The NSW Nationals in the state government have commissioned a heritage expert to memorialise the Prince Alfred Bridge at Gundagai.
Conrad Gargett Group Pty Ltd will assess community feedback and identify the most appropriate tribute for the timber road viaduct.
Nationals Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the nearly 140 memorial ideas that had been submitted by members of the community will now be thoroughly assessed to ensure that the most appropriate tribute is chosen.
“A Heritage Interpretation Strategy will be prepared in consultation with the community, Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council and other key stakeholders to identify a heritage memorialisation for the much-loved bridge,” Ms Cooke said.
“I look forward to seeing the outcome of this strategy, one which I am sure will encompass the fond memories of the bridge held by Gundagai residents.”
The Department of Planning and Environment – Crown Lands and Transport for NSW dismantled the timber road viaduct, which hadn’t operated since 1984, in November last year due to safety issues.
Engineering assessments had found the bridge, built in the 1860s and completed to its current design in 1896, and the first major bridge crossing of the Murrumbidgee, was structurally unsound and at risk of collapsing in a flood.
More than 460 cubic metres of timber was salvaged from the bridge for potential future use.
Some of the heritage memorial ideas put forward through a community survey include:
• Picnic wharf over the Murrumbidgee River, a small replica of the former bridge, pedestrian bridges in local parks, or a boardwalk.
• Viewing platform over the floodplain and bridge route, or at local lookouts.
• Planting an avenue of trees and a walking track along the bridge route.
• Artistic sculpture for a tourism attraction, like the Dog on the Tuckerbox.
• Street or park furniture including seats and tables.
• Stylish industrial timber arbour leading to a memorial.
• Interactive display with photos, videos and information on the bridge’s history.
• Virtual reality or QR-code display, or 3D laser memorial to light up the sky.
• Construction of a town Christmas tree for display each year.
To learn more about the project including the community’s feedback, visit Work on Prince Alfred Bridge at Gundagai – Crown land in New South Wales (nsw.gov.au)
