State Government

Statement of significance:


	The Oakey Creek Underbridge is a rare example of a timber deck Howe truss (one of only five extant railway bridges of this type in NSW). It is an example of the use of timber as an economical material for bridges on developmental (Pioneer) lines in NSW in the early 20th century. The bridge is also an example of the introduction of American bridge technology in NSW in the early 20th century. The bridge is a distinctive design and a representative example of early 20th century bridge technology.
	Date significance updated: 19 Jan 21
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	Railway Construction Branch staff of the Public Works Department
Builder/Maker:	Day Labour
Physical description:	The bridge is a five-span timber girder deck bridge with a 32-feet Howe-Deck truss span section in the centre.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Fair to poor. The timber retaining abutments are in poor condition, some fabric appearing quite unstable. There is need for maintenance of the vegetation overhanging the structure. The trussed spans are sagging, demonstrating the degree of deterioration of the timber. The southern abutments are constructed of a combination of timber and repurposed steel waterboxes. The construction is quite unstable and at risk of falling.Note: no maintenance work has been undertaken since rail services were suspended on the Barraba Line.
	Date condition updated:07 Nov 16
Modifications and dates:	No known modifications.
Further information:	The Barraba line is now closed. There is a similar structure over Borah Creek, Upper Manilla, also on the Barraba line. This item is not listed on the Local LEP.


Current use:	Not in use, located on a railway line where rail services have been suspended.

History

Historical notes:

The use of the American Howe-truss bridge design (patented by William Howe of Massachusetts, 1840) in the NSW Railways arises from the involvement of John Whitton replacement, Henry Deane, and the Bridge Engineers of the NSW Department of the Public Works. 24 Howe-truses were built for the NSW Railways between 1896 and 1920, with 9 being Howe Deck Trusses and the remaining as Howe Through trusses. Of the constructed, 5 remain of the Howe Deck Truss bridges.

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The Barraba Railway was one of the early branch lines built cheaply as a developmental railway.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	There are likely only five sites in NSW with timber Howe deck trusses.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Fraser, Don	1995	Bridges down under: the history of railway underbridges in New South Wales

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	State Government
Database number:	3150105

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

All information and pictures on this page are the copyright of Heritage NSW or respective copyright owners.