Now dwarfed by the cityscape, Brisbane's iconic bridge is way more than a tourist attraction - and it has a surprisingly practical purpose for CBD apartment buyers.

Climbing to the top* last week, it was awe-inspiring to look over to the city and reflect on its growth and the changes since the Story Bridge's official opening on July 6, 1940.

Dateline 1940

Caught up in the early days of World War II, the Story Bridge's opening – after 5 years' construction - started an important new chapter for Brisbane. This vital river crossing also enabled the Brisbane city centre and Kangaroo Point to draw nearer and increased the city's prestige  within Australia.

Tallest building was the (recently restored) Brisbane City Hall with its impressive clock-tower reaching the dizzy heights of 91m.

Dateline 2013

Synonymous with Brisbane's city centre, the bridge is a central highlight in the annual Riverfire fireworks spectacular. Now dwarfed by many of the CBD's buildings, no highrises are allowed in Kangaroo Point that will obscure the bridge. Today Brisbane's tallest building is 'Soleil' at  243m and 74 floors, but it's soon to be eclipsed by 'Infinity', under construction at the opposite end of the CBD centre and set to reach 262m with 81 levels.

CBD buyer tip – using the Story Bridge

Many buyers want to determine the actual aspect of a certain apartment or building, and the Story Bridge provides a quick and easy guide.

The Story Bridge lies on an exact North-South axis, so compare the apartment's / building's position and alignment to the Story Bridge and you have a rough guide as to the aspect. This is particularly interesting when looking from an apartment's balcony on a cloudy day or at night.

Tourist tip

Try the Story Bridge Adventure Climb* around sunset. You get the best of the sunset and can then enjoy the twinkling city lights as well.

Story Bridge Fun Facts

• 1.5million rivets
• 105,000m2 surface-area painted every 7 years
• 777m long
• Australia's shortest highway (the bridge length)
• 6 lanes (3 each direction)
• Named after John Story, a senior Queensland public servant & promoter of the bridge solution
• No bridge toll, since 1947 (toll was sixpence, 5c)
• Bridge climbs since 2005

* thanks to the dedicated staff at Story Bridge Adventure Climb