Historic Hornibrook turns 90
Published 04 October 2025
- City of Moreton Bay has celebrated the 90th anniversary of the historic Hornibrook Bridge
- The visionary project gave the Redcliffe Peninsula direct access to Brisbane for the first time and took some three years to build at the height of the Great Depression
- The anniversary was celebrated at Redcliffe Museum with a speech delivered by Julie Hornibrook, granddaughter of the bridge’s builder, Sir Manuel Hornibrook
A visionary piece of infrastructure that revolutionised transport between Redcliffe and Sandgate has marked its 90th anniversary in City of Moreton Bay.
The brainchild of legendary master builder and industrialist Sir Manuel Hornibrook, the Hornibrook Bridge took three years to bring to life, officially opening on October 4, 1935.
The legacy of the superstructure was celebrated at a special event on Saturday at the Redcliffe Museum with a passionate speech delivered about the bridge, its builders and the community by Julie Hornibrook, granddaughter of Sir Manuel.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said the toll bridge marked the beginning of a new era of growth on the Redcliffe Peninsula, giving the local population direct access to Brisbane, and opening up Redcliffe as a holiday destination.
“When you consider the scale of what was proposed and the logistics involved, the Hornibrook Bridge was truly a remarkable feat of engineering,” he said.
“We owe a great debt to Sir Manuel Hornibrook, whose vision and experience laid the foundations for what would eventually become one of Australia’s fastest growing cities.
“History is defined by moments that can change a community for generations to come. Today, we recognise such an event and the incredible legacy forged by those who came before us.”
Building the bridge was not without challenges, requiring the careful leadership and know-how of Sir Manuel to secure the required finance, and timber supplies and workforce to make the complex design a reality at the height of the Great Depression.
They raised the funds through negotiating a franchise with the government to charge a toll to cross the bridge. The price remained at a shilling to cross for the 40 year duration of the franchise.
Spanning more than 2.6km long, the bridge weighed some 19,125 tonnes and was supported by 11,676 decking planks, 150 tonnes of reinforced steel and 879 reinforced concrete piles. Approximately 2.5 million superfeet of hardwood timbers from the Obi Obi valley and Kilcoy was used for the build.
Considered one of the greatest works ever carried out by private enterprise in Queensland, it was the longest road viaduct in the Southern Hemisphere when construction finished in 1935.
The bridge would go on to stand the test of time for the next 44 years before it was closed to traffic in 1979 with the opening of the adjacent Houghton Highway.
The opening of Ted Smout Bridge in 2010 saw the Hornibrook mostly demolished and turned into a fishing platform at Clontarf.
Division 6 Councillor Karl Winchester said it was an honour to mark the anniversary of the historical icon.
“The Hornibrook Bridge represents an intrinsic part of the fabric of not only Redcliffe but of City of Moreton Bay itself,” he said.
“Many in our community hold cherished memories of the bridge at the height of its glory and while it lives on today in a different form, a new generation of locals are still able to enjoy this piece of history.”
Division 5 Councillor Sandra Ruck said the bridge had left an indelible mark on the wider Redcliffe Peninsula.
“To this day, the Hornibrook Bridge remains one of the few game-changing projects that revolutionised transport in our area,” she said.
“It gave local residents direct access to Brisbane for the first time and transformed the local economy for the better. 90 years on, we continue honour that legacy and ensure the contribution of Sir Manuel, and all those involved in the bridge’s construction, will never be forgotten.”
Ms Hornibrook said her grandfather showed remarkable ingenuity and patience to bring the project to fruition.
“Projects like these were built in tough times. They needed vision, innovation and a lot of collaboration for problem solving. They were all built before computers were invented and bridges like the William Jolly and the Story Bridge, also built by Hornibrook, have stood the test of time,” she said
“I have really valued playing my part in bringing the legacy of my grandfather and these big build projects back to life. In doing so I have found people are so interested in the history and have connections to those bridges today.”
Ms Hornibrook said she was proud the people of Redcliffe continued to remember and love the bridge and its story.
“The art deco portals and fishing pier are all that remain now, but it is still celebrated in memory,” she said.
“A lot of local people have stories about the bridge. When it was built it was the longest bridge in Australia, and it really opened up the Redcliffe area.
“It reminds us that even in difficult times, there can be positive ways to build community and connections that can really make a difference to the way people live.”