The Bridge Naming Suggestions So Far - Updated Version

UPDATED AS OF TUESDAY MORNING!

On Sunday18 October, we launched The Great Fremantle Bridge Naming Contest and what an enormous response we’ve had so far! We reckon that between us all we can come up with a good Freo nickname for the new Bridge. We suggested The Goalposts or The Washing Line. Here are the email and Facebook page submissions we have received as of Sunday morning! Have a read. Many clever, funny and thoughtful ones among them. Lots of smart folk out there! Keep them coming, and we’ll keep updating this page.

The email submissions so far

John Bird says – Bridge name – no doubt The Coathanger

Ian Ker, in short, says – A bridge doesn’t have to be called a bridge! What we now have is more than just a bridge, it is a connector: Between the north and south shores of Derbarl Yerrigan. Between North Fremantle and the rest of Fremantle. Between stages of development, with remnants of three previous bridges being readily visible. Between the present and the future, with its being the first of this innovative bridge design to be constructed in Australia. Innovative bridge design with Freo community being a major driver of the process. So, how about calling it the Fremantle Community Connector with a simple ‘dual name’ of Walyalup Community Connector

Gnangarra suggests – Fremantle Harbour Bridge – it defines the river side entrance to the harbour, can be seen from most of the harbour and it links north and south sides of the harbour.

Carmel Gee submits – The bridge should have an indigenous name. My choice is Kaya Wanju (hello and welcome).

Matthew Neal proposes – “Little Anzac”, observing the bridge is a smaller version of the Anzac Bridge in Sydney. He adds a few Freo locals are already calling it this.

Alex Jones posits – Walken bridge, explaining rainbow translates as “Walken” in Noongar language. The rainbow is a modern Fremantle icon and would metaphorically connect both sides of the river. The rainbow also symbolizes peace, hope, renewal and a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds across many cultures and traditions.

Dallas Harvey propose the new bridge be named – Sunset Gateway, far surpassing the golden gate in San Francisco.

Robyn Brown thinks the new Freo biridge should be called – the Vlamingh Bridge, because of the association with Willem de Vlamingh who named the Swan River in 1697.

Lauretta Jones would like to see the Bridge named Stella Berry Bridge in memory of a beautiful inspirational young lady sadly gone too soon.

Penny Willoughby says – how about something as simple as Fremantle Gateway.

Deb Bevan suggests – a respectful and appropriate name for the bridge would be the Derbal Yerrigan Bridge.

Brett C goes with a short – Walyalup bidi.

Caleb Moor nominates – Leeuwin Bridge as the proper name and The Leeuwin Masts as the local nickname. He reasons the twin towers and angled stay cables look just like the masts and rigging of the STS Leeuwin II berthed down at Victoria Quay, and the crossing sits right between the harbour and Leeuwin Barracks upriver in East Fremantle. It also nods to the 1622 Dutch galleon Leeuwin and pairs naturally alongside Stirling Bridge.

Luke Wood reckons – Fremantle Maali Bridge. Maali being the Wadjuk Noongar word for Black Swan.

Toni Surjan suggests naming the new bridge Marion Bell Bridge in honor of Mabel Marion Bell the first woman to drive around Australia starting from Fremantle.

Peter Ward wants Bruce. Just Bruce. As in Bruce the Bridge. No particular reason. Just sounds right.

James Fleming says – Swan Gateway Bridge or Fremantle Gateway Bridge.

And here’s a further update as of Tuesday morning, 20 October.

’Zoo Products’ says The FREEUP BRIDGE. FREE for Freo FREE for congestion UP for water.

Nicola Hope proposes Waugal Koorliny Bridge (Meaning: The Traveling / Free-Moving Rainbow Serpent Bridge) explaining that for nearly 90 years, the massive forest of timber pylons under the old 1939 bridge choked up the river mouth. In Noongar culture, this heavily restricted the natural flow and path of the Waugal. The beautiful, wide-open span of the new bridge completely clears the water. Naming it Waugal Koorliny is the perfect way to celebrate this, it literally means the river spirit is finally free to travel out to the ocean without being blocked.

Gerry MacGill proposes ‘The Aeolian‘ in the expectation that it will sing in the sea breeze, in concert with its upstream companion, though hopefully more tunefully. The Stirling emits a mournful howl, perhaps a lament for those he massacred at Pinjarra.

Leonie thinks Port Bridge (or Challenger Bridge).

Jeremy Clafton wryly says Bridge Too Far.

Lois Hodgson goes with The Arrows Up Bridge = Freo’s Arrows Up Bridge. Upwards and onwards!

Karen Oakes says her name for the new bridge would be The Kinship and Community Bridge…the name says it all.

Anneka Pearton offers a few, but the first is Ernie Bridge.

Rosanna Isaia suggests Kaya (Hello) Echuca (meeting of waters)/Middleton Bridge

Jim goes with the simple Harbour Bridge.

Linda Elphistone’s first idea is The Freo Four . A cheeky distinctive nickname inspired by the the bridges four towers easy to remember and say.

Nigel Tinson proposes The Bicentennial Legacy Bridge, to celebrate in 3 years time, the coming to WA of non-convict transport ships. He says he has not given it a Noongar name only because it is a replacement of the old fremantle traffic bridge.

Martin R Bennett puts forward the Rainbow Bridge. It is a reference to the Rainbow Serpent, Fremantle’s diversity and a universal sign of hope. A rainbow is also a connection between two points …. and there is gold at the end of the rainbow!

Allen Graham, in a submission we will post separately, wonders whether the historically connected Hampton Bridge or Manning Bridge are best.

Keith McCorriston joins the queue suggesting Fremantle Harbour Bridge.

Craig Eccles likes the nickname Freo Gate

Vicki Jaszczuk imaginatively proposes Osprey. Because the Osprey would nest there.

Murray Slavin offers – Draw.

Keep them coming folks!

And here are the FSN Facebook page suggestions so far