Newlands Road Bridge

The Newlands Road Bridge, also known as the Merri Creek Bridge, is a triple-span arch stone former road bridge, now pedestrian bridge, across the Merri Creek and its associated trail, constructed by Victorian convicts, that initially carried Newlands Road vehicular traffic — now pedestrian traffic — located between and , inner northern suburbs of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia.

Built in 1865, the bridge was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 20 August 1982 in recognition of its historical, social and architectural importance.

History The Newlands Road Bridge was built by Pentridge Stockade convict labour under the administration of William Champ, the third inspector General of Penal Establishments in Victoria who had earlier been the first Premier of Tasmania. Chubb's name is inscribed on a foundation stone of the bridge. The bluestone for the bridge was quarried from within the Old Penal Reserve along the Merri Creek.

Description Newlands Road Bridge was originally built as a road bridge and was open to traffic up until 1961 when a new concrete bridge was opened along side it. Newlands Road Bridge is a triple span bluestone segmental arched bridge with integral balustrades and parapets. Each span is and the bridge is long, in total. It is currently used as a pedestrian bridge across the Merri Creek. The bridge runs in a north-south direction and follows the course of an old section of Newlands Road.

The bridge is architecturally and scientifically significant as an early example of a substantial bluestone bridge. It demonstrates skilled stonemasonry in its construction with prominent voussoirs to the arches, substantial piers with carved breakwaters, rusticated bluestone string course at road level, and capping stones to the parapet walls. The bridge is important for its contribution to the complex of visually linked prison related structures, which include the Murray Road Bridge and the walls of HM Prison Pentridge.

Newlands Road Bridge

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