Malmsbury Railway Viaduct

Constructed as part of the nationally significant Melbourne - Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway, the Malmsbury Railway Viaduct is itself an outstanding engineering work.

Constructed of rusticated and finely dressed bluestone, it is the largest masonry bridge in Victoria, and when completed in 1862, it was Australia's longest stone bridge.

This magnificent bridge has five 18.3 metre spans, is about 25 metres high, and carries two railway tracks over the Coliban River at Malmsbury. It is still one of Australia's finest early bridges.

Construction was commenced in 1859?

The initial design of the Melbourne - Mount Alexander -Murry River Railway is credited to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The line was designed with two broad gauge tracks, high speed alignments, cutting through the landscape, and double headed rail.

The viaduct was erected by Cornish and Bruce for the Victorian Railways in 1859. The railway viaduct crosses over the Coliban River, which is dammed upstream to provide the headworks for the Bendigo Water Supply.

VicRoads Map 59 G5   and   VicRoads Map 288 G3 Malmsbury

The bridge is accessible from Ellesmere Place, which is on the south, or left, side of the Calder Highway coming from Melbourne. View the viaduct by either walking through the park to the Lake, or from the southern end of Ellesmere Place.

Harrigan, L., Victorian Railways to '62 (Victorian Railways Public Relations and Betterment Board, Melbourne, 1962)