MacRobertson Bridge explained

Bridge Name:	MacRobertson Bridge
Locale:	Melbourne, Australia
Carries:	Road, pedestrians
Crosses:	Yarra River, Monash Freeway
Open:	^[1]
Coordinates:	-37.8304°N 145.0126°W

The MacRobertson Bridge is a road bridge that carries Grange Road from Toorak on the south bank into Burnley, over the Yarra River and the Monash Freeway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.^[2]

The first river crossing at the site was Twickenham Ferry, which conveyed passengers and was founded by waterman Jesse Barrow in 1880. it was named for the Twickenham Ferry in London.^[3] The ferry survived until 1934, when it was replaced by the MacRobertson Bridge, financed by Sir Macpherson Robertson.^[4]

The bridge was opened on October 31, 1934, although a plaque on the bridge places this date as November 5 in the same year. When built the bridge was one of two bridges in the world to be the first to use welded steel trusses.^[5]

As built the bridge only spanned the Yarra, but in 1967 the South Eastern Arterial was built, running under the northernmost span.^[6] The bridge got a minor upgrade when the freeway was widened as part of the CityLink project.

External links

• Photo: Twickenham ferry
• Photo: Model of the bridge
• Photo: Construction of the bridge

Notes and References

1. News: LOAN COUNCIL . . 27,499 . Victoria, Australia . 6 October 1934 . 26 September 2016 . 24 . National Library of Australia., ..The Premier (Sir Stanley Argyle)...that the date selected for the Loan Council meeting at Canberra was not convenient for him...He had very pressing engagements In Melbourne, including the opening of the Macpherson Robertson bridge over the Yarra on Wednesday, October 31...
2. 262.
3. Web site: Twickenham Ferry in Australia. janus.lib.cam.ac.uk. 2008-07-09.
4. Web site: Private and Public Transportation . City of Yarra Heritage Review: Thematic History . City of Yarra . 209.85.173.104 . 2008-07-09 . 60 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080808115923/http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/Planning/Strategic%20Planning/pdf/HeritageJune07/Yarra%20Heritage%20Review/Vol%201%20-%20Thematic%20History%20-%2059%20to%2092.pdf . 2008-08-08.
5. Web site: McKillop Bridge. Register of the National Estate. www.aussieheritage.com.au. 2008-07-09.
6. Web site: Richmond Conservation Study . City of Yarra . 209.85.173.104 . 2008-07-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080808120429/http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/Planning/Strategic%20Planning/pdf/HeritageJune07/Richmond/Richmond%20Conservation%20Study%20Volume%202%20-%20pages%2068%20to%2095.pdf . 2008-08-08 . dead.