The bridge. No, not a Scandi noir television series. But the Phillip Island Bridge.

As our only vehicular access to Phillip Island, the bridge has a special place in the hearts of everyone connected to the island.

But how did people manage to travel between Phillip Island and the mainland before the bridge was built?

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Bunurong people came to Phillip Island. At one time the island as we now know it didn’t exist, and was created many thousands of years ago by rising sea levels. When early explorers arrived in Westernport Bay, they saw that the Bunurong people had been managing the island for thousands of years. It is thought the Bunurong only visited in summer to feast on short-tailed shearwaters, penguins and shellfish from the rock shelves. I am unable to find any information about how they crossed to the island but probably by canoe.

Early settlers used sailing ships to carry stock and supplies, a hazardous journey.

When the Koo-wee-rup swamp was drained, vehicles were able to reach what is now San Remo.

From there, people could row across The Narrows to Newhaven, though stock had to swim across between 1908 and 1920.

It would have been a dangerous swim/row across the channel, probably only attempted at slack tide, like the timing of our popular annual Channel Challenge Swim/Run.

Prior to 1940 the island was also reached by steamer, then car ferries.

In 1875, island pioneer Captain John Cleeland of Newhaven won the Melbourne Cup with his horse Wollamai. In an interesting twist on today's training regimes, Wollamai was walked the 87 miles (140 kilometres) to Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, arriving only a few days before the race.

But first he had to swim the east channel from Cape Woolamai to San Remo – a very famous crossing to and from the island!

Planning for the old Phillip Island Suspension Bridge began in 1938.

In 1940 the bridge was completed, connecting the two areas and making transporting stock and supplies much easier.

It was opened by the then Victorian Premier Mr Albert Dunstan on Friday November 29th, 1940. It was 1,765 feet long with a pavement width of 18ft, with 6 pedestrian refuges along its length. Cost was between $50-$60,000.

Keeping up with Australia’s love of a day off work, a full public holiday was declared on Phillip Island to celebrate!

If you hunt among the scrub near the bridge and the road to the Big4 Phillip Island Caravan Park, you will find the concrete marker commemorating the opening of the old suspension bridge.

It is a sadly forgotten reminder of a momentous day in the history of Phillip Island.

The current bridge is the successor to the Suspension Bridge.

This elegant and majestic bridge was finished in November 1969 and is 2,100 ft long with a width of pavement 28 feet, and 5 feet for pedestrian traffic and was built at the cost of $3,250,000. It was officially opened on Friday 21st November 1969 by the Hon M Porter, MLA, Minister for Public Works.

Old and New Phillip Island Bridges