Beaufort’s historic weighbridge is on the move

Published on 22 March 2023

The Beaufort weighbridge building is headed for a new home. The historic building is being moved from its position next to the old Mechanics Institute in Havelock Street this week as part of plans to redevelop the site.

The weighbridge building is temporarily being housed at Council’s depot while repairs are undertaken and the location of its new home is finalized.

The Havelock Street site is being redeveloped by the Beaufort and Skipton Health Service and the weighbridge is not part of these plans.

The small building has been moved several times in its colourful 149-year history. It was originally located where the Beaufort Rotunda now stands after being built by the Shire of Ripon in 1874 to house the weighbridge scales.

It was moved in 1903 to become a storage shed for the Wotherspoon store, before being used as a shelter at the Beaufort Cemetery in the 1950s and then as a tool shed in Main Lead. In 2005 the building was donated back to the people of Beaufort by the Cellante family, after which it was restored and placed at the Havelock Street site in 2008.

In 2021 Council sought community help in deciding where the weighbridge should be relocated after it became clear it could no longer remain at the Havelock Street site.

This resulted in the Beaufort Rail Precinct being identified as its preferred new location.

Further consultation with stakeholders is required before a final decision is made on the weighbridge’s new home.

“This much-loved little building is a significant part of our town and our local history,” said Pyrenees Shire Council Mayor Ron Eason. “We’re looking forward to finalizing a new location once restoration works are completed so it can begin a new chapter.”