Railways and Tramways of Australia

11 April

Moorabool Viaduct, 1862. Photo: National Library of Australia, 748262.

An engineering feat

Moorabool Viaduct was opened for traffic on 11 April 1862.

Melbourne and Ballarat were connected by railway for the first time when the line from Geelong to Ballarat opened in 1862. It was officially opened on 10 April, and public traffic commenced the following day. The direct line via Baccus Marsh did not open until 1889.

Moorabool Viaduct is a significant feature on the line. Construction work commenced in 1858. It has ten spans of 39.6 metres, making the entire length almost 400 metres. Its nine bluestone piers are up to 34 metres in height. The original deck was supported by wrought iron Warren truss girders.

At the time of its opening Moorabool Viaduct was considered to be the greatest feat of engineering in Australasia. It was the largest bridge in Australia until the Hawkesbury River bridge opened in 1889. Today it is Victoria’s second longest railway bridge after the Avon River bridge at Stratford.

Concerns about the condition of the viaduct in 1894 resulted in one of the tracks being removed to prevent two trains crossing at the same time. It has remained single track since that time, although the track was moved to the opposite side in 1982–83. A concrete deck was also installed at this time.

Strengthening of the viaduct was carried out in 1918 to enable it to carry heavier locomotives. This involved constructing ten steel pylons between the original stone piers and replacing the iron girders with steel girders.

Regular passenger services on the Geelong to Ballarat railway ceased in 1978 but freight trains continue to run. The viaduct was placed on the Victorian Heritage Register in 1996.

This 1862 feat of engineering still stands proud for the trains that cross it.

Bibliography

CD Gavan Duffy, ‘Working of the Geelong to Ballarat railway’, Australasian Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin, no. 114, April 1947,

     pp 51–3.

‘Geelong to Ballarat railway’, Engineers Australia, https://portal.engineersaustralia.org.au/system/files/engineering-heritage-australia/other-supporting-material/Geelong_Ballarat%20Railway%20Interpretation%20Panel_Geelong.pdf, accessed 5 April 2026.

‘Railway viaduct’, Heritage Council Victoria, https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/1921/download-report, accessed 5 April 2026.

‘Strengthening the Moorabool Viaduct’, Newsrail, vol. 41, no. 4, August 2013, pp 110–111.

‘Taildisc’, Newsrail, vol. 21, no. 8, August 1993, p 258.

Y112 hauling a special train across Moorabool Viaduct, 2 November 1996. Photo: Weston Langford, www.westonlangford.com/images/photo/121235/