McFarlane Bridge, Historical road bridge in Maclean, Australia

McFarlane Bridge is a road bridge spanning the south arm of the Clarence River near Maclean, featuring sixteen timber beam sections and a central metal span that could once move for shipping. It connects Maclean with Woodford Island and remains an active crossing for vehicles.

Designed by Ernest de Burgh and built between 1904 and 1906, the bridge opened on April 9, 1906. Its central lifting mechanism allowed river traffic to pass underneath until 1962, when it was closed.

The bridge is named after John McFarlane, the Member for the Clarence. Its centenary, covering 1906 to 2006, was recorded in a book published by the Maclean District Historical Society. Engineers Australia gave the structure a Historic Engineering Marker under its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.

You can walk or drive across the bridge to move between the two sides of the river near Maclean. The structure underwent major repairs from 2012 to 2013 to maintain its road service.

The lifting span's counterweight ran on a cardioid, or heart-shaped, track — an unusual geometry for a bascule bridge. The span was last raised for a ship in 1962, and the mechanism has stayed in place since. The bridge's centenary was marked in a book published by the Maclean District Historical Society in 2006.