Richmond Bridge

As early as the late nineteenth century there had been a timber bridge over Bulimba Creek on the border of Cannon Hill and Tingalpa. This bridge was important as it necessitated a transport corridor out to the Moreton Bay suburbs. By the 1920s it became apparent that it was no longer safe. The population of the district had increased and major industries had been established, all contributing to the intensification of the bridge’s use and with this came increased danger. In 1927 this danger was acknowledged by the Greater Brisbane City Council that made attempts to improve the safety of the bridge by proposing the installation of Road Lighthouses at both approaches to the bridge. However, by 1935 the original timber bridge was deemed unrepairable and was replaced with a new iron bridge designed by the Works Department, “The new iron bridge across Bulimba Creek, to replace the old Richmond Bridge, has been completed… The length is 152ft. The cost was £1,500”1. This new bridge served the community for several decades.

The post-war period heralded major population increases in the Cannon Hill and Tingalpa districts. Industry was also expanded and the use of the Richmond Bridge further intensified. All traffic along Wynnum Road had to travel over Richmond Bridge. By the 1950s the bridge had, once again, become increasingly dangerous for motorists. The Department of Works had monitored the structural safety of the bridge and by 1952 reported that due to the heavy use of the bridge it had become unstable and it would be necessary to limit the volume of traffic travelling over at any one time. The Brisbane City Council Minutes record “This bridge is narrow and as a consequence warning signs are erected at each approach which limit traffic passing over the bridge to the one direction”1. The Department of Works recommended a new bridge to be constructed and in the interim certain restrictions would need to be implemented:

•    That the maximum gross weight of vehicles…be limited to 9 tons;

•    That only one vehicle of a maximum gross weight greater than five tons be permitted the bridge at the one time;

•    That the speed limit of all vehicles using the bridge be limited to 5 miles per hour…

•    That the co-operation of the Police Department be sought in imposing these restrictions and that authority be granted for the erection of the necessary signs1

The locals nicknamed the bridge ‘the Death Trap Bridge’ as it had been the scene of many serious motor accidents throughout this period.

In November 1954 work began on the construction of a new bridge across Bulimba Creek. The estimated cost of the bridge was £30, 000. The Courier Mail reported that the “City Council Works committee chairman… said that the workmen yesterday began sinking piers for the five-span 152ft-long concrete bridge. It would be 29ft wide, including a 5ft footpath, and would carry outbound traffic. The existing bridge would continue to be used to carry inbound traffic, but it would eventually be replaced”1. The Brisbane City Council Minutes from 1955-56 record the foundation work for the bridge as being completed. The bridge had been completed by 1957 and opened to traffic, it was described in the Brisbane City Council Minutes as

a five-span reinforced concrete bridge totalling 150 feet in length and at the opening of the financial year all foundation work had been completed together with the abutments and piers, and a 90-feet length of deck. During this year the deck was completed and the handrails placed in position, following which the lengthy approach works were constructed. The bridge was opened to traffic in March, 19571. 

Once completed, Richmond Bridge not only served a utilitarian purpose but also made an aesthetic contribution to Wynnum Road as it crossed Bulimba Creek. The plastered concrete abutments, the symmetrical painted steel handrails and posts across the bridge and the high arches below the road added a sense of permanency, safety and beauty to the once precarious crossing.

1. The Courier Mail, Friday 17 May 1935, p12

2. Brisbane City Council Minutes, 1952-53, p522

3. Brisbane City Council Minutes, 1952-53, p522 & p523

4. The Courier Mail, Tuesday 16 November 1954, p16

5. Brisbane City Council Minutes, 1956-57, p26

6. University of Queensland, ‘Queensland Places: Cannon Hill”

7. Cannon Hill School of Arts: 75th Anniversary 1923-1998, Cannon Hill Community Association, 1998

8. Brisbane City Council Building Cards

9. Brisbane City Council Minutes, 1927, p135

10. The Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 9 March 1927, p7

11. The Courier Mail, Friday 17 May, 1935