Nicholson Road Bridge

Statement of Significance

The Nicholson Road Bridge has cultural heritage value for the following reasons:
The bridge is located at a scenic section on the river and contributes to the aesthetic values of the landscape setting, as well as being a landmark in the district and a point of reference along the Canning River.

The bridge has historic value, for its association with an important river crossing dating from the construction of the first bridge in 1885, and as part of the history of development of the metropolitan road system. The two existing bridges at this site along with the remnants of the second bridge in the river bed, provide physical evidence of the sequence of bridges at this crossing point and of changing technology in bridge construction in the post-war period.

The bridge site has historic associations with the temporary sand bag weir, which was built each year by the local residents, as a protection against the invasion of salt water upstream. The sand bag weir was eventually replaced by the permanent weir constructed at Kent Street further downstream.

Physical Description

There are two Nicholson Road Bridges, which traverse Canning River at this location. The southern most bridge was constructed in 1953 from of timber, and is 66.5 metres long, with a 7.3 metre wide roadway. It had a pedestrian walkway along its northern side however, this was removed in the 1980s. This bridge carries two lanes of traffic from east to west.
The northern bridge has been constructed from pre-stressed concrete and has similar dimensions to the 1953 bridge, although it has a pedestrian walkway along its northern side. This bridge carries two lanes of traffic from west to east.

History

The Nicholson Road Bridge, Main Roads Bridge No.925, crosses the Canning River on Nicholson Road, Cannington, and is the third timber bridge built on the site. The first bridge was built in 1885 by the Mason Brothers and was known as the Central Canning Bridge
When finished the bridge was reported to be a great convenience, as it opened up about 30,000 acres of Crown lands, on the south side of the river. An article in The Herald dated Saturday, 27 June 1885 (page 2) set out that this crown land was ‘good second class country, and swamp land. Previous to this bridge being erected, many lives have been lost by persons attempting to cross the river in the winter, when the river is very deep.’
This original bridge was demolished in 1907 and replaced with a more substantial structure, which in turn was upgraded in 1926/7, when the riverbed was widened and the span of the bridge increased by approximately 30metres. Remnants of the piers from the second bridge remain in the riverbed and can be seen when the water level is low.
As early as 1916 there were discussions on constructing a weir to prevent the movement of salt water up the Canning River. Several petitions were made as to the location of the weir and in 1911 a sandbag weir was constructed at Nicholson Road Bridge to test the effectiveness of such a project. At this time nurseries were pumping water from the river and upstream from this spot and they found that the water was 'too salty' in summer. The barrier was a success and it was maintained over several summers.
During World War Two this bridge came under heavy use by the Defence Department and required major repairs in the early post-war period.
The decision to establish an oil refinery at Kwinana and the likelihood that other industries would develop south of Fremantle, resulted in the need to create a road connection between Gosnells and Hamilton Hill. Roads were widening and new roads constructed. As part of the works the existing Nicholson Road Bridge was demolished in 1953, and the present bridge was constructed on the same site, but with a slight change in the alignment.
Increasing heavy traffic on Nicholson Road led to the construction of a new bridge in 1986/7, the fourth bridge to be built at this crossing. The most recent bridge was constructed of pre-stressed concrete and was built alongside the 1953 timber bridge, which continues in use as a traffic bridge, although the original walkway has now been removed. The construction of the last bridge involved disturbing the island that once occurred beneath the site of the bridge and it is no longer present in the river channel.

Integrity/Authenticity

High
Intactness of Fabric: Generally intact; regular maintenance and refurbishment carried out by the MRD.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.