Tenterfield Creek railway bridge, Sunnyside

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The Sunnyside rail bridge over Tenterfield Creek is a historic timber railway bridge on the Main North Line in New South Wales, Australia. It carried trains from Sunnyside to Jennings.

Built in 1888, it was designed by John Whitton, the Engineer-in-Chief for NSW Railways. The six-span timber deck viaduct uses Queen Post trusses, inspired by Brunel’s St Germans viaduct in Cornwall, with heavy timber supports.

It was one of four timber viaducts built on the Glen Innes to Wallangarra section when costs were being cut. The line reached Wallangarra in 1887–1888, but NSW and Queensland used different track gauges, so passengers had to change trains at Wallangarra. A standard gauge line reached Brisbane in 1930, and the Great Northern line declined afterward.

Passenger services ended in 1972 north to Wallangarra and in 1989 to Tenterfield. The Sunnyside bridge is owned by the Transport Asset Holding Entity and was added to the NSW State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

By 2007 the bridge was in fair to critical condition due to lack of maintenance since trains stopped running. Its ends were fenced off for safety.

Why it matters: it shows how Whitton built economical timber bridges in the late 19th century and is one of a rare group of timber viaducts on the line.