Fancy knowing the story of a bridge that’s more than just a crossing? This is the Evan Walker Bridge Lookout. It offers stunning views and a slice of Melbourne’s history.
The Evan Walker Bridge wasn’t always its name. It was originally known as the Southbank Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge got its new name on July 28 2015. It was named to honor Evan Walker. He was a former planning minister. People called him the father of Southbank because he was key in developing Melbourne’s Southbank area.
Before the Evan Walker Bridge was built The Age newspaper started a campaign in May 1980. It was called Give the Yarra a Go. The campaign aimed to make people more aware of the Yarra River landscape. It also encouraged bicycle and pedestrian paths along the riverbanks.
A design competition decided how the Evan Walker Bridge would look. It happened in February and March of 1986. Architects from around the world sent in their ideas. Cocks Carmichael and Whitford won. Their design featured a steel tied-arch shape. The team included Robert Troup Peter Carmichael and John Wardle. They worked with the Public Works Department and the Ministry for Planning and Environment. Irwin Johnston & Partners were the civil and structural engineers. Costain built the bridge.
The architects wanted the bridge to be more than just a way to cross the river. They wanted it to be a place for people to relax and enjoy the river. The Evan Walker Bridge has two jetties that stick out from the riverbanks. A diagonal central span connects them. An arch that also sits diagonal to the span supports it. This design makes the bridge reach its landing points.
From Southbank a bluestone wall blocks direct views across the river. It rises straight up from the island below. The island looks like a piece of the nearby bank. It even has a tree that seems moved from the Southbank landscape.
Walking from the north side you get wide open views. The end of this section has a covered seating area. It is away from the main foot traffic. A pylon that looks a bit like a rowing shell supports the jetty. Rowing shells are common on this part of the river. The pylon is also where the arch over the central span starts.
The arch a classic bridge shape holds up the walkway at the midpoint. It uses a steel triangle. This simple shape tries to stand out against the busy city skyline. At night the arch and the tree light up brightly. The rest of the Evan Walker Bridge stays darker. The goal is to make the bridge feel a bit unreal with its small arch and the tree reflecting in the dark water.
The Southbank Pedestrian Bridge opened during Moomba in 1990. In November 1998 an architect named Peter Lovell called it one of Melbourne’s hidden gems. He said it was well-designed and engineered. He added that it was a pleasure to use and look at. In 2018 the Evan Walker Bridge even won an award for its lasting design.
Below the Evan Walker Bridge on January 23 1999 Clem Newton-Brown opened a riverside cafe. It was called Clem Cafe. He had to get many approvals from the City of Melbourne. They worried about floods in winter. Other problems included how to get rid of wastewater and move furniture. They used salvage tanks for waste and barges for transport. The cafe was shaped like a ship’s bow. This way when the river rose the water would split around it. Engineers and the bridge’s original architects helped design the cafe. They suggested bolting it to the concrete platform under the bridge. Before the cafe the space was a popular spot for skateboarding. In 2010 the venue reopened as Pony Fish Island. It quickly became a popular spot in Melbourne.
Between 2012 and 2015 people started calling the bridge Love Lock Bridge. Thousands of padlocks were attached to the railings. The City of Melbourne removed them because they were worried about the bridge’s structure. There were about 20000 locks on the bridge. The wires were starting to sag. They estimated that about 40000 keys had been thrown into the river. The locks were given to artists. They made love-themed artworks. The artworks were shown at Melbourne Town Hall in 2016 and then raffled for charity.
So next time you cross the Evan Walker Bridge take a moment to appreciate its design its history and its role in Melbourne’s vibrant Southbank area.