The Story Bridge is Brisbane’s best-known landmark: a steel cantilever bridge that opened on 6 July 1940 and links Kangaroo Point with Fortitude Valley over the Brisbane River. You can walk or ride across it for free, see it lit up at night, or climb to a summit 80 metres above the river.
It is Australia’s longest cantilever bridge and still carries about 100,000 vehicles a day. This guide covers how it was built, how to walk across it, the Adventure Climb and how to get there.
Story Bridge history
The bridge was approved in principle in 1932 as a public works project to create jobs in the Depression. Premier William Forgan Smith’s government started it alongside Somerset Dam, the Hornibrook Highway at Redcliffe and the first University of Queensland building at St Lucia.
J.J.C. Bradfield, the engineer behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge, was the consulting engineer. He was 66 when he came to Brisbane. In 1934 the Bureau of Industry approved his recommendation of a steel cantilever, a design modelled on the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, which opened in 1930.
Building the Story Bridge
Premier Forgan Smith turned the first sod on 24 May 1935, and the job took five years. Two Queensland firms, Hornibrook and Evans, Deakin and Co., won the contract with the lowest bid, £1,150,000. The bridge used about 12,000 tonnes of steel, supplied by Evans Deakin, which set up a works area at Rocklea, and 89 per cent of the cost was spent in Queensland. The finished bridge is more than 1,000 metres long.
Crews drove 1.25 million rivets and applied 7,000 gallons of zinc paint. The south main pier goes about 40 metres below ground level, and divers worked under air pressure in airlocks to build it. Three workers died during construction.
Why it is called the Story Bridge
It started as the Kangaroo Point Bridge, became the Jubilee Bridge in honour of King George V at the first sod ceremony, and in February 1937 was named after John Douglas Story, Queensland’s Public Service Commissioner from 1920 to 1939. The road across it is the Bradfield Highway, named for the engineer.
Opening day and the toll
Governor Sir Leslie Wilson opened the bridge on 6 July 1940 in front of about 37,000 people, in a city of about 315,000. Waveney Browne, secretary to builder M.R. Hornibrook, was the first woman to drive across it, and her car got a flat tyre on the bridge.
It opened as a toll bridge, sixpence for a car, and the tolls repaid the State’s building loan. Brisbane City Council took the bridge over from the Queensland Government in 1947, when the toll ended, and has maintained it since.
Anniversaries and heritage listing
- 1988: the Institution of Engineers Australia dedicated a heritage marker to the bridge.
- 6 July 1990: for the 50th anniversary the bridge closed to traffic so people could walk across it.
- 21 October 1992: the bridge was entered on the Queensland Heritage Register.
- 5 July 2015: almost 75,000 people attended the 75th anniversary celebrations.
Walking across the Story Bridge
Walking across is free and needs no booking. Both footpaths are normally open to walkers, cyclists and scooter riders (only the eastern one is open during the summer closure above), and the crossing takes about 15 minutes at an easy pace, longer if you stop for the views. The footpaths run at road level beside the traffic.
The Kangaroo Point end is beside Captain Burke Park. At the city end, Howard Smith Wharves sits at the foot of the bridge, with two lifts up to Bowen Terrace on the cliff top (opposite Malt Street and Bowen Street).
For a longer loop, the Kangaroo Point City Walk is about 5 km. It starts at the bougainvillea arbour near the Maritime Museum, crosses the Story Bridge and passes the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, Old Government House and South Bank Parklands.
The Story Bridge Adventure Climb
The Story Bridge Adventure Climb takes you up the bridge’s steel structure to a summit 80 metres above the Brisbane River, clipped to the bridge’s safety cable the whole way. It is run by a private operator and is separate from the free walk. Climbs run at dawn, by day, at twilight and at night, and there is an accessible climb too. Book and check prices on the Story Bridge Adventure Climb website.
- Time: about 1.5 hours, including the briefing and safety demonstration.
- Cost: Day Climbs start from $150 per person. Other climbs and special offers are priced on the booking page.
- Who can climb: ages 6 and over, at least 110 cm tall and under 130 kg, and able to manage moderate physical exertion. Children aged 6 to 9 need one adult each, and children aged 10 to 16 can go with one adult per three children.
- Before you climb: your blood-alcohol reading must be below 0.05. You wear a climb suit over your own clothes and fully enclosed, rubber-soled shoes.
- Phones and cameras: they are not allowed on the climb. Lockers are provided, and photos are taken by your Climb Leader and sold online.
- Where: the climb starts at 5 Boundary Street (Howard Smith Wharves). Arrive at least 15 minutes early, because late arrivals forfeit their ticket and climbs do not wait.
- Weather: the climb runs in most conditions, and you get a rain jacket if it rains.
Seeing the Story Bridge lit up at night
When nothing special is booked, the bridge glows blue and gold, Brisbane’s city colours. It is lit red and green in December, and the colours change for special occasions and campaigns. The Light Up Brisbane calendar on council’s website shows what is planned.
