Called Blackbutts Bridge, it was a manual swing span bridge opening to allow shipping into Johnstons Bay and the adjacent Blackwattle and Rozelle bays. It was built from Tasmanian blackbutt timber so maybe it should called Blackbutt bridge.
Blackbutts bridge, from a newspaper cutting, was taken around 1870 4.
The bridge was privately owned. As the turn of the century approached it was in a poor state of repair. The Colonial Government bought it and planning began for the replacement. 5.
Blackbutts Bridge was replaced in 1901 with a steel bridge with two fixed truss spans and an electrically operated swing span. The bridge has high historical significance because it was one of the earliest in the world to use electrical power for this purpose. 5.
The 1901 steel bridge
The four lane steel bridge carried huge traffic loads to Sydney's western suburbs until the opening of the new bridge in 1995.
The swing span control cabin of the 1901 bridge with the western deck of the new bridge progressing in the background.
For more historical background visit The NSW Road and Traffic Authority heritage web site.