Abercrombie Bridge recognised as landmark of innovation and community heritage
The iconic Abercrombie Bridge near Bathurst has been officially listed on the State Heritage Register, recognising its innovative engineering and the vital role it played in the lives of communities in the Central West for more than a century.
Built in 1918, Abercrombie Bridge is one of the finest surviving examples of an ‘Allan truss’ timber road bridge.
Designed by eminent NSW engineer Percy Allan, the Allan truss represented a leap forward in bridge design, carrying 50 per cent more load than previous timber trusses, reducing construction costs and making maintenance easier.
A bridge was required over the Abercrombie River to connect farmers and gold prospectors from Crookwell and nearby settlements to Bathurst, helping to drive the economic growth of agriculture and regional trade from the later 19th century.
The first bridge was destroyed by floods in 1916, but the surviving masonry piers were incorporated into a new, longer bridge to Allan’s design.
Timber truss road bridges were once a defining feature of the NSW landscape, with more than 400 built between 1856 and 1936. Today, only 37 remain in state ownership, with just 15 surviving examples of Allan trusses.
The State Heritage Register listing ensures this rare and important piece of infrastructure will be preserved for future generations, both as an outstanding example of early 20th century engineering and as a reminder of its pivotal role in the expansion of regional NSW.
For more information on State Heritage Register listings in NSW, please visit the State Heritage Inventory webpage.
Quotes attributable to Heritage NSW Senior Manager Heritage Programs Anna London
'Timber truss bridges were once common across NSW, but today very few remain.
'Abercrombie Bridge is a rare survivor, and its unique design makes it an important engineering landmark.
'By protecting this bridge, we are honouring Percy Allan’s remarkable contribution to NSW engineering, while also recognising the generations of regional communities whose livelihoods relied on crossings like this.'
