Chinamans Bridge is a large timber bridge that crosses the Goulburn River, 2.7 kilometres west of the Goulburn Valley Highway. It is believed to have been built in 1891 and was initially known as Kerris Bridge. It is one of Victoria’s oldest “surviving” timber bridges. The bridge’s construction was funded through a grant from the joint Public Works and Water Supply Departments. It was designed by the Goulburn Shire Council Engineer and built by the contractor JB Parkinson for £4188 3s 6d. Chinaman’s Bridge was first built as a drawbridge to allow river traffic to pass through. It was the era of river steamboats, and transport preferred the river to bullock teams on unmade roads. When river transport ceased, Chinaman’s drawbridge was no longer needed.

Architectural Features

The Chinamans Bridge had a lift span allowing sawmill and recreation steamers to pass through the Goulburn River. During the 1890s, the Nagambie Sawmill steamer crossed the bridge six times a week. Initially, the bridge carried the Nagambie-Heathcote Road over the river. However, a new bridge was built nearby, and the road was rerouted to cross the river at the new location.

The bridge was named Chinamans Bridge because it was located on Chinamans Road, an area once inhabited by Chinese market gardeners until 1916. Nagambie-Heathcote Road was initially known as Chinamans Road. Constructed of timber girder with hand-hewn squared timber stringers, the bridge features timber corbels and a deck. Of the lift span, only the timber fenders remain. The former drawbridge span was replaced with a steel span around 1940.

Heritage Listed

Chinamans Bridge holds heritage significance for the State of Victoria. It is listed in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) as place number 869 and register number H1449.3.

The bridge is historically significant as one of Victoria’s earliest all-timber road bridges. It is notable for using hand-hewn timber in construction and design details. Despite losing much of its original mechanism, the bridge is a rare surviving example of a bridge with a vertical span. From a historical perspective, Chinaman’s Bridge holds a noteworthy connection to the expansion of Victoria’s infrastructure in the 1890s and its role in the development of transport systems.

The bridge is closely linked with the growth of the township of Nagambie. It represents the prosperous sawmilling industry in the district during the 1890s. Chinamans bridge holds historical significance with its link to the steamboat era in Victoria. During this era in the 1890s, rivers were the preferred mode of transportation for recreational and commercial purposes over roads.

Flood Damage

The decaying bridge timbers were further weakened during the 2022 floods, making it extremely fragile and at risk of collapsing at any moment. Due to the immediate danger of collapse, engineers have deemed the bridge beyond repair. An exclusion zone was declared, and boats have been prohibited from passing under it since then.

The Strathbogie Shire Council has since applied to Heritage Victoria to have the heritage listing removed, allowing the bridge to be demolished.