Last updated:

What do I need to know?

Any locations or subjects of interest, and approximate dates relating to bridges you are researching. In some cases records may be found under the original project name of the bridge rather than its final name, for example Lower Yarra Crossing (instead of West Gate Bridge) 

How do I search?

Enter a date range and / or a keyword into the search below.

For a more exact search use inverted commas on your search term, for example, "west gate" OR "west gate bridge" OR "Morell Bridge".

About these records

Various Victorian government departments and agencies have been responsible for bridges. The records they created as a result of this work documents a rich variety of details about Victoria's built environment, not only bridges but the neighbourhoods and structures surrounding them.

Who created these records?

  • Central Roads Board, 1853-1858 (VA 2803)
  • Public Works Department, 1855-1987 (VA 669)
  • Department of Railways and Roads, 1871-1877 (VA 2875)
  • Melbourne Water Corporation [known as Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works to 1992], 1891-cont. (VA 1007)
  • Department of Roads and Bridges, 1905-1934 (VA 2964)
  • Royal Commission on Metropolitan Traffic, 1910-1911 (VA 5179)
  • Country Roads Board, 1913-1983 (VA 722)
  • Transport Regulation Board, 1933-1983 (VA 2738)
  • Country Roads Board, Ballarat Division, 1948-1983 (VA 1021)
  • Department of Transport (known as Ministry of Transport 1951 to 1992), 1951-1996 (VA 673)
  • Road Safety Committee I, 1967-1982 (VA 3127)
  • Royal Commission on the Failure of a Portion of the West Gate Bridge, 1970-1971 (VA 4173)
  • Board of Inquiry into the Victorian Land Transport System, 1971-1972 (VA 5180)
  • Motor Accidents Board, 1973-1986 (VA 1055)
  • State Transport Authority, 1983-1989 (VA 1038)
  • Road Construction Authority, 1983-1989 (VA 1054)
  • Road Construction Authority, Ballarat Division, 1983-1989 (VA 1020)
  • Transport Accident Commission, 1986-cont. (VA 2892)
  • Roads Corporation also known as VicRoads), 1989-cont. (VA 2982)
  • Joint Committee on Road Safety II, 1992-2015 (VA 3130)
  • Department of Infrastructure, 1996-2008 (VA 3971)
  • Department of Transport II, 2008-2013 (VA 4853)
  • Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, 2013-2014 (VA 5003)

Next Steps

Order the records of interest and view in our Reading Room. Some records are digital records and can be accessed directly online.

What are in these records?

Because this search covers a number of agencies relating to bridges in Victoria, the records you will be exploring are of diverse types and purposes. You can expect to find records that are:

  • correspondence relating to bridges
  • images (negatives, slides and photographs)
  • reports
  • plans and drawings
  • committee records
  • inquiry transcripts
  • employee records relating to bridges
  • contract and financial records
  • survey and journal records

TIPS:

There may be some digitised images among your search results, to see these at the top of your search results select the Digital option in the View Record filter toggle arrows on the left of the screen. You can also use these to explore only results from particular series or created by particular agencies.

Sometimes you may need to think about whether the bridge you are looking for had a different name - for example, the West Gate Bridge was originally called the Lower Yarra Crossing or the Lower Yarra Bridge. Searching on "Lower Yarra" will find records you would otherwise miss just search West Gate Bridge.

The bridge you are researching may have come under local government responsibility, please use our Local roads, streets, footpaths and bridges search page for these. For example, records about the West Gate Bridge or the Lower Yarra Crossing can also be found in Footscray Council records because this was an issue affecting residents of that particular area.

 

Material in the Public Record Office Victoria archival collection contains words and descriptions that reflect attitudes and government policies at different times which may be insensitive and upsetting

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be aware the collection and website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

PROV provides advice to researchers wishing to access, publish or re-use records about Aboriginal Peoples

Learn more