Macquarie Culvert
Coordinates33°51′54″S 151°13′1.7″E / 33.86500°S 151.217139°E / -33.86500; 151.217139
CarriesPedestrian traffic
LocaleRoyal Botanic Gardens, The Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Official nameMacquarie Culvert
History
Construction start1813 (1813)
Construction end1816 (1816)
Location
Map

The Macquarie Culvert is a double brick culvert under the original Mrs Macquarie's Road (also known as Lady Macquarie's Road[1]) in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia.[2] The culvert was probably built at the same time as the original road, between 1813 and 1816,[1] making it almost certainly the oldest bridge in Australia.[2]

The original Mrs Macquarie's Road ran from the original Government House (now the Museum of Sydney) to Yurong or Anson Point,[3][4] now known as Mrs Macquarie's Point.[1][2] It was built on the instruction of Governor Lachlan Macquarie for the benefit of his wife Elizabeth.[2] There is no other remaining evidence of the original road.[1]

The culvert was restored in 2002.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Edward Higginbotham and Associates (1992). "Historical and Archaeological Assessment of the Brick Culvert, Lady Macquarie's Road, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, N.S.W." (PDF). doi:10.4227/11/50495ba10e3e0.
  2. ^ a b c d Our Convict Heritage (Sign near the culvert in the Royal Botanic Gardens). 1 December 2013.
  3. ^ "Yurong Point and Mrs Macquaries Chair". Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Mrs Macquaries Chair". Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  5. ^ Woodford, James (24 June 2002). "Mrs Macquarie's footsteps 200 years down the track". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Convict-built culvert reopens at Royal Botanic Gardens after conservation" (Press release). Botanic Gardens Trust. 22 June 2002. Archived from the original on 6 July 2005. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
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