Father 'threw four-year-old daughter to her death'

A GIRL aged four has died after being dropped from a traffic bridge 190 feet above the Yarra River in Melbourne.

The girl's 36-year-old father was due to appear in court today charged with her murder.

Police in a boat pulled the child from the water within 10 minutes but she died in hospital about four hours later. Detective Inspector Steve Clark said the girl's two brothers may have been in an SUV parked nearby when she fell from the West Gate Bridge.

The father had earlier appeared before a family court to settle custody of three children with their mother, a court official said. The official said the hearing ended without a ruling because the parents agreed to share access.

The boys were with their father when he was arrested outside the family court. Police have not named the suspect or the victim.