The Torrens Lake Bridges
Revealing tales under bridges old and new
with Keith Conlon

Most of the year, the River Torrens trickles into the lake that divides North and South Adelaide, but it can turn into a torrent, tearing bridges away with its strength.

At least, it did last century.... several times. The surviving bridges are constructed of sterner stuff, and this week I took Postcards viewers for a closer look under them.

The first bridge over the Torrens was about where Hackney Road spans it today. The South Australian Company built a three-storey flourmill where the Hackney Hotel stands, and the wheat carters needed a way across. Today, there are two bridges there.

When the Iron Bridge on the upstream side was constructed in 1885 it was the lightest structure of its type in Australia. And it was still called the Company's Bridge. Its truss arches spread their load into great Aldgate stone abutments with massive red gum piles set in concrete in the riverbank below.

In the 1960's, the iron age met the steel and prestressed concrete age of bridges. The new steel spans take two more lanes of traffic.

Percy Grainger's compositions sit nicely with the Albert Bridge by the Adelaide Zoo. Any they should, because the famed composer's father, John Grainger, designed it. The bridge celebrates its 120th anniversary this year.

The Albert Bridge named after Queen Victoria's husband, is a rarity - it is just as attractive and interesting 'topside' as it is underneath, where the workings are. A few of its ornate cast iron fence panels are original, but many have been copied locally to replace those damaged in car crashes.

The Adelaide City Council constructed new and substantial barriers between the roadway and footpath as part of a $1 million refurbishment after three young men died when their car crashed into the Torrens.

On the underside, checks of the concrete filled ornately crowned-ironed caissons and replacement of rivets, a detailed paint job on the ornate ironwork and clearance of undergrowth have highlighted for a new century a rare and elegant iron bridge.

The thousands of walkers a day who take the short cut to University and the city from the northern parklands side of the Torrens take it for granted, but they are traversing a state centenary project.

With the help of a gift from Musses Eva and Lily Waite and a protest petition to move the city council along, the 'brave design' was erected as the first welded steel bridge in South Australia in 1937.

It is constructed as two cantilevered sections to meet in the middle with a sheep shears type lock to stop them slipping sideways. A recent refurbishment has added a fence grille to meet modern safety standards and subtle added lighting to complement the art deco 'Adelaide' lamps that are a key part of its presence.

The great boulevard of King William Road and the Torrens Lake are both additions to Col. Light's plan for the city, and the Adelaide Bridge brings them together very attractively.

Just now, it looks like the artist Christo has wrapped it as his latest artwork. Plastic sheeting and scaffolding signify a $2 ‡ million refurbishment, it s first since it was completed in 1930.

The Postcards crew downed hardhats to shoot the hard yakka going on underneath. Jackhammer operators are revealing the reinforcement bars within its 40 metre span; some will be replaced. We won't see most of the upgrade work when it's finished, then, but one of the solid concrete light pylons is already revealed, with a cream wash of paint giving it a new look - or rather, its old look back.

They used to say an engineer was somebody who could do for ten bob what any fool could do for a quid. From the Torrens Lake banks, it is obvious the designers went to a lot of trouble to make it look good too. With its single span over the lake and two bowstring arches at each end for the footpaths to go under, it's an essential part of our picturesque Elder Park memories.

The last bridge before the weir on Torrens Lake used to look like its nineteenth century name, "The Victoria Bridge". It's still called that, but now it is the very model of a modern major bridge...1960's style.

Very clean, nice arch - you wouldn't want an ugly one in the classic Adelaide view from the weir. The engineers had a long span, 64 metres, to conquer, and so how did they do it? For a start, they built two bridges side-by-side.

They're made up of hollow concrete boxes, gradually getting smaller as the arch reaches mid river. One of the secrets to the bridges' success is inside them - steel cables that were pulled very tight to tension it all together. They are also two hundred tonne lumps of concrete at each end of each span, helping to anchor and lift the slimming arches.

There's more than meet s the eye in the bridges over Torrens Lake. They're all an attractive addition to the scenery that is a highlight of the Torrens Linear Park.

For more information:

The Heritage of the City of Adelaide
Published in 1990, Corporation of the City of Adelaide
(An excellent coffee table sized book, still available)

The Institution of Engineers
11 Bagot Street, North Adelaide, 5006
Phone: 8267 1783
(The South Australian Division has a heritage group, which prepares publications and runs occasional tours)