Across the river

I know there are those among you who cherish old postcards (Hi Val), so today's historical image is from a series of Shell picture postcards and it dates back to 1908 or thereabouts. It is taken from Bowen Terrace looking across the Brisbane River to Kangaroo Point, with a couple of steamships on the river at the time. At the time of this photo, the only vehicular bridge across the river was the Victoria Bridge, although there were railway bridges and ferry services at various points. Click on the photo to see it in a larger size.(Photo: State Library of Queensland and John Oxley Library; #APE-062-0001-0006)

So if you were standing at Bowen Terrace in New Farm, and wanted to get to Kangaroo Point, you would have to walk into the city and then up Queen St to reach the Victoria Bridge (some 2 km) and then walk a further 4 km from South Brisbane to Kangaroo Point. As congestion started to clog the Victoria Bridge, a study was commissioned to examine the most appropriate site for a new bridge downriver from the Victoria Bridge, and the site from the New Farm cliffs to the Kangaroo Point peninsula was identified as appropriate for the purpose. In today's photo (below), the Story Bridge so dominates the landscape at Bowen Terrace that it is difficult to imagine what the view would be like without the bridge.
(Photo: © 2009 the foto fanatic)

The Story Bridge opened to traffic in July 1940, not a moment too soon for Brisbane's beleaguered traffic and footsore pedestrians. Now the walk from Bowen Terrace to Kangaroo Point is only about 750 metres, a splendid discount on the previous 6 km.

Click here for a Google Map.

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Next: Brisbane's Toorak