Editing Anzac Bridge (section)

==History==

=== Glebe Island bridges ===
There were two bridges over [[Johnstons Bay]] before the construction of the Anzac Bridge.

The first bridge was constructed as part of a project to move the [[abattoir]]s out of central Sydney, and to construct public abattoirs at Glebe Island.<ref>{{Cite news |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13047525 |date=22 October 1860 |access-date=10 November 2010 |title=REMOVAL OF THE SLAUGHTER HOUSES FROM SYDNEY. |via=Trove, [[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref> The first pile of the original bridge was driven in October 1860.<ref name=smh_first_pile>{{Cite news |date=11 October 1860 |newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |url= http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13047021 | title=COMMENCEMENT OF THE GLEBE ISLAND BRIDGE |access-date=10 November 2010 |via=Trove, [[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref> The bridge was opened in 1862 and was a [[beam bridge|timber beam bridge]] {{convert|1045|ft|5|in|m|1|abbr=off|order=flip}} long and {{convert|28|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} wide with a {{convert|40|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} swing section on the eastern side. It replaced a double steam punt crossing.<ref name=smh_first_pile/>

The second [[Glebe Island Bridge]] was an electrically operated [[swing bridge]] opened in 1903, the year after the opening of the new [[Pyrmont Bridge]] over Sydney's [[Darling Harbour]], which has a similar design. The bridge was designed by [[Percy Allan (Public policy economist)|Percy Allan]] of the New South Wales Public Works Department who also designed the [[Pyrmont Bridge]]. Delays due to increasing traffic, which were exacerbated by having to close a major arterial road to allow the movement of shipping into [[Blackwattle Bay]], led to the construction of the present-day Anzac Bridge. The 1903 bridge is still standing, but there is no access to pedestrians or vehicular traffic.

=== Anzac Bridge ===
The stay cable design concept development and final design for the new bridge were carried out by a team from the [[Roads & Traffic Authority]], led by their Chief Bridge Engineer [[Ray Wedgwood]] and the construction by [[Baulderstone]].<ref name=":0">{{Structurae|id=20001191|title=Anzac Bridge}}</ref> The bridge was opened to traffic on 3 December 1995 as the Glebe Island Bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://member.rivernet.com.au/grove/ |title=Anzac Bridge Sydney |publisher=member.rivernet.com.au |access-date=2008-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405202627/http://member.rivernet.com.au/grove/ |archive-date=5 April 2008 |url-status=dead |date=February 2010 }}</ref>

The bridge was given its current name on [[Remembrance Day]] in 1998<ref name="nsw-office-heritage">{{cite NSW HD|4305018|title=Anzac Bridge|access-date=11 February 2019}}</ref> to honour the memory of the soldiers of the [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]] (known as Anzacs) who served in [[World War I]]. An [[Flag of Australia|Australian Flag]] flies atop the eastern pylon and a [[Flag of New Zealand|New Zealand Flag]] flies atop the western pylon. A bronze memorial statue of an Australian Anzac soldier ("digger") holding a [[Lee–Enfield]] rifle in the "rest on arms reverse" drill position was placed on the western end of the bridge on [[Anzac Day]] in 2000. A statue of a [[New Zealand]] soldier was added to a plinth across the road from the Australian Digger, facing towards the east, and was unveiled by [[Prime Minister of New Zealand]] [[Helen Clark]] in the presence of [[Premier of New South Wales]] [[Morris Iemma]] on Sunday 27 April 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/kiwi-joins-his-little-mate-on-anzac-bridge-watch/2008/04/27/1208743317129.html |title=Kiwi joins his little mate on Anzac Bridge watch |date=27 April 2008 |access-date=2010-02-03 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |last=Samandar |first=Lema}}</ref>