Historic weighbridge building prepares for move

Published on 30 July 2025

Beaufort’s 151-year-old weighbridge building is getting ready for its new home.

The historic structure will be moved to Beaufort’s railway precinct, opposite the Beaufort Hotel on Pratt Street, once it undergoes a makeover. New footings will be created, and a fresh paint and repair job will be completed.

The building has been located at Pyrenees Shire Council’s Tip Road depot since 2021 after it was moved from its Havelock Street site to make way for future development at the Beaufort & Skipton Health Service site.

The small building was built by the former Shire of Ripon in 1874 to house the weighbridge scales and was located where the Beaufort Rotunda now stands, with the weighbridge office initially included in the rotunda’s design.

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

In 2021, Pyrenees Shire Council asked the community for suggestions for a new weighbridge building location, with the Beaufort Railway Precinct being nominated.

Pyrenees Shire Council Mayor Tanya Kehoe said she was keen to see the historic structure returned to its former glory and located in a prominent place.

“This much-loved building is a special part of Beaufort and Pyrenees Shire’s history, and we need to make sure it can be enjoyed and appreciated for many years to come,” Cr Kehoe said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing it at the Beaufort Railway Precinct where it can be admired by locals and visitors alike.”