Monday 31 January 2011

Cutler Footway

Looking to the east

A viaduct was built over Boundary Road in 1916 to expedite trips by tram from the eastern suburbs to the city. This became the second tram route to Bondi which ran via Paddington, Edgecliff Road, Bellevue Hill and Birriga Road.

I am not sure that the footway was built to facilitate the trams, or after the tramways system in the eastern suburbs was dismantled in the late 50s. In 1966 The State Governor became Sir Roden Cutler. I wonder if the walkway was tacked onto the tram viaduct as recently as this.

For a similar, but shorter walkway, see Jim's Sydney City and Suburbs.

Looking to the west

12 comments:

Luis Gomez said...

Julie, these are lovely. I like the mood in black and white.

Joe said...

The darkness, the hardness and the unaturalness - looks like parts of New York. Have adde you to my Blogroll.

Joan Elizabeth said...

Love the mood of night here. There is a match between Jim's walkway and yours. I can see why his inspired your post.

Windsmoke. said...

Very spooky and eerie footway at night. Fantastic black & white photos, well done :-).

Jim said...

I've driven under this quite a few times but never over it, so I had no idea there was a footway there. I always thought it looked like a railway bridge but knew there was never a railway line through there but trams never came to mind because they were before my time. Your shots do make it look a bit spooky there at night but it's a busy place so I'm sure there's no fear to walk across it at night. Thanks for the link to my post. The two footways certainly look similar.

Ann said...

Good low key, esp the 2nd one.

Peter said...

Love the atmosphere of these photos, and the tram history, bring them back I say.

Julie said...

There is a story about trams in the SMH this morning and the celebrating of the 50th anniversary of the last tram service in Sydney on 25 Feb 1961.

This is the sort of tram that I would love to see Clover run from CQ to Central - down George, up Elizabeth. I know there is a red bus that does that now, but very boring!! Just thought, the bus is State Government, whereas Clover is local. Shall wait and see what Bazza reckons - if anything. So funny to see a big man make himself a small target.

Anonymous said...

I just took a look at a sketch plan for the viaduct and there is not evidence of any walkway in the plan, aside from it looking like it was tacked on.

Julie said...

I looked everywhere for something like that!! HOW DID YOU FIND IT!!

The real irony about it being called th 'Cutler Footway' is that old Roden Cutlet had a tin leg, losing the flesh and bone one in the war in return for a VC. We have a very wierd sense of the ridiculous in this country.,

I have photos of it from underneath and boy is it tacked on. The underneath is timber! It looks like a walkway around a gaol. Tomorrow, the barbed wire surrounds ... creepy!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

walk ways are important. if not people take short cuts and ah!!!!!!

diane b said...

Very dramatic shots, could be out of a murder movie.