Bridges of the Hunter Valley

I felt the need for a project!  

I wanted something that would take me out and about.  Something that would have me travel along quiet country roads enjoying the serenity, landscape and  .....  take photos!  

Where I live, in the City of Lake Macquarie, is right next door to the Hunter Valley.  It is a lovely rural farming area and also produces some of the best wine in Australia!  

So called the Hunter Valley because of the Hunter River which winds its way down from the Liverpool Range in the Barrington Tops some 470 kms and into the ocean at Newcastle.  It is joined at various points by its tributaries, the Goulburn River, Paterson River, Williams River and Pages River.

This is where I began formulating my project plan; there are lots of bridges over these Rivers!  Some are modern concrete affairs that take the high speed traffic, some are the quaint bridges of yesteryear that remember when horses and carts used them more than the motor car and, some are of the type that I call 'Rattlers' - low bridges made of wood that rattle when driven upon.  They are railway bridges, truss bridges, lift bridges, bridges made of iron and wood - all just waiting for me to point a camera at them!

These photos are for sale.  If you wish to purchase anything you can  contact me..

Please quote this page name 'Bridges of the Hunter Valley' and the name of the photo you wish to purchase as it appears on the page.

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All Rights Reserved 

Above & Below - The Elderslie Bridge over the Hunter River.  

A wrought iron lattice bridge completed in April 1882.

Above & Below - the Hinton Bridge over

the Paterson River at Hinton. Completed in 

1901 it was needed to accommodate the 

River Steamers that travelled the Hunter River System.

Above - The Williams River Bridge on Pine Brush Road, Glen William.

Above - The Brig O'Johnston Bridge over the Williams River at Clarence 

Town was built in 1880 and is the oldest surviving truss bridge in NSW.

Above & Below - the rail bridge over the Paterson River

at Paterson was completed in 1911.

 

Above & Below.  The Dunmore Bridge was built in 1899.  It is an Allan Truss Bridge.  It
 has a lift span that allowed the river steamers to traverse the river before the road system 
made its way into the Hunter Valley.  It is one of 3 surviving overhead braces timber truss 
bridges in NSW.

Completed in 1898 the Vacy Bridge over the Paterson River at Vacy is and example an Allan 
type timber truss road bridge.  Named after the designer of this type of truss bridge.  Named 
for its designer Percy Allan and built by Littleproud and J.J. Taylor of West Maitland.

The last bridge - Stockton Bridge over the north channel of the Hunter River about 6kms from
where the river meets the ocean - Stockton, NSW, Australia.

Above and below - The Cooreei Bridge over the Williams River at Dungog.
The bridge was built in 1906 and is a Dare Truss Bridge (so named after its designer
Harvey Dare).  The bridge was named 'Cooreei' after a ship of the same name
operated by the Williams River Steam Navigation Company (a company formed
by local store keepers at Clarence Town and Dungog)  The ship 'Cooreei' was built
at Raymond Terrace and licenced for 379 passengers and would travel each way
(Clarence Town to Newcastle) on alternate days.

Just across a lovely park from the Cooreei Bridge at Dungog is the Rail Bridge.  The rail line
at Dungog was completed about 1911 with the Dungog Railway Station opened
on 14 August 1911.