History
The bridge was conceived, designed, built and funded by local visionary Walter Taylor, a contractor who lived in Graceville (adjacent to the suburb in Chelmer). Although there was a rail bridge to Indooroopilly and beyond to the northern suburbs of Brisbane, local residents were frustrated because there was no means by which cars could cross the river. Pedestrians had been able to cross the river on the 2 previous Albert Bridges from 1875–1893, and from 1895 until the opening of the Walter Taylor Bridge
The bridge was opened on 14 February 1936 by the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson. The bridge was operated as a toll bridge until the 1960s, with a toll collection booth located at the Northern (Indooroopilly) end (see the video link below). During that time, the bridge was known as the "Indooroopilly Toll Bridge". After Walter Taylor's death in 1955, the bridge was renamed the Walter Taylor Bridge in his honour.
The bridge is a suspension bridge and the support cables were actually surplus support cables used to hold up the incomplete halves of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during its construction. When the bridge opened it had the longest span of any suspension bridge in Australia.
Read more about this topic: Walter Taylor Bridge
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