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]

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 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

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References

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  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.