The Story Bridge – built as part of the State Government’s response to the Great Depression – remains one of Queensland’s most iconic landmarks. Ground was broken for the project in 1935, and the cantilever bridge was officially opened on 6 July 1940 by Governor Sir Leslie Orme Wilson.
Construction of the bridge officially began on 24 May 1935. Premier Forgan Smith laid the first stone of the bridge, in commemoration of King George V’s 25th anniversary of acceding to the English throne. During the build, the bridge had first been called the Brisbane River Bridge and later the Jubilee Bridge, in honor of the King.
Finally, after five years and at a cost of £1.6 million, the bridge was completed. The Story Bridge opened on 6 July 1940 to a crowd of 37,000 people. When it first opened, a toll booth was established to assist the State Government with loan repayments. The toll charge for a motor car was sixpence. The presence of American troops in Brisbane during the Second World War helped to pay off the bridge’s costs, and the toll was removed by 1947. The Story Bridge remains an iconic emblem of Brisbane. More than 30 million vehicles now cross the bridge each year. – Courtesy Queensland Archives
