Story Bridge

When Brisbane’s premier iconic bridge opened in 1940 (attended by 37000 people) after five years of construction it was the seventh largest of its type in the world and second in Australia after the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Its similarities with the latter stem from having the same chief consulting engineer, Dr John Bradfield, who at 66 years of age took up the post, utilizing local building giants Evans Deakin (which for decades operated out of its Salisbury factories) and in conjunction with Hornibrook Contractors, another Queensland construction company responsible for large scale projects. The moot point of difference between the Sydney and Brisbane bridges is that the Sydney’s was made from British Steel and Brisbane’s almost entirely from local materials.

The bridge was named after Brisbane’s longest serving and by accounts most selfless public servant – John Douglas Story who joined the public service at 16, oversaw the setting up of the department responsible for building the bridge and upon ‘retirement’ at 69 when the bridge opened commenced a vice chancellorship at the Uni of Qld which he held until his death at 91 without receiving a cent of payment.