Bridge 500, Muir Highway over Kent River, Perillup

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

26304

Location

Muir Hwy Kenton

Location Details

Over Kent River

Other Name(s)

MRWA Bridge 500

Local Government

Plantagenet

Region

Great Southern

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment Current 29 Nov 2019

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Values

 The place is demonstrates the widespread use of timber as a structural material in twentieth century bridge building;
 The place is associated with the growth of regional road infrastructure in the mid twentieth century as road began to replace rail.

Physical Description

Bridge 500, Muir Highway over Kent River, Perillup is a double lane timber, concrete and steel road bridge spanning the Kent River, approximately 45km west-northwest of the town of Mount Barker. The bridge is approximately 44m long, 7.6m wide and sits approximately 1m above the creek bed at its highest point. The bridge consists of 7 spans constructed along a west-northwest to east-southeast axis. The bridge abutments consist of dressed timber planks laid against an earth embankment, which has been further supported by timber logs planted upright against the planks. Some of these upright timber logs have since been replaced by galvanised steel members. The foundation of the abutment further appears to have been modified through the use of concrete blocks on at least one side.

History

In the region around Plantagenet, the Noongar groups known as the Ganeang, Goreng and Minang lived for tens of thousands of years, moving between the coast and inland forests to utilise the natural resources of the area. This way of life began to be disrupted after 1829 with the arrival of colonists, with farmers moving into the Plantagenet area after 1840. A small network of farms and orchards slowly developed over the next few decades, however this growth accelerated after 1890 with the arrival of railway transport and the increased demand for produce arising from the Gold Boom. By the Turn of the century, Plantagenet was a modestly sized but thriving mixed agricultural area.

Place Type

Other Built Type

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use Transport\Communications Road: Bridge

Creation Date

04 Nov 2019

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

14 Jul 2022

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.