Long Gully Bridge (Northbridge)

Long Gully Bridge has always been one of my favourite bridges in Sydney and it is quite close to where I live.

The bridge connects Northbridge with Cammeray, crossing the leafy gully above Flat Rock Creek and Tunks Park. Opened in January 1892, it was originally a steel suspension bridge, built by private developers to encourage residential development on the northern side. Its most distinctive features are the sandstone towers, with their castle-like turrets and battlements. The bridge also gave Northbridge its name, reflecting the suburb’s position to its north.

Although still commonly called the Suspension Bridge, it has not actually been a suspension bridge since 1939. The original supporting structure was replaced with a reinforced-concrete arch, while the sandstone towers were retained, preserving its familiar appearance. This combination of Victorian stonework and later engineering makes it an unusual Sydney bridge—and a particularly photogenic one, with the arch best appreciated from below and the towers standing prominently above the surrounding greenery.

The view of Tunks Park from the bridge

View from below

The views of the bridge from Tunks Park below are wonderful too

After photographing the bridge, I went on to explore Flat Rock Creek. Walking through the greenery, it was amazing to think that the upper reaches of this gully had once been a vast rubbish dump, with tipping continuing until 1985. Decades of restoration, planting and bush regeneration have helped transform the former tip into a place full of life again. It’s a powerful reminder of nature’s capacity to recover when we give it the space—and a helping hand—to do so.