How many times do you look at an old timber bridge and just marvel how old it is, wonder who built it, what species of tree it is, how many floods it has endured in its lifetime, and so on?
For me, I continue that internal dialogue and just dream about what I could make with that timber if it were no longer a bridge. It’s all part of the design process as a furniture maker of reclaimed timber. I see old structures like these old bridges, think about the timbers past life and then think about what new chapter I could create for this timber to ensure it is appreciated for another one hundred years. All of the timber I rescue and source has a similar historical context - preloved, reimagined and repurposed into beautiful furniture like the below side table.
When I built my house more than 15 years ago I sourced beautiful century old ironbark floorboards (you can see them in the image above) that used to be the pylons in a bridge in northern NSW. The bridge had stood the test of time until the population out grew it, and so the bridge was deconstructed and the timber was sent to mills all over Australia. I was fortunate to get 120 square meters of wide floorboards and whilst they were very heavy and challenging to lay, they look absolutely stunning, haven’t moved and will easily go another hundred years.
I’ve since used the same timber for cladding, grazing boards, and table tops - the options are endless for beautiful old reclaimed Australian hardwoods.
A good friend of mine in Joseph Ryan, who I rode around Australia with last year, has just completed another ride from Tasmania to Queensland. He recently documented a beautiful old truss bridge in Victoria that was built in 1910 to serve the traffic moving between gold fields in the area. The Hinnomunjie Bridge over the Mitta Mitta river is retired now but the structure remains for foot and bike traffic only. It is one of only two or three historic timber truss bridges left in Victoria. The craftsmanship and engineering speaks for itself through the following images.
Reimagined, this timber could be tables, beds, lounges and the list goes on...but for now I'll continue to appreciate it in its current environment.
If you loved these images, then put your feet up and watch this short video to not only see the bridge but see some beautiful Australian countryside by motorbike also. Joseph Ryan is quite extraordinary behind the camera.
When I think about the floorboards in my house and its previous context being something similar to the Hinnomunjie Bridge over the Mitta Mitta river it reminds me of the versatility of timber and more importantly why its worth rescuing, repurposing and preserving.
Do you know of a timber bridge worth visiting? I’d love to hear about it.
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Until next time.