The Sydney Harbour Bridge, also affectionately known as the

'Coathanger', was opened on March 19th 1932 by Premier Jack

Lang, after six years of construction. Made of steel the bridge
contains 6 million hand driven rivets. The surface area that
requires painting is equal to about the surface area of 60 sports
fields. The Bridge has huge hinges to absorb the expansion
caused by the hot Sydney sun. You will see them on either side
of the bridge at the footings of the Pylons.
You can have a close hand look while you are in Sydney by
visiting the South Eastern Pylon. It is a walking trip and
recommended for the fit only. It is a longish walk to get to the
base of the Pylon and then there are 200 steps to the top. Entry
for adults is now $8.50 (23 June 2003), kids between 8 and 12
years three dollars and under 8 years its free. (Prices valid until
30 November 2003).
The views and photo opportunities are fantastic. (If you can
make it, we've got to say it is tough). There is a great display on
how the thing was built. It has a similar place in Sydney history
to the Statue of Liberty in New York as far as many migrants to
Australia go. In sight of the bridge you knew you had made it.
The displaced peoples of Europe who came to Australia in the
days of the grand ships can get very misty when you ask them
what they felt when they saw this grand old arch on their
arrival in Sydney from the aftermath of World War Two as they
sailed up Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour). The old Bridge has
been replaced as "the" landmark of Sydney by the bold
architecture of the Opera House.
But a grand old bridge it is, and one you will remember
whenever you think of Sydney after your visit.
When it opened it cost a car six pence to cross. A horse and
rider was 3 pence. These days a return trip (for some reason the
only kind) costs two dollars twenty (gst). Horses and riders are
banned, that's the changing times. You can walk across free and
you are allowed to bicycle in a special lane.
Sydney Harbour Bridge is the world's largest (but not longest as thats the New River Gorge in
the USA) steel arch bridge, and, in its beautiful harbour location, has become a renowned
international symbol of Australia.

Its total length including approach spans is 1149 metres and its arch span is 503 metres. The top
of the arch is 134 metres above sea level and the clearance for shipping under the deck is a
spacious 49 metres. The total steelwork weighs 52,800 tonnes, including 39,000 tonnes in the
arch. The 49 metre wide deck makes Sydney Harbour Bridge the widest Longspan Bridge in the
world.
It now carries eight vehicle lanes, two train lines, a footway and a
cycleway.
After inviting worldwide tenders in 1922, the New South Wales
Government received twenty proposals from six companies and on
24 March 1924; the contract (for Australian 4,217,721 pounds 11
shillings and 10 pence!) was let to the English firm Dorman Long
and Co of Middlesbrough.

The general design was prepared by Dr J.J.C Bradfield and officers

of the NSW Department of Public Works, while the detailed design
and crucial erection process were undertaken by the contractors
consulting engineer Mr (later Sir) Ralph Freeman of Sir Douglas
Fox and Partners and his associate Mr. G.C Imbault. Some other
designs that where not choosen can be found here.

As Chief Engineer of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Metropolitan Railway Construction from
1912, Dr Bradfield is regarded as the "father" of the Bridge as it was his vision, enthusiasm,
engineering expertise and detailed supervision of all aspects of its construction which brought
Sydney's long held dream into reality.
The contractors, under Director of Construction, Lawrence Ennis, set up two workshops at
Milsons Point on the North Shore. Here, the steel (79% imported from England, 21% from
Australian sources) was fabricated into girders etc.
The foundations for the four main bearings, which carry the full weight of the main span were
dug to a depth of 12.2 metres and filled with special reinforced high-grade concrete laid in
hexagonal formations.
The four impressive, decorative 89 metre high pylons are made of concrete, faced with granite,
quarried near Moruya, where about 250 Australian, Scottish and Italian stonemasons and their
families lived in a temporary settlement. Three ships were specifically built to carry the 18,000
cubic metres of cut, dressed and numbered granite blocks, 300km north to Sydney.

After the approach spans were erected, work began on the main arch. Two half-arches were built
out progressively from each shore, each held back by 128 cables anchored underground through
U-shaped tunnels. Steel members were fabricated in the workshops, placed onto barges, towed
into position on the harbour and lifted up by two 580 tonne electrically operated creeper cranes,
which erected the half-arches before them as they travelled forward.
There was great excitement on 20 August 1930 after the arch was successfully joined at 10pm
the night before. The steel decking was then hung from the arch and was all in place within nine
months, being built from the centre outwards to save time moving the cranes.
As the project neared completion, the last of approximately six million Australian made rivets
were driven through the deck on 21 January 1932. In February 1932 the Bridge was test loaded
using up to 96 steam locomotives placed in various configurations.
The official opening day on Saturday 19 March 1932 was a momentous occasion, drawing
remarkable crowds (estimated between 300,000 and one million people) to the city and around
the harbour foreshores. The NSW Premier, the Hon. John T. Lang, officially declared the Bridge
open. However, the Premier enlivened proceedings when Captain Francis De Groot of the paramilitary group, the New Guard, slashed the ribbon prematurely with his sword, prior to the
official cutting. This incident caused both amusement and dismay on the day and has since
become part of Australian folklore.

The opening celebrations included a vast cavalcade of

decorated floats, marching groups and bands proceeding
through the city streets and across the deck in a pageant of
surprising size and quality, considering the economic
depression.
The celebrations continued with a gun-salute, a procession of
passenger ships under the Bridge, a 'venetian' carnival, a flypast, fireworks, sports carnivals and exhibitions. After the
pageant the public was allowed to walk across the deckan
event not repeated until the 50th anniversary of the Bridge in
1982.
Some enthusiastic ones celebrated by unofficially climbing up the arch.
The Harbour Bridge is an essential artery feeding traffic to and from Sydney. Below our traffic
statistics and facts and figures.
Below some more ancient pictures that where taken a long time ago 'probably' during the
construction. I got these pictures from someone else who scanned them in for me. Thanks mate..

If someone else has other nice pictures please let me know so the collection can be further
increased.

The cranes had played a very

important part in both the
construction and ongoing
maintenance of the bridge.
During construction of the
main arch between 1929 and
1931, two huge creeper
cranes moved outwards,
laying their tracksas they
progressed. Behind them

moved the four maintenance

cranes, used initially by the
riveting and painting gangs
until they had to be
dismantled to allow the
creeper cranes to pass by and
be removed in pieces near the
pylons. The maintenance
cranes were then re-erected
on the arch and remained in
service until their removal
in 1997.
Length of arch span

503 metres

Height of top of arch

134 metres about mean sea level

Height to top of aircraft beacon

141 metres above mean sea level

Width of deck

49 metres

Clearance for Shipping

49 metres

Height of Pylons

89 metre above mean sea level

Base of each abutment tower

68 metres across and 48 metres long (two pylons rest on each

abutment tower)

Total length of bridge

1149 metres including approach spans

Bearing Pins

Each of the four pins measures 4.2 metres long and 368
millimetres in diameter

Thrust on bearings

Under maximum load approximately 20,000 tonnes on each

bearing

Number of rivets