mighty

Super view and scale..Alan

wonderful phot and ship l remember the other ARK ROYAL in Malta 1956 ...Alan

Three and half years after the collapse of the first Victoria Bridge the council built the second Victoria Bridge. This bridge was designed by Alfred Barton Brady and constructed of steel, wrought iron, stone, and cement. It was built in two halves, with the first half opening in 1896 and consisting of a single lane of traffic and a walkway for pedestrians. The second half was built over the following year and joined to the first half. The completed bridge was opened on 22 June 1897 by Lord Charles Lamington, Governor of Queensland. The completed bridge now had two traffic lanes with a footpath on each side. This city of Brisbane rapidly grew in the early twentieth century and by 1943 the bridge started to show signs of bucking from the weight of traffic and trams. The number of trams crossing the bridge was reduced and the footpath closed. The second Victoria Bridge stayed in service for 73 years until 1969 when it was replaced with the current, third Victoria Bridge, built to meet growing traffic demands. There was a short period of time when both bridges stood next to each other when the third bridge opened and the second bridge was being demolished, see photograph below. One of the stone entrance arches from the second Victoria Bridge still stands today on the South Brisbane side of the river. The entrance arch is heritage listed and serves as a memorial to 11-year-old Hector Vasyli who in 1918, during the celebrations marking the end of the First World War was struck and killed by one of the vehicles in the parade. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/history-brisbanes-victoria-bridge