The bridge connects Murray Downs in New South Wales with McCallum Street in Swan Hill, Victoria.

[1] Sir Thomas Mitchell, the Surveyor General named Swan Hill when he camped there in 1836 on the wide Murray Plain.

This area was settled in the subsequent decade in very large stations: on the New South Wales side of the river, Murray Downs under Bell and Wilson covered 60,000 hectares (150,000 acres) and by the 1860s, under H. S. Officer, was carrying 6000 sheep.

On the Victorian side, the principal runs were Tyntynder and Mercers Vale, established by the Beveridge family as cattle stations.

A lift span bridge, allowing the passage of the river-boats, which were still numerous in this area, was planned in 1895 and opened in 1896.

The bridge is still in use: Swan Hill, with good road, rail and water links, reached a population of 4,000 by 1948, remains the focus of a large area of diversified farming and attracts many tourists to its open-air museum.

[1] Transport for NSW issued a community update entitled "Planning for a future Murray River crossing at Swan Hill in September 2020.

[3] As at 23 June 2005, Swan Hill Bridge is significant under all four criteria - historical, aesthetic, technical, and social.

[1] Swan Hill-Murray River Road Bridge was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 June 2000 having satisfied the following criteria.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

The Swan Hill Bridge has aesthetic significance due to its outstanding setting and landmark qualities.

[4] This Wikipedia article was originally based on Swan Hill-Murray River Road Bridge, entry number 01481 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.

Media related to Murray River road bridge, Swan Hill at Wikimedia Commons