Morell Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 37°49′39.6″S 144°59′6″E / 37.827667°S 144.98500°E / -37.827667; 144.98500 |
| Carries | Pedestrians and cyclists |
| Crosses | Yarra River |
| Locale | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Begins | Royal Botanic Gardens |
| Ends | Olympic Park |
| Other name | Anderson Street bridge |
| Named for | Sir Stephen Morell |
Preceded by | Hoddle Bridge |
Followed by | Swan Street Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Material | Reinforced concrete |
Pier construction | Concrete |
| No. of spans | 3 |
| History | |
| Designer | W. G. Baltzer |
Contracted lead designer | Carter Gummow & Co. |
Engineering design by | |
| Opened | 1899 (1899) |
Official name | Morell Bridge |
| Type | Registered place |
| Designated | 20 August 1982 |
| Reference no. | H1440 |
| HO395 | |
Category | Transport – Road |
Official name | Morell Road (sic.) Bridge |
| Type | Defunct register |
| Designated | 21 March 1978 |
| Reference no. | 5231 |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Morell Bridge | |
| References | |
| 1 | |
The Morell Bridge is an arch bridge over the Yarra River in South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Completed in 1899 by John Monash and J. T. N. Anderson, it is notable as the first bridge in Victoria that was built using reinforced concrete.23456
The bridge was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 20 August 1982 in recognition of its architectural, aesthetic and historical significance;1 and, on 21 March 1978, was added to the now defunct Register of the National Estate.7
Description
It features decorations on the three arch spans, including large dragon motifs and ornamental Victorian lights. The gutters on the bridge are cobbled bluestone, with a single lane bitumen strip running down the middle.
Originally known as the Anderson Street bridge, it was named the Morell Bridge in 1936 after Sir Stephen Morell, a prominent Victorian businessman and Lord Mayor of Melbourne between 1926 and 1928.8
On 7 June 1998 the bridge was closed to motor vehicles as part of the CityLink project.9 It is currently used by cyclist and pedestrian traffic, connecting the Royal Botanic Gardens to the Olympic Park precinct.
In 2009, Engineers Australia awarded the bridge an Engineering Heritage Marker as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.10
References
References
- "Morell Bridge, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H1440, Heritage Overlay HO395". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- "Bridges of Melbourne: Bridge Management Plan" (PDF). City of Melbourne. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
- "The Monier Bridge". The Argus. Melbourne, Vic. 21 July 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 13 November 2011 – via Trove. National Library of Australia.
- Morell Bridge at Structurae
- Kristin, Otto (2009). Yarra: a diverting history. Text Publishing. p. 190. ISBN 978-1-921520-00-6 – via Google Book.
- Holgate, Alan (1998). Monier arch bridge at Anderson Street, Melbourne, the Morell Bridge. Monash University, Dept. of Civil Engineering. ISBN 978-0-7326-2042-4.
- "Morell Road Bridge (Place ID 5231)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. 21 March 1978. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- Dunstan, David (1986). "Morell, Sir Stephen Joseph (1869–1944)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- "Closure of Morrell Bridge Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Transurban. 7 June 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
- "Morell Bridge, 1901-". Engineers Australia. 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2020.