Eltham Cemetery - Artistic Recollections Booklet

One of the most well-known sites of significance

in the Eltham area would have to be the Eltham

trestle bridge. This panel combines an historic

photograph of a ‘Red Rattler’ crossing the

bridge in 1981. The timber trestle rail bridge

is historically, scientifically, aesthetically and

socially significant at State level. Mainly of

timber-pier and timber-beam construction,

this substantial bridge has almost two hundred

metres of timber deck.

Built in 1902, it is the only railway bridge of

predominantly timber construction that is still

in regular use as an integral part of Melbourne’s

metropolitan electric railway network and one

of extremely few timber rail bridges in the State

that still carry trains. The Eltham rail bridge is

a unique and valuable historic relic of an earlier

steam locomotive transport era in the Diamond

Creek Valley and has long formed an important

part of a magnificent Eltham landscape.

The featured plant in this panel is

Eucalyptus

polyanthemos

or commonly known as red box.

Trestle Bridge

WITH RED BOX

PHOTOGRAPH

ElthamTrestle Bridge,

1981

Shire of Eltham Pioneers

Photograph collectionYarra

Plenty Regional Library Service

in partnership with the Eltham

District Historical Society

Photographer G.L. Coop

INFORMATION

Nillumbik Shire Council,

Nillumbik Heritage Guide

(2015)

Eltham RailwayTrestle Bridge

accessed at

Eltham RailwayTrestle Bridge

accessed at

detail/66300