Pyrmont Bridge at noon and at midnight

The first Pyrmont Bridge, built of timber in 1857, was itself a swing bridge that let ships into Cockle Bay. The bridge you walk on today was built between 1899 and 1902 and opened on 28 June 1902. It runs from Murray Street in Pyrmont to Market Street in the city.

Why engineers care about it

Its designer, Percy Allan, used a new timber truss of his own design, built from Australian ironbark. The steel swing span turns on a central pivot pier. According to the Dictionary of Sydney, it was one of the first bridges in the world to have its swing span operated by electricity, and the span was said to be the fastest in the world at the time. Sydney's official tourism site, sydney.com, describes it today as one of the world's oldest surviving electrically operated swing bridges.

How it survived

In 1981 the bridge closed to traffic when the Western Distributor opened, and the government ordered its demolition. The City of Sydney and the Institution of Engineers Australia argued for it, the decision was revoked, and the bridge was kept as a pedestrian link in the redevelopment of Darling Harbour. It reopened to pedestrians in 1988.

Getting there from the hotel

Walk from The Star toward Darling Harbour; the Pyrmont end of the bridge is at Murray Street, next to the Australian National Maritime Museum. Walking route from the hotel.