The Currency Creek Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the pioneering riverboat captains who travelled the Murray River in their paddle steamers.
As you explore the Currency Creek area, look out for the many 'Canoe Trees' - large eucalypts with sections carved from their trunks which the local Aboriginal people used to make canoes. The Lions Park is a perfect spot for a picnic, with the Currency Creek running past, tall gums and wonderful beautiful country terrain you will feel at one with nature. A short drive from the park on the Adelaide Road you can visit the Historic Currency Creek cemetery which houses many of the late river boat captains of a time past.
Bridge
The Currency Creek road bridge was constructed in 1872 as a part of the road route from Adelaide. Prior to the construction of this bridge, the river was crossed in this location by a simple timber platform bridge. In 1852 a contract was awarded for the construction of the bridge, however, it was not until some twenty years later on the 13 June 1872, that builders Trenouth and Dick of Strathalbyn were announced as successful contractors for the construction of the bridge and thirty-five chains of road. At the time of construction, the bridge had a forty-foot span with the project costing a total of £1,274. The wing walls of the bridge are a mixture of sandstone from a quarry just upstream of the bridge and bluestone. Laminated red gum timber arches support the bridge with the outer laminations not coinciding with the centre lamination.
This method increased the strength and appearance of the bridge and demonstrated a skilled use of materials in short supply. The bridge was complete with matching dressed stone newels situated at the top of each wing wall. Completed in early 1873, the bridge was officially opened by Miss Emma Sunman on 17 January 1873.
As motor vehicles became more prevalent throughout the 1900’s the need for a more robust bridge in this location was realised. Subsequently, the current bituminised bridge was constructed in 1967 by the Highways and Local Government Department, with the laminated timber arch bridge being closed immediately after its opening in 1968.
There were only fifteen laminated timber arch bridges ever built in South Australia, with the Currency Creek Bridge being the sole survivor of this type of construction. Two other laminated timber bridge ruins remain at Angle Vale, and under the waters of the Millbrook Reservoir.
Viaduct
The Currency Creek viaduct and twenty-two miles of associated railway line from Strathalbyn to Middleton was opened in 1869.
In 1854, South Australia’s first railway line, which at the time operated as a horse-drawn tramway, was opened between Goolwa and Port Elliot, connecting sea and river port trade. In 1864 this was extended through to Victor Harbor.
In 1858, residents of the Strathalbyn district requested a railway link to the sea, and in 1859, Parliament commissioned a rail link from Strathalbyn to Middleton. It was not until July 1866 that the Strathalbyn & Middleton Tramway Act was passed, authorising the construction of the line, with George E Hamilton being appointed as Engineer and the construction work undertaken by Sara & Sons of Willunga.
The work consisted of six solid masonry piers 18 feet by 17 feet 6 inches at the bottom, narrower at the top. Spanning over a distance of 299 feet, the viaduct sits some 76 feet high.
The upper roadway was constructed of timber, resting on wrought-iron girders, tested to carry 35 tons. Because of the magnitude of the girders, they had to be fashioned and sheared from imported plates. This work was done by Martin & Loutitt of Gawler.
The first ten and a half mile section from Middleton, including the viaduct, was opened for traffic on 23 December 1868, and two months later the entire line was finished. Interestingly, in 1868, the Engineer-in-Chief stated that ‘although horses may be worked at first, I do not believe that it will be found economical…but should it be desirable to employ light engines, every provision has been made for them.’
As predicted by the Engineer-in-Chief, horse drawn trams were only used for a period of fifteen years before the line was converted and structurally modified for use by heavier and more powerful steam locomotives in December 1884.
The Currency Creek Viaduct is the only remaining railway viaduct in South Australia and is a rare example of major railway engineering works.
