Pyrmont Bridge. Darling Harbour, NSW, Australia.
S 33° 52.235 E 151° 12.050
56H E 333588 N 6250737
One of the last of Sydney's early steel cast iron, timber and sandstone bridges, which continues to perform its original function.
Waymark Code: WMWG0M
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 08/30/2017
Views: 5
The Pyrmont Bridge spans Darling Harbour, linking the suburbs of Pyrmont to the popular entertainment precinct of Cockle Bay. The bridge, built in 1902, forms a vantage point to view Darling Harbour.
This gracious old bridge spans the popular Darling Harbour in Sydney. It recently included the monorail track which no longer runs around Sydney CBD. It is a twelve span iron, steel and timber bridge with timber pile supports and large swing span in centre to provide access for shipping. Approaches are of sandstone with decorative balustrading and rounded pylons. The bridge is now a pedestrian bridge only.
Info from the Heritage Database.
Facts and figures
*Length: 369 metres
*The bridge cost £112,500 to build
*The bridge is made up of 14 spans
*Australian ironbark timber is used on 12 spans, while the two central spans, which swing, are constructed from steel
*The swingspan weighs 1,000 tonnes and is supported on a base made from concrete and local sandstone. The base is filled with mass concrete and weighs 6,800 tonnes. It is 13 metres in diameter and 19 metres deep. The water is 6.5 metres deep and the base extends a further 10 metres below the sea floor
*Pyrmont Bridge takes approximately 60 seconds to open completely to 83 degrees. It has to be opened for vessels more than 7 metres high
*Vessels/barges up to 21.5 metres wide can pass through the channel once the Pyrmont Bridge has been opened
*Pyrmont Bridge is driven by the original two 50 Hp 600 volt DC General Electric type 57 electric motors. Manual drum-type General Electric tramway controllers are used to drive the motors for the swingspan and gates
*Power to operate the bridge was originally drawn from Ultimo Power House (now the Powerhouse Museum)
*As a young engineer, J.J.C. Bradfield (who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge) helped design the sandstone abutment walls at each end of Pyrmont Bridge.
Register of the National Estate (Non-statutory archive)
Class Historic
Legal Status Registered (21/10/1980)
Place ID 1835
Place File No 1/12/036/0044
List: Register of the National Estate
Place ID: 1835
Place File No: 1/12/036/0044
URL database reference: [Web Link]
Status:
Registered
Year built: 1902.
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