Skip to content

Strathroy Bridge Over Jingler's Traditional Geocache

Hidden : 2/17/2013
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

This is our first cache placement and is located at the oldest bridge on the Midland Highway.

The cache is a 250mL cammo screw top, and at the time of placement contained the following:

Trackable (13th Birthday Bug)
Small toy car
Tassie Hawks lanyard
Eraser
Engineers Australia pins
Muggle cards
Log book, pen and pencil + spare bag


Please take care when parking and walking to GZ as cars travel at 100km/hr on this section of road and can be fairly busy at peak times.

Kerry Lodge Bridge (also known as Strathroy Bridge over Jingler's Creek)
 
(Also known as Strathroy Bridge over Jingler’s Creek) A fine stone bridge built by convict labour in 1835 as the earliest major bridge on the Midlands Highway. The bridge is still in operation today.
 
Kerry Lodge Bridge adopts the name from the nearby property where Theodore and Hannah Bartley, the parents of sixteen children, lived. In 1830 Bartley sold a farm of 200 acres at Kerry Lodge to Lieutenant William Kenworthy, the Inspector of Public Works at Launceston, who later became concerned in the building of the bridge.
 
Kerry Lodge house was demolished and the property now forms part of Strathroy.
 
"Kerry Lodge Bridge, also known as Strathroy Bridge and Jinglers Creek Bridge, is located on the former Midland Highway, some six miles (9.6 kilometers) just south of Launceston. The bridge was authorised by Lieutenant Governor Arthur, with work commencing in 1834. Lieutenant William Kenworthy was in charge on site, with John Lee Archer in overall charge in Hobart. Archer was also responsible for designing the magnificent Ross Bridge. "
 
"This bridge and causeway of bluestone masonry stands some six miles south of Launceston, its high single barrel vault across a deep gully. The massive facades are decorated with a colonnade of narrow pilasters, string courses and relief panels in the parapet walls. The copings are of random rough stones set on edge, unusual in Tasmania and particularly curious because at the time the bridge was built it was intended to have moulded freestone copings.
 
Construction 1834-35 was supervised by Kenworthy. Coincidentally, Kenworthy had purchased Kerry Lodge Farm four years previously. After an initial delay in consideration of tenders for the supply of lime, work was under way in February 1834 and by October correspondence was entered into about the provision of freestone for the coping of the parapet walls, a plan which did not materialise.
 
"The Blue Book for 1835 states:
"This convict built bridge has been completed and a Stone Coping has been put on the parapet walls. The expense of convict labour performed amounts to 19 pounds no shillings and 4 pence and the further sum of one hundred and nine pounds seventeen shillings has been paid for stone lime and cartage."


Strathroy Bridge was added to the Tasmanian Heritage Register in April 2012 and in May 2012 the National Trust applied to the Launceston Council for funding assistance to install lighting at the bridge.

Jingler's Valley, through which the railway passes after leaving St. Leonards was named after an outlaw who once made it his headquarters, hence Jingler's Creek. (Ref. Flotsam and Jetsam, Button P168).


Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Va n fznyy qenva ubyr, onfr bs gur jnyy ba gur abegu jrfgrea fvqr bs gur oevqtr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)