Walter Taylor Bridge, Brisbane
Encyclopedia
The Walter Taylor Bridge is a suspension
bridge
crossing the Brisbane River
between Indooroopilly
and Chelmer
in Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
. It is shared by motor traffic and pedestrians.
in Florianopolis
, 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 Florianopolis type.
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, including a pontoon. 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
.
, 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 Bridge
's from 1875-1893, and from 1895 until the opening of the Walter Taylor Bridge
The bridge was opened on 14 February 1936 by the Governor of Queensland
, Sir Leslie Wilson
. 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".. After Walter Taylor's death in 1955, the bridge was renamed the Walter Taylor Bridge in his honour.
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
.
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
crossing the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
between Indooroopilly
Indooroopilly, Queensland
Indooroopilly is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia which is located 7 km west of the Brisbane central business district.- Name derivation and history :...
and Chelmer
Chelmer, Queensland
Chelmer is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 7 km west of the Brisbane CBD on the Brisbane River. Chelmer is zoned as a residential area, and consists of low-density housing. It has many fine Queenslanders, characterised by wooden verandahs, wide stairways and roofing of...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is shared by motor traffic and pedestrians.
Design
The bridge is a similar design to the Hercilio Luz BridgeHercilio Luz Bridge
Located in Florianopolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil, the Hercilio Luz Bridge is the first bridge constructed to link the Island of Santa Catarina to the mainland.It is the longest suspension bridge in Brazil...
in Florianopolis
Florianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, with the truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
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 Florianopolis type.
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, including a pontoon. The Walter Taylor Bridge is one of four bridges in close proximity to each other. The others are the Albert Bridge
Albert Bridge, Brisbane
The Albert Bridge is a railway bridge of steel truss design crossing the Brisbane River, Queensland, Australia. The Albert Bridge links Indooroopilly and Chelmer stations, and has two long spans with one central pier....
, Indooroopilly Railway Bridge
Indooroopilly Railway Bridge, Brisbane
The Indooroopilly Railway Bridge is a railway bridge of steel truss design which crosses the Brisbane River, Queensland, Australia. The Indooroopilly Railway Bridge links Indooroopilly and Chelmer stations, and has two long spans with one central pier...
, and the Jack Pesch Bridge
Jack Pesch Bridge, Brisbane
The Jack Pesch Bridge is a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists which crosses the Brisbane River. The bridge is named in honour of Jack Pesch, a cycling champion during the 1930s...
.
History
The bridge was conceived, designed, built and funded by local visionary Walter TaylorWalter Taylor (contractor)
Walter Taylor was an Australian visionary and builder of many Brisbane landmarks. His most notable works are the Walter Taylor Bridge and the Graceville Methodist church, both of which are heritage-listed buildings.- Early life :...
, a contractor who lived in Graceville
Graceville, Queensland
Graceville is a suburb in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located 8 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD. Graceville is bordered by the Brisbane River to the North-East and West, Oxley Creek to the East, Chelmer to the North and Sherwood to the South....
(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 Bridge
Albert Bridge, Brisbane
The Albert Bridge is a railway bridge of steel truss design crossing the Brisbane River, Queensland, Australia. The Albert Bridge links Indooroopilly and Chelmer stations, and has two long spans with one central pier....
's from 1875-1893, and from 1895 until the opening of the Walter Taylor Bridge
The bridge was opened on 14 February 1936 by the Governor of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Sir Leslie Wilson
Leslie Wilson
Leslie Wilson may refer to:*Leslie Wilson *Leslie Orme Wilson, soldier and politician...
. 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".. After Walter Taylor's death in 1955, the bridge was renamed the Walter Taylor Bridge in his honour.
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
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
during its construction. When the bridge opened it had the longest span of any suspension bridge in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
External links
- Life on the Walter Taylor Bridge in the 1950s (video): http://www.ourbrisbane.com/suburbs/life-on-walter-taylor-bridge-50s