Macquarie River Railway Bridge, Dubbo, Railway bridge over Macquarie River in Dubbo, Australia
The Macquarie River Railway Bridge is a three-span iron lattice structure that crosses the river with wrought iron girders and cast iron support columns. The bridge carries standard gauge railway tracks and displays the industrial construction methods typical of the late 1800s.
John Whitton designed this bridge in 1884, and it was constructed by Benjamin Barnes using ironwork supplied from England. The bridge was part of New South Wales' major railway expansion that connected remote areas of the state.
The bridge is known locally as the Dubbo Lattice Railway Bridge, and its design is attributed to Sir John Fowler, co-designer of the Firth of Forth Bridge, working for John Whitton. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 and to the Register of the National Estate on 18 April 1989.
The bridge sits west of Dubbo's central business district, 462.762 kilometres from Sydney Central station on the Main Western line. It carries a single standard gauge track, so it is seen from the riverbanks rather than walked. The structure was in good physical condition when assessed on 10 August 2006.
It is one of twelve similar iron lattice bridges built across New South Wales during the rapid railway development period from 1873 to 1893. This particular construction method combining cast iron piers with wrought iron girders became a standard approach for river crossings during that era.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,241 contributors worldwide.