Emma Pritchard|

When David Gilbert went for his weekly walk across the old Grafton Bridge recently, he noticed something different.

A wire fence on the northern side of the bridge leading up to one of the walkways was distinctly bare, causing him to stop and have a closer look.

Previously, Mr Gilbert said he had observed and counted upwards of 50 padlocks which he believes had been clipped onto the wire fence at random throughout the years.

He recalled the padlocks as being representations of couples, friendships, partnerships, and memorials for people who had passed away, and he glanced at them every time he passed by.

Until they suddenly vanished.

“I noticed they were missing about three or four weeks ago, and now I’m wondering what happened to them and where they’ve gone,” he said.

“Together, they told a lot of stories.

“I’d like to know who removed them, why they were removed and where they’ve gone.”

The old Grafton Bridge currently falls under the jurisdiction of Transport NSW who were contacted for comment.

Mr Gilbert said while the full stories surrounding the padlocks may never be revealed, he is interested in uncovering their whereabouts and preserving their memories.

• Anyone with any information regarding the padlocks and the stories behind them on the old Grafton Bridge is invited to contact the Clarence Valley Independent.