The Four Bridges Of Victoria

Following the opening of the region to free settlers in the 1840s, Brisbane town was dependent on ferries to transport goods and passengers between its central business district north of the river, and the emerging areas of South Brisbane and Kangaroo Point.

Despite the intention of Robinson and l’Anson to build an iron bridge, funding issues forced the Corporation of Brisbane to use wooden piers instead of steel for the substructure. 

Construction on the provisional timber bridge across the river began in 1864. Sir George Bowen, Queensland’s first Governor, laid the bridge’s foundation stone on 22 August that year and construction was completed only 10 months later, in 1865.

But the decision to use wooden piers instead of steel proved disastrous. Extensive damage from Teredo marine woodworms and an extremely high tide in November 1867 caused the centre of the bridge to collapse.

Six months later, another portion of the bridge collapsed and finally in 1869 the rest of the rotted structure broke apart and was lost in a flood. 

A permanent wooden bridge on cast-iron cylinders was built and opened in 1874 and named after Queen Victoria. This bridge had new features of lacework parapets and footpaths for pedestrians. It operated as a toll bridge for its first three years. 

This bridge lasted nearly two decades, until 6 February 1893  when a record 900-millimetre rainfall burst the river’s banks and flooded Brisbane. The north end of Victoria Bridge was severed by the river's current and washed away.

The southern suburbs of Highgate Hill and Coorparoo were left without a direct link to Brisbane's business district. The transport and trade routes that had just begun to prosper were ruined.