Howard Smith Wharves has bars and restaurants with views of the bridge and the city skyline. Felons Brewing Co., Mr Percival’s and Stan’s Lounge are among the venues that welcome walk-ins. See the Howard Smith Wharves website for the full list.
Captain Burke Park and Kangaroo Point
Directly beneath the south end of the bridge, Captain Burke Park is free and open 24 hours a day. It has a nautical-themed playground, picnic shelters, barbecues, accessible toilets and an outdoor gym, so it works as a picnic stop before or after a walk across.
A short way along, Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park has a clifftop cafe, kayak hire, guided abseiling down the 20-metre cliffs, and a staircase of 107 steps between the upper and lower levels.
Planning your visit
- How long: about 15 minutes to walk across; 2 hours or more if you add the Adventure Climb (1.5 hours plus 15 minutes early); half a day with a picnic at Captain Burke Park or a meal at Howard Smith Wharves.
- Best time: after dark if you want to see the bridge lit up. The Adventure Climb runs from dawn to night, and the operator is open 8:30 am to 9 pm daily.
- Cost: free to walk across. The Adventure Climb is from $150 per person. Parking and food are extra.
- What to bring: water, sun protection and comfortable shoes for the walk. Climbers need fully enclosed, rubber-soled shoes.
- Accessibility: Howard Smith Wharves has lifts at Bowen Terrace and disability parking bays in its car park, and the Adventure Climb has an accessible climb. No step-free details are published for the bridge footpaths, so ring Brisbane City Council on 07 3403 8888 if you need to be sure.
Getting there and parking
By car, the bridge is about 10 minutes from the Brisbane CBD: about 4 km by road to the Kangaroo Point end and about 3 km to the Howard Smith Wharves end.
At Kangaroo Point, Captain Burke Park has a metered car park on Holman Street and metered parking on the surrounding streets. Parking is free for 15 minutes or less in metered areas, so check the signs for fees and conditions. At the city end, Howard Smith Wharves has an on-site car park that you book online. Climbers are told parking is paid, under the Crystalbrook Vincent Hotel, with 2.25 m height clearance.
By ferry, the F23 Cross River ferry runs regularly through the day between the Holman Street terminal beside Captain Burke Park and Riverside in the city, and the crossing takes about 5 minutes. Fares are 50 cents on the Translink network. Howard Smith Wharves has its own CityCat terminal on the F1 route between Northshore Hamilton and UQ St Lucia. The cross river ferries post explains the routes.
By train, Central and Fortitude Valley stations are both a walk from Howard Smith Wharves, and buses stop on Adelaide, Eagle, Ann and Brunswick streets. Plan any trip with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.
The Story Bridge today
About 43 per cent of the bridge’s users come from outside Brisbane, and traffic is about ten times what it was in the opening years. Council has spent more than $120 million on maintenance over the past 20 years and says major renewal work is needed before the bridge reaches its 100th anniversary in 2040. Project details and closure dates are on council’s Story Bridge renewal page. Details can change, so check before you go.
Nearby
- Captain Burke Park – the playground and picnic lawn right under the bridge.
- South Bank Parklands – the riverside park at the end of the Kangaroo Point City Walk.
- Brisbane City Botanic Gardens – heritage gardens on the same walking route.
- Brisbane City Hall – another Brisbane landmark with a long history.
- The Old Windmill, Brisbane – a convict-built tower, the oldest windmill tower still standing in Australia.
- Brisbane cross river ferries – the ferries to Holman Street and across the river.
Browse more history and landmarks and things to do in Brisbane.
Quick answers
When was the Story Bridge built?
Construction began on 24 May 1935 and the bridge opened on 6 July 1940.
Who designed the Story Bridge?
J.J.C. Bradfield, the engineer behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge, was the consulting engineer. Hornibrook and Evans, Deakin and Co. built it.
Why is it called the Story Bridge?
It was named in February 1937 after John Douglas Story, Queensland’s Public Service Commissioner from 1920 to 1939. It was first called the Kangaroo Point Bridge, then the Jubilee Bridge.
Can you walk across the Story Bridge?
Yes. Both footpaths are normally open to walkers, cyclists and scooter riders, it is free, and the crossing takes about 15 minutes. During the road closure from 27 December 2026 to 18 January 2027 only the eastern footpath is open.
How long is the Story Bridge Adventure Climb?
About 1.5 hours including the briefing. Climbers must be 6 or older, at least 110 cm tall and under 130 kg, and Day Climbs start from $150 per person.
Is the Story Bridge closed over summer?
Yes. It is closed to road traffic from 1 am on Sunday 27 December 2026 to 5 am on Monday 18 January 2027. The eastern footpath stays open for walkers, cyclists and scooter riders, and the Adventure Climb keeps running.
Where do you park for the Story Bridge?
Captain Burke Park at Kangaroo Point has a metered car park on Holman Street. Howard Smith Wharves has an on-site car park that you book online.
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