The Tam O'Shanter Bridge, built in 1851 was replaced in 1858 by a wooden swing bridge. Robinsons bridge, an iron swing bridge, was the third to be built on this site. It was built in 1883 and demolished in 1935.

This bridge spanned a creek which ran into the Port River. The bridge was opposite Todd Street and provided access to the northern side where the South Australian Company hoped to erect more wharves. A bridge at this location was first proposed in 1840, but it was not until 1851 that it was finally constructed.

This was a fixed wooden bridge 96 feet long, 25 feet wide. Only one vehicle could cross at a time, but it did enable construction to begin on the far side of the creek: Philip Levi built a wharf and a store and Captain Hall erected a warehouse, which can be seen to the left in the photograph. This was the beginning of Quay 1. It is not known how the bridge became referred to as the Tam O'Shanter Bridge as in the Company's records it is referred to as the 'fixed bridge'.

This bridge was demolished in 1857 to make way for a swing bridge which would allow shipping to pass into the Company's Basin (now No. 1 Dock) which was formed by deepening the creek.

Ritter, Ron Spanning time and tide: the bridges of the Port Adelaide River [Para Vista, S.A.]: R.C. Ritter, 1996

Parsons, Ronald, Southern passages: a maritime history of South Australia Netley, S. Aust.: Wakefield Press, 1986

Couper-Smartt, John Port Adelaide: tales from a "commodious harbour" Port Adelaide: Friends of the South Australian Maritime Museum, 2003

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. Wooden Walls and Iron Sides August 2004-