indooroopillytollbridge

The Walter Taylor Bridge is a heritage-listed suspension bridge crossing the Brisbane River between Indooroopilly and Chelmer in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is shared by motor traffic and pedestrians and is the only habitable bridge in the Southern Hemisphere. The bridge is a similar design to the Hercilio Luz Bridge in Florianópolis, Brazil, with the truss carrying the bridge being above the roadway and meeting the cables at non-uniform heights. This means that the suspension cables actually form the top chord of the truss, and this configuration is known as the Steinman (after its inventor) or Florianópolis type.[3] The bridge is unique among Brisbane bridges in that the two towers of the bridge house residential accommodation, which were occupied until mid-2010 when the last members of the original tollmaster's family moved out. The Chelmer side of the bridge is bounded by a council park. A pontoon adjacent to this park was washed away in the 2011 flood, and to date has not been replaced. The Walter Taylor Bridge is one of four bridges in close proximity to each other. The others are the Albert Bridge, Indooroopilly Railway Bridge, and the Jack Pesch Bridge. The bridge was conceived, designed, built and funded by local visionary Walter Taylor, a contractor who lived in Graceville (adjacent to the suburb in Chelmer). Although there was a rail bridge to Indooroopilly and beyond to the northern suburbs of Brisbane, local residents were frustrated because there was no means by which cars could cross the river. Pedestrians had been able to cross the river on the 2 previous Albert Bridges from 1875 to 1893, and from 1895 until the opening of the Walter Taylor Bridge.[4] Construction work began in 1930.[5] The bridge is a suspension bridge and the support cables were actually surplus support cables used to hold up the incomplete halves of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during its construction. When the bridge opened it had the longest span of any suspension bridge in Australia. The bridge was opened on 14 February 1936 by the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson, with the final cost (anchorage to anchorage) coming to £85,000.[1] The bridge was operated as a toll bridge until the 1960s, with a toll collection booth located at the Northern (Indooroopilly) end (see the video link below). During that time, the bridge was known as the "Indooroopilly Toll Bridge".[3] It was operated by Indooroopilly Toll Bridge Limited, of which Taylor was a Director and Company Secretary, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, and with offices in the Central Buildings, Graceville.[7] In its first full year, it made a profit of £2581.[8] After Walter Taylor's death in 1955, the bridge was renamed the Walter Taylor Bridge in his honor 1956. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Taylor_Bridge

Looks like a fine piece of Australia's early history, keep,and preserve it, the stone work is very good.

It's interesting in that people live in this bridge.

Hidden History of The Walter Taylor Bridge Thursday, March 28, 2019, ● By Laura Sinclair // Place Graceville Opened on Valentine's Day in 1936, the bridge is Australia’s longest span suspension bridge and the only inhabitable bridge in the southern hemisphere. To top it off, the cables were sourced from the world-renowned Sydney Harbour Bridge. With over 35,000 cars using the bridge daily, it’s hard to think about life without the convenience of the Walter Taylor Bridge. Before the bridge, the site used to be home to arguably the best swimming spot along the river. The swimming spot is known as “The Chelmer Sands,” which was formed when the 1893 flood dumped sand along the bank. For many decades the site hosted picnics and parties and it was loved by locals. Around 1930 the sand started disappearing and the silt and sediment started muddying the water and popularity declined. Almost 100 years on, the muddy banks are a long way from the clear, refreshing water that bathers use to swim in. From the late 1800s, the community had been requesting the Government to build a bridge to Indooroopilly. Planning didn’t commence until 1924 when Walter Taylor submitted plans for a traffic bridge between Chelmer and Indooroopilly. Construction started in 1932 and was finally completed in 1936. Due to the Great Depression, the government had no money to build bridges, however, they passed legislation to enable private construction paid for by the collection of tolls. Walter built the bridge as a private enterprise. The company sold shares to get funding to start the build and the money raised in tolls was used to pay off the company. Walter Taylor was the driving force behind the project, without him, it wouldn’t have happened so quickly. You may recognize some of Walter’s other buildings around the local area. He built the Sherwood Methodist Church and the Graceville Uniting Church. One of Place Graceville’s current listings, 13 Rakeevan Road, has links back to Walter Taylor himself. The sellers bought the property off the Taylor family and the home was previously owned by Walter. The Indooroopilly Toll Bridge was renamed the Walter Taylor Bridge in 1966 after Walter Taylor passed away. The bridge was opened on 14th February 1936. The opening of the ceremony was delayed by a fortnight due to the death of King George V. One factor that makes this building so unique is its residential accommodation within the bridge structure. The Walter Taylor Bridge is the only inhabitable bridge in the southern hemisphere. The apartments in the pylons were built for the toll collectors. The Indooroopilly tower was occupied by the toll keeper and the southern tower was occupied by the bridge supervisor. The Chelmer tower was rented to university students through the 1970s and 1980s. Many locals say the apartments on the bridge fascinated them as kids. However, the Green children were lucky enough to call the bridge their home. The original toll keeper was Morton John Green. Mort Green’s son had seven children who all grew up on the bridge. Three generations of his family lived in the northern tower for over 70 years until 2010 when the last family members moved out. While it may appear as small from the outside, the internal apartments are surprisingly spacious. However, as the apartments are confined within the bridge walls, the layout is a little awkward. When you step inside the bridge, you must climb 52 stairs to reach the living quarters. The kitchen and dining area are located in the left tower and the three bedrooms are situated along a corridor. The bedrooms are above the arch in the pylon which is above the road. The bathroom and living area are at the other end of the corridor. Along the corridor is a balcony that overlooks the bridge and the river. Although the ceilings are 10 meters high, the bedroom walls don’t go all the way up to the roof, resulting in limited privacy. Rumour has it, that the children who lived on the bridge would jump over the walls while playing hide and seek. The southern tower at Chelmer also housed a large room nicknamed ‘the ballroom’, kiosk, and boathouse beneath road level, which catered to swimmers at the ‘Chelmer Sands’. The bridge is no longer inhabited however it is now open to the public. If you want to fulfill your childhood intrigue and check out the bridge apartments for yourself, you can book a free tour with Brisbane Greeters. Some residents and politicians are demanding a second car bridge, to make traveling to Indooroopilly even quicker. While we don't know if we are getting another bridge yet, we do know that the Walter Taylor Bridge greatly enhanced suburban life between the North and South of the river. Source: www.eplace.com.au/lifestyle/hidden-history-of-the-walter-...