Tharwa Bridge

Tharwa Bridge crosses the Murrumbidgee River at Tharwa. The bridge is located on a local and regional tourist loop road and provides access to the historic village of Tharwa and the Namadgi National Park and is the southern most bridge crossing of the Murrumbidgee within the ACT.

The bridge is 181.5 metres long and is carried 12 metres above water level.

The site where the bridge stands was a traditional crossing point by Aboriginal people.

The bridge was designed in 1894 by Percy Allan of the NSW Public Works and was opened for use in 1895. At the time the Allan Truss bridges attracted international interest because of their innovative design.

The day of the opening ceremony was declared a public holiday in the Queanbeyan District. A large crowd attended the ceremony including ‘Queen’ Nellie Hamilton, Edward William O’Sullivan, MHR, member for Queanbeyan, Mayor and Mayoress of Queanbeyan, Queanbeyan Band and Mounted Rifles.

In 1945 the timber approach spans were replaced by steel beams and a new concrete deck.

Load restrictions were imposed in 1965 to 25 tonne and then again in 1977 to 5 tonne.

The bridge was entered in the ACT Heritage Register in 1998, is listed by the National Trust of Australia (ACT) and was entered on the Register of the National Estate by the Australian Heritage Commission in 1983.

The bridge has also been identified by Engineers Australia as a Major Engineering Heritage item and is one of the most significant pieces of heritage in the ACT.

Allan Trusses were third in the five-stage design evolution of NSW timber truss bridges, and were a major improvement over the McDonald Trusses which preceded them. Allan Trusses were 20% cheaper to build than McDonald Trusses, could carry 50% more load, and were easier to maintain.

• Tharwa Bridge Information Sheet ( PDF 180Kb)