Campbell Bridge

There are two bridges at Bingara, the main bridge over the Gwydir River, (Campbell Bridge) and the smaller over Halls Creek. They are generally known collectively as ‘Campbell Bridge’.

The Campbell Bridge is of significant heritage value, not just because of its type of construction but also for its social and economic relevance to the town of Bingara and those communities that it links.

The bridge was originally painted white but this changed during World War II, as a white bridge was very visible from an aerial perspective.

While many would like to see the bridge painted in its white livery again and some despair over its apparent poor state, it is a fact of life that the Roads and Traffic Authority does not have funds beyond basic maintenance. An estimated cost of $11,000,000 has been quoted by the RTA to re-paint the bridge.

For engineering buffs, check out the state heritage registered road bridges – the 1886 main road bridge was for many years one of the largest steel truss bridges in Australia and an important piece of industrial heritage. The smaller Halls Creek Bridge was built in 1934 as an employment project during the depression.

Easy access to the river is found from the Campbell Bridge which crosses the Gwydir River, linking the north and south sections of Bingara. This is a good spot for a quiet stroll among the tame and friendly horses that roam freely on the banks of the river.