The Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in March 1932. In March 2015, it will have been 83 years since e bridge was opened.
Sydney's Harbour Bridge is supported by its huge steel arch. It is the tallest steel arch bridge in the world. Until recently it was the widest open span bridges. It was built in 1932.
The total length of the Sydney Harbour Bridge including approach spans is 1149 metres and its arch span is 503 metres. The top of the arch is 134 metres above sea level.
Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened to traffic on 19 March 1932. The bridge was built to connect the Sydney CBD with the North Shore commercial and residential areas on Sydney Harbour. Prior to this, the closest crossing was much further upstream. In 1912, John Bradfield was appointed chief engineer of the bridge project, which also had to include a railway. Plans were completed in 1916 but the start of World War I delayed implementation until 1922. Construction of the bridge began in 1924, and took 1400 men eight years to build at a cost of £4.2 million. See the related link for more information.
Construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge took eight years. It began in 1924 and was completed in 1932.
The two most iconic landmarks in New South Wales, Australia are man made. Both being in Sydney, the capital city of the state of New South Wales. They are the Sydney Harbour Bridge completed in the 1930's and the Sydney Opera House, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. Sydney Harbour itself is a landmark and is arguably the most beautiful deep water harbour in the world. Other natural Landmarks include the Blue Mountains to the 40 odd Kilometres west of Sydney , Bondi Beach in Sydney's east is one of the most famous beaches in the world. There is also the Australian Alps , with its ski resorts & Mt Kosciusko the highest peak in Australia, near the border of NSW and the southern state of Victoria. From rainforests to mountains to desert and wide open plains , there are many landmarks in the diverse state of New South Wales.
Credit for the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge largely belongs to engineer Dr JCC Bradfield (who also oversaw the construction of Brisbane's Story Bridge), while the firm that built the bridge was Dorman Long and Co Ltd, Middlesbrough, Teesside. Sir Ralph Freeman, of Freeman Fox & Partners, was the designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Another civil engineer involved in the Sydney Harbour Bridge project was JF Pain, who was awarded the Manby Premium for a paper on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He led a group of about forty engineers working for Freeman on Sydney Harbour bridge.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge had its beginning when engineer John Bradfield was appointed chief engineer of the bridge project in 1912. Working with him was Ralph Freeman, London-born engineer. The plans were finished in 1916, but because of World War I, no further work was done until 1922. At this time, the path and foundations for the bridge had to be completed, with up to 800 families living in the path of the proposed Bridge path being relocated, and their homes demolished. The bridge began to be actually constructed in 1924. During the eight years it took to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 1400 men were employed, 16 of whom lost their lives. The bridge cost £4.2 million to build.The famous arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (popularly nicknamed The Coathanger) was built in two halves. Each half cantilevered from either shore of Sydney harbour and was tied back by steel cables anchored into U-shaped tunnels dug into the rock. The two halves of the arch were begun towards the end of 1928, and joined around 10pm on 19 August 1930.The bridge was officially opened on 19 March 1932 by New South Wales Premier, the Honourable John T Lang. However, just as he officially declared the Bridge open, Captain Francis De Groot of the political group The New Guard charged on his horse and slashed the ribbon with his sword in protest. The objection was based on the fact that the Governor-General Sir Isaac Isaacs had not been asked to open the bridge. After De Groot was arrested, the ribbon was retied, and Lang completed the opening ceremony. This was followed by a 21-gun salute and a RAAF fly-past.
The NSW Premier Jack Lang was due to cut the ribbon to officially the open the Bridge. However, just as he was about to declare the bridge officially open, the ribbon was cut by the sword of Captain Francis De Groot who charged on his horse, slashing the ribbon. De Groot belonged to the paramilitary group, the New Guard, which was opposed to Lang's leftist policies. A militant monarchist, De Groot believed that only a member of the Royal family should have the honour of opening the Sydney Harbour Bridge. De Groot's organisation resented the fact that the King's representative in Australia, the Governor-General Sir Isaac Isaacs, hadn't been asked to open the bridge. De Groot was arrested, and the ribbon retied, allowing Lang to perform the official opening ceremony.
This was Captain Francis De Groot of the political group The New Guard. This group was opposed to Lang's leftist policies, and the fact that the King's representative in Australia, the Governor-General Sir Isaac Isaacs, hadn't been asked to open the bridge. De Groot charged on his horse and cut the ribbon with his sword before the Premier of NSW could open the bridge.
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The official opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 19 March 1932 was disrupted by Captain Francis De Groot of the political group The New Guard. As the Premier of NSW, the Honourable John T Lang, was about to officially declare the Bridge open, De Groot, who with the New Guard was opposed to Lang's leftist policies, charged on his horse and slashed the ribbon with his sword. The New Guard resented the fact that the King's representative in Australia, the Governor-General Sir Isaac Isaacs, hadn't been asked to open the bridge. De Groot was arrested, the ribbon was retied, and Lang completed the official opening ceremony.
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