Closeup of Kings Bridge, Launceston, Tasmania showing the caretaker's cottage.

Closeup of Kings Bridge, Launceston, Tasmania showing the caretaker's cottage.

Constructed originally in Manchester UK as a single lane bridge. Shipped to Launceston in 1863 and floated on pontoons to connect into place in 1864 to connect the suburbs of Trevallyn and Riverside to the city of Launceston.

This bridge spans the South Esk River as it comes through the Launceston Cataract Gorge into the mouth of the Tamar River.

Twenty years later, the local foundry, Salisbury Engineering made a duplicate adjacent span that was put into place in 1904. More information here

Now it is still used to connect the suburbs, however a more modern bridge was constructed to allow for the heavy traffic heading down the West Tamar. This bridge sits alongside this one and at some angles, appears to lie on top of the original cast iron bridge.

This image also shows a glimpse of the caretaker’s cottage that sits near the entrance way to the walk around the Gorge. See here some information from an artist who spent time in this cottage under the Tasmanian residency grant scheme:

There are many stories attached to the original bridge, including its use by a group of people who used to dive from the bridge on a regular basis in the early 1900’s.

Taken with my Canon 400D.

Closeup of Kings Bridge, Launceston, Tasmania showing the caretaker's cottage. belongs to the following groups:

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