brisbaneqld

The Victoria Bridge, the Brisbane River’s first road crossing has had a long and interesting history. Since 1865 there have been several versions of the bridge built to connect Brisbane's CBD to South Brisbane. This post will briefly examine the history of each one of those bridges. To help connect the rapidly growing city with the southern suburbs the Brisbane City Council decided in 1861 to announce they intended to build a bridge connecting Queen Street with Melbourne Street. The council held a contest for the design of the bridge and chose to construct a large iron lattice-girder bridge by designers Messrs Robinson and I'Anson. Sir George Bowen, the first Governor of Queensland, laid the foundation stone on 22 August 1864. With a limited budget, the council couldn't afford the cost of the steel required to build Robinson and I'Anson's design and instead chose to build a temporary wooden bridge until funds were available to build the steel bridge. In June 1865, less than a year after the laying of the foundation stone, the bridge was completed and named the Brisbane Bridge. However, one issue the bridge's builders were unaware of was the destructive effect marine borers would have on the wooden piles. On 16 November 1867, the bridge collapsed, caused by a combination of a high tide placing pressure on the weakened wooden piles and a large coach crossing the bridge. In 1871, English company Peto, Brassey, and Co agreed to build a new bridge upgrading the previous wooden design to include concrete pylons, lacework parapet, and a footpath on each side for pedestrians. The bridge was completed in 1874, opened on 15 June by Governor George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby, and named 'Victoria Bridge' after Queen Victoria, the monarch at the time. On 5 February 1893, Brisbane recorded a significant rain event with 900mm falling within a day. At 4 am the following day, floodwaters carried a house, livestock, trees, and debris down the Brisbane river from North Quay crashing into the city end of the Victoria Bridge causing a section to collapse. The collapse of the bridge affected the economic development of South Brisbane, larger stores such as Allen & Stark moved their premises to the northside of the city and southern suburbs declined while newer suburbs like Ascot, Hamilton, and Clayfield prospered. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/history-brisbanes-victoria-bridge

Brisbane's Story Bridge opened for operation on July 6, 1940. This date came five years after construction commenced and fourteen years after initial recommendations for a river crossing at Kangaroo Point. Essentially, the Story Bridge was one of the then governments' three major public works projects, creating years of employment for many men during the Great Depression. The Story Bridge is the largest steel bridge designed, fabricated, and constructed in Australia by Australians. Currently, the bridge is repainted every seven years using 17500 liters of paint. There are approximately 105000 square meters of painted steel surfaces. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb is one of only three bridge climbs in the world. Climbing over the steel structure gives you an incredible bird's eye view over Brisbane City, Kangaroo Point, and far beyond to the distant mountain ranges and up the Brisbane River. Beneath the bridge on the Central Business District, side is Howard Smith Wharves, a historic shipyard-turned-precinct. The old warehouses have been turned into a craft beer hall and conference spaces, and there are new build bars, cafes, and restaurants along with open parkland. Source: www.queensland.com/sg/en/things-to-do/attractions/p-56b26...

Brisbane’s historical landmark the Story Bridge is magically positioned above the Brisbane River and amongst the inner suburbs of Kangaroo Point and New Farm. Story Bridge Adventure Climb will take you to the summit more than 80 meters above the Brisbane River. With 360-degree views spanning Moreton Bay in the East, the Glasshouse Mountains to our North, and hinterland views to the West, your vision and sights are endless. There were many things that happened to make this bridge one of the best places to visit in Brisbane. First things first, in 1925 after the Brisbane City Council was established, a committee was set up due to the fact that there were not enough bridges crossing the Brisbane River. Not being able to cross this giant river proved itself to create quite a debacle. Construction on the Story Bridge did not start for another 10 years, though, since the State Government refused to fund such an expensive bridge. The Most Important Details… The consulting engineer chosen for the project was Queenslander Dr. John Bradfield. Dr. Bradfield had been Chief Engineer on the Sydney Harbour Bridge which was completed in 1932. The bridge commenced construction on 24 May 1935. Construction took five years, one year longer than planned due to a steel shortage. During construction, the Bridge was referred to as the Central Bridge; the Brisbane River Bridge; the King George the Fifth Memorial Bridge; the Jubilee Bridge of Story Place; later, in 1937, the Government chose the Story Bridge, after JD Storey. The Story Bridge opened for operation on 6 July 1940. At the time of opening in 1940, the Story Bridge was Australia’s second-largest bridge (exceeded by the Sydney Harbour Bridge). It was the seventh-largest bridge of its kind in the world. The Story Bridge project cost £1,492,000 ($3,227,416) (under budget). Seven years later, the State Government sold the Story Bridge to the Brisbane City Council for £750,000. During construction, one hundred and ninety-eight (198) men were employed at the metal works, one hundred and seventy-six (176) at the construction site as well as sixty (60) designers, engineers, and surveyors. Tragically, four men lost their lives during construction. The Bridge is 1,072 meters long from the southern to northern anchor piers. The river span is 282 meters long. The Bridge’s summit is 74 meters to the ground, similar in height to a 22-story building. The width of the Bridge is 24 meters, including footpaths. The river clearance at low tide is 35 meters or 10-stories. The four main steel bearings each weigh 36 tonnes. The Story Bridge is the largest steel bridge designed, fabricated, and constructed in Australia by Australians. Brisbane’s Story Bridge opened for operation on July 6, 1940. This day came five years after construction commenced and fourteen years after initial recommendations for a river crossing in the Kangaroo Point vicinity. Essentially, the Story Bridge was one of the then governments’ three major public works projects, creating years of employment for many men during the Great Depression. Today, the Story Bridge lends itself to being one of the best places to visit in Brisbane. Source: storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au/the-storied-past-of-the-...