Spanning the Brisbane River from Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point, the Story Bridge is one of Queensland’s best infrastructure landmarks. Built in 1940, it is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia and has been on the Queensland Heritage Register since 1992.
Nearly 100,000 vehicles cross Story Bridge each day, while pedestrians and cyclists share walkways on either side of the six-lane structure. Visitors can score photo ops of the Brisbane skyline from this city landmark, or take their cameras to Wilson’s Outlook Reserve instead, so the bridge itself can be included in the shot. The bridge is illuminated every night, sometimes in special colours for events and campaigns like a 2014 ovarian cancer awareness campaign, which turned the bridge blue. The bridge has its true shining moment, however, each September during the Brisbane Festival when fireworks erupt over the river in the Riverfire display.
The Story Bridge is over 700 metres long, connecting Kangaroo Point to Brisbane’s central business district. The pedestrian and cyclist walkways make it easy to cross without a vehicle.
The bridge is named for John Douglas Story, a Scottish-born public servant who worked for the Department of Education and the Stanley River Works Board. He is also the namesake for the J.D. Story Administration Building at the University of Queensland.