Yarrawonga Road Weighbridge
Yarrawonga Road,, YARRAWONGA VIC 3730 - Property No B7274
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Statement of Significance
How is it significant? The weighbridge is historically, scientifically and socially significant at the state level.
Why is it significant? The weighbridge is scientifically significant because when manufactured and installed by the Victorian Railways in 1916, it demonstrated 'state of the art' technology for a mechanical steelyard weighbridge. The non-loose weight steelyard has a protection bar and a mechanical ticket printer on the traveling poise to increase accuracy and efficiency. The concrete approach strips placed on each side of the platform in 1944 demonstrate how the weighbridge initially designed primarily for the weighing of horse drawn vehicles was adapted to enable long motor trucks and semi-trailers to be weighed 'end-to-end'. Apart from a modification made to the traveling poise during conversion to metric units in 1974, the mechanism of the weighbridge has remained essentially the same as when it was first installed.
The weighbridge is historically significant as the first road weighbridge and the only road weighbridge with a capacity of 35 tons manufactured by the Victorian Railways. Installed in 1916 and still in use in 2003, the weighbridge holds the record as the oldest weighbridge once operated by the Victorian Railways still in commercial use. Today it continues to weigh wheat delivered to Yarrawonga station, although the bulk wheat semi-trailers of today are much larger than the horse drawn carts originally used to convey bagged wheat in 1916. Of the 12 road weighbridges originally constructed by the Victorian Railways, the only other to survive intact is the 20 ton weighbridge now preserved out of service at Bendigo.
The weighbridge is socially significant because for over 80 years the weighbridge has played an important part in the social and commercial activities of local farmers and merchants. During the busy grain harvesting season in particular, the social interaction between farmers and merchants waiting for loads of wheat to be weighed played an important part in the daily social life of local communities.
Classified: 29/11/2004
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Yarrawonga Road Weighbridge - Physical Description 1
The small metal clad cabin is on a slight lean away form the weighbridge. The cabin does not appear to be the original cabin. A drawing of a "standard cabin" accompanying plans for the Yarrowonga weighbridge show a larger timber weather board cabin (Standard cabin for 35 ton cart weighbridge, Victorian Railways drawing 1875-16, dated 29-8-1916.)
The steelyard is a standard Victorian Railways No. 15 design with a maximum capacity of 35 tons, a notched protection bar and a ticket printing carriage poise. It has been modified to indicate a maximum weight of 25 tons by placing a metal strip over indications above 25 tons.
The metric unit markings on the brass plate on the carriage poise are of a style unlike any observed by the author on ten similar plates manufactured by the Victorian Railways.
The deck of the platform is formed from cast iron plates.Yarrawonga Road Weighbridge - Intactness
The mechanical weighbridge was intact and in operation in 2003 and is probably still in use today to weigh wheat. The cabin is clad in modern steel cladding and is thought not to be original. The 1916 weighbridge mechanism is intact but the steelyard was modified for metric units in 1974. The approaches to the weighbridge were straightened and concrete aprons added at each end of the weighbridge in 1944.
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YARRAWONGA COURT HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H1655
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YARRAWONGA SHIRE HALLVictorian Heritage Register H2429
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Post Office (Former) - YarrawongaNational Trust
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