For 130 years, this timber bridge connected communities. Will it ever open again?

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Key points

• The 133-year-old Kirwans Bridge, near Nagambie, has been closed since October. 
• Residents say they feel isolated with the bridge closed and want it reopened. 
• Strathbogie Shire insists the bridge is structurally compromised and needs much work. 

For more than 130 years, the heritage-listed Kirwans Bridge has been a busy thoroughfare connecting communities across the Goulburn River, in northern Victoria.

The structure is among the longest timber bridges in the state with its gentle, angular turns and painted white side rails.

But the bridge has been closed to cars since October when floods ravaged much of Victoria, and it remains unclear when it will reopen to traffic.

Residents walking over Kirwans Bridge. Credit: Joe Armao

Residents on both sides say they feel isolated and worried about when they will be able to use it again.

They argue the closure is costing them time and money as it forces them to drive much longer distances – particularly for those who used the bridge to reach the nearby town of Nagambie sometimes multiple times in a day.

The Strathbogie Shire Council, which is responsible for maintaining the bridge, insists it wants to reopen the crossing and ensure it remains safe for the next 50 years.

However, it says the bridge is structurally compromised despite the protestations from Kirwans Bridge residents that it requires only minor repairs.

Jasmin Le Deux, who lives to the north of the bridge, in Angus Town, said a 10-minute trip to reach Nagambie had almost tripled, driving up her fuel costs markedly.

Le Deux had used the bridge several times a day to take her teenage children to the school bus stop in Seymour as well as sports training and competitions near Nagambie.

Le Deux said her farm was still recovering from the floods, in which her family lost 500 livestock.

Kirwans Bridge was built in 1890 and was open to traffic until October, when the region flooded. Credit: Joe Armao

“Having this bridge closed is another financial burden,” she said “We’re just tired.”

She said the back roads to reach Nagambie can be slippery and dangerous in the wet.

A 2021 council report showed an average of 532 vehicles per day used the bridge between January 19 and February 11 of that year.

The township of Kirwans Bridge has just over 100 dwellings, although it is often considered part of the broader Nagambie community, which has a population of just over 2000.

Kirwans Bridge resident Alice Cahill. Credit: Joe Armao

Alice Cahill, whose house overlooks the bridge, said she was particularly worried paramedics would be delayed in an emergency, even though there is an ambulance station in Nagambie.

“You’re doing almost a complete circle to come on the back roads,” she said. “Time is important in emergencies, isn’t it?”

The bridge opened in 1890, but its deck was narrowed to a single lane about 65 years later with passing bays to allow cars to drive through in opposite directions.

A Victorian Heritage database report describes the 310-metre-long structure as one of the oldest timber road bridges still in operation.

The only comparable timber bridge in Victoria in terms of length, the report said, is the 308-metre Barwon Heads Bridge.

The Kirwan Bridge’s “exceptionally long timber deck” and technical design had been adapted to changing vehicle needs, making it unique in Victoria, the report said.

“This aesthetic quality, unique in Victoria, is accentuated by the bridge’s setting just above the broad waters of Lake Nagambie.”

The Strathbogie Shire is now considering whether it will build a new replica bridge or carry out extensive repairs and strengthening works to the current crossing.

The shire’s chief executive Julie Salomon said the council had established a community panel to help determine the bridge’s future.

Kirwans Bridge spanning the Goulburn River. Credit: Joe Armao

“We understand the importance of the bridge to the community and as a route across the Goulburn River,” she said.

Salomon said the council had been talking to the state and federal governments about the need for an upgrade and funding.

But the debate over its future comes amid rising tensions between Strathbogie Shire and the state government, which has installed a municipal monitor to ensure the council maintains good governance.

Kirwans Bridge resident Robyn Taylor said the bridge was a crucial part of the town’s identity and implored the council to reopen it urgently.

Taylor said the community fought to keep the bridge open 13 years ago, after it was temporarily closed amid concerns about its condition. She said the community would continue fighting for their beloved bridge.

“It’s been threatened many times with closure,” Taylor said. “We keep winning. It’s another symbol of the little person maintaining a vital piece of infrastructure.”

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