Bredbo Rail Bridge Group

Item details


Name of item:	Bredbo Rail Bridge Group
Other name/s:	Bredbo River Railway Viaduct
Type of item:	Complex / Group
Group/Collection:	Transport - Rail
Category:	Railway Bridge/ Viaduct
Location:	Lat: -35.9747845131 Long: 149.1625931120
Primary address:	Goulburn-Bombala railway, Bredbo, NSW 2626
Local govt. area:	Snowy Monaro Regional
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Wagonga

Boundary:

The listing boundary of each bridge is the bridge structure with supports, embankments, approaches and track formation related to those elements.

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Goulburn-Bombala railway	Bredbo	Snowy Monaro Regional			Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
TAHE - Sydney Trains	State Government

Statement of significance:


	The timber Queen post truss viaduct was an economic bridge for the Queanbeyan to Cooma Railway at a time when the boom years of the 1880s was ending and funding for railway construction was decreasing. The Bredbo viaduct is accessible from the Monaro Highway and is an impressive timber structure. The Cooma Railway made a significant contribution to the development of the Monaro Region from the time of its construction 1887-89, and all the timber viaducts were important items of the railway's infrastructure. The timber Queen post deck viaduct was a significant structure in place of the expensive iron lattice bridges preferred by John Whitton. The Bredbo viaduct was technically sound and durable, having been built from renowned ironbark hardwood. The two deck Queen post truss timber viaducts on the Cooma Line, together with four on the Main North Line, are a unique class of railway bridge.
	Date significance updated: 02 Sep 08
	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:	John Whitton, Engineer-in-Chief for Railways
Builder/Maker:	Main Contractor for the Queanbeyan to Cooma railway
Construction years:	1881-1889
Physical description:	A 10-span timber truss viaduct, each span is 40 feet centre to centre of timber trestles. The trusses are deck Queen post copied from one of I K Brunel's Cornish timber bridges, the one called St Germans, built about 30 years earlier. timber ironbark viaduct Queen deck truss, 1889, over Bredbo River timber ironmark viaduct European truss, 1889, over Umeralla river
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Condition is fair only due to lack of maintenance since rail services were suspended.
	Date condition updated:04 Apr 06


Current use:	Currently out of service
Former use:	Carried single track Queanbeyan - Cooma Railway

History

Historical notes:

When John Whitton, Engineer-in-Chief for Railways 1856-1890, extended the railway from Queanbeyan to Cooma, 1887 - 1889, he was under government pressure to reduce construction costs. One method was to build timber bridges, mostly ballast top timber bream bridges. But for two major waterways, Ingalara Creek and Bredbo River, he chose to use the same type of timber truss viaduct (Queen post deck trusses) that he had already used on the Main North between Glen Innes to Wallangarra (see inventories for Breardy, Severn and Bluff River viaducts, and Tenterfield Creek). Nearer to Cooma, at Chakola, he chose a different type of timber viaduct to cross Umaralla Creek.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The timber Queen post truss viaduct was an economic bridge for the Quenbeyan to Cooma Railway at a time when the boom years of the 1880s was ending and funding for railway construction was decreasing.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The viaduct is accessible from the Monaro Highway and is an impressive timber structure.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The Cooma Railway made a significant contribution to the development of the Monaro Region from the time of its construction 1887-89, and the three timber viaducts were important items of the railway’s infrastructure.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The timber Queen post deck viaduct was a significant structure in place of the expensive iron lattice bridges preferred by John Whitton. The Bredbo viaduct were technically sound and durable, having been built from renowned ironbark hardwood.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	These two timber viaducts on the Cooma Line, together with four on the Main North Line, are a unique class of railway bridge.
Integrity/Intactness:	All these viaducts retain their original fabric.
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.

Recommended management:


	Rail Access Corporation to monitor the condition of all six viaducts and make essential repairs to ensure their structural integrity in case the line is reopened.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		01029	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Rail Infrastructure Corporation s.170 Register	2003		Rail Infrastructure Corporation		Yes

References, internet links & images

None

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

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5011954

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