Hampden Bridge

Beautiful Hampden Bridge in Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales.

The following quotes are from the sign just off the Bridge:

"Beautiful and Rare

This bridge is Australia's last surviving wooden suspension bridge of the 19th Century and one of the best known in New South Wales. Not only has it 'enormous aesthetic appeal' (National Trust), but it is considered very rare because the majority of the strucutre is original.

The towers made of local hand carved sandstone resemble the turrets of an English mediæval castle, made by the colony's principal stonemasons Loveridge and Hudson

Investment and Local Materials

Completed in 1898 at a cost of 6,985 pounds, the bridge was a significant financial commitment when considering that the whole of Cambewarra Shire's annual council budget was 1,744 pounds (1908). The sandstone was taken from the quarry (within the Pioneer Museum grounds) and timber was selected locally. Only the 28 steel cables were sourced outside the area.

Original 28 high tensile steel cables which are 138 metres long, manufactures in England and have a Guranteed Minimum Breaking Load of 79 tonnes, although they were proof tested in Sydney to 89.24 tonnes.

Naming and Celebration

The bridge is named after the Governor of New South Wales, Lord Hampden (1895-1899) who said 'I should be very pleased to have my name connected with such a beautiful locality'. On 19th May 1898, 400 people attended the opening ceremony which was followed by a banquet in the National Hall (destroyed by floods).

Supplying Sydney and the Colony

Originally designed for horse and cart plus a Traction Engine (weight 14.23 tonnes) this bridge provided an important link between the Southern Highlands and South Coast, albeit at a leisurely pace, for in 1908 Council decided that 'the speed of motor cars within town boundaries and on the mountain passes be not more the 4 moh'. Local produce (timber, tallow and hides) was taken to the port at Bombo where small coastal steamers 'Lapwing' and 'Dolphin' sailed to Sydney and its markets.

National and Community Value

In 2002 the National Trust listed the bridge as an industial heritage site because of its 'significant technical achievement' and original surviving features. The bridge is revered throughout the Shoalhaven as a symbol of Australia's early history and an icon of this historic pioneering community.

Mighty native timbers span the 77 metres with the beams 360 mm by 250 mm and side trusses 250 mm by 200 mm.