Sale Swing Bridge

The Sale Swing Bridge is located on the South Gippsland Highway Longford, 5 km south of the city of Sale, Victoria, Australia and spans the Latrobe River at its junction with the Thomson River.

Sale Swing Bridge
Sale swing bridge, in closed position
Coordinates38°08′47″S 147°05′13″E
History
DesignerJohn Grainger
Constructed byVictorian government
Opened1883

Designed by John Grainger[1]:pp.2–3 and built in 1883 by the Victorian government,[2][3] it was the first movable bridge built in Victoria. Its wrought-iron structure, 45 metres long, pivots on cylindrical steel columns. At its peak, the bridge was opened up to 20 times a day, allowing the movement of steamers between Sale and Melbourne.

The bridge underwent major restoration works towards the end of 2003, which were completed by the start of 2006.[2] Since the restoration about 2,500 tourists have visited the bridge each year.[4]

The Sale Swing Bridge was used as a set in 2007 for the filming of the 2008 film The Tender Hook, starring Hugo Weaving and Rose Byrne.[5]

In April 2017 vandals lodged a block of wood in the gear mechanism, causing an axle to bend and the bottom roller beam to crack. The bridge was re-opened in July 2017 after a $160,000 repair.[4]

Engineering heritage award

The bridge is listed as a Engineering Heritage National Landmark by Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.[6]

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References
  1. Tibbits, G. R. and Beauchamp, D. John Harry Grainger: Engineer and Architect at 3rd Australasian Engineering Heritage Conference 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2013
  2. City of Sale, Gippsland, Victoria ~ Community Information Website ~ Sale, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia Archived 2 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Harper, Brian (July 2002). "Sale Swing Bridge". The Newsletter of Engineering Heritage Australia. Engineers Australia (13): 7. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  4. "Bridge Back in the Swing". gippslandtimes.com.au. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  5. "Underworld film brings stars to Gippsland". ABC Arts Online. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  6. "Sale Swing Bridge, Thompson River, 1883". Engineers Australia. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
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