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Built in 1917, the Monash Bridge is considered
an excellent early Australian example of an
open spandrel reinforced arch bridge. It was
constructed by the engineering company of Sir
John Monash and is unusual in Victoria, but
similar to many reinforced concrete arch bridges
built at that time in Europe and America. It was
funded by the Shires of Eltham, Heidelberg and
Whittlesea.
Monash Bridge is the third bridge to cross
the Diamond Creek at this site. The original
bridge was a log bridge upstream constructed
in the 1850s by Henry Hurst, after whom
Hurstbridge was named. In the 1880s a timber
bridge replaced it, known as Hurst’s Bridge.
The Monash Bridge was officially opened on
November 3rd 1917 with a gala event which
took place before around 1000 spectators. The
blue ribbon cut to open the bridge was cut into
small pieces and distributed as a memento of
the occasion.
The native plant featured in this panel is
Acacia
paradoxa,
or commonly known as the hedge wattle
or kangaroo thorn.Wattle has been combined into
this panel to represent the culturally significant
Wattle Festival of Hurstbridge.
Bridge
AND HEDGE
WATTLE
PHOTOGRAPHS
View at Hurstbridge
State LibraryVictoria
Photographer Rose Stereograph Co.
The Bridge, Hurstbridge
State LibraryVictoria
Photographer Rose Stereograph Co.
INFORMATION
Marshall, Marguerite.
Nillumbik Now andThen
(2008)