Sydney Harbour Bridge Australia

Legendary

View from a distance or climb this iconic bridge for beautiful views of the city.

Photo by Wyncliffe

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On opening day in 1932, a man on horseback charged through the crowd and slashed the ceremonial ribbon with a cavalry sword before the Premier could cut it. His name was Francis de Groot, and he belonged to a right-wing group that thought a member of the royal family should have done the honors.

He was arrested on the spot and fined £5. The ribbon was tied back together, Premier Jack Lang cut it properly, and the bridge opened.

Before it existed, crossing Sydney Harbour meant taking a ferry. By 1908, ferries were carrying 13 million passengers a year.

The only land route ran the long way around, crossing a series of bridges over the Parramatta River and adding 20 to 30 kilometers to the trip.

Construction began in 1924 under chief engineer John Bradfield, with the British firm Dorman Long building it. The design was a steel arch, chosen over a suspension bridge because it could handle heavier traffic.

The two halves of the arch were built outward from opposite shores, hanging in mid-air, until they met in the middle. Engineers had to calculate for temperature, since the steel expands and contracts, and the bridge still rises and falls by up to 18 centimeters depending on the weather.

It took 52,800 tonnes of steel and about six million hand-driven rivets. Sixteen workers died building it, and around 800 families living where the approaches would go were moved out without any compensation.

Sydneysiders looked at the finished arch and saw a piece of furniture. They nicknamed it the Coathanger, and it stuck.

The bridge is 1,149 meters long, with the arch spanning 503 meters and the top standing 134 meters above the water.

It opened on March 19, 1932, in the worst years of the Great Depression. More than 750,000 people came out to watch, and 52,000 schoolchildren had already walked across it in the weeks before.

Walk across the pedestrian path, which is free and takes about 20 minutes each way. Climb the Pylon Lookout at the southern end for views and exhibits about the construction. If your family is up for it and everyone is at least eight years old, book a BridgeClimb to the very top of the arch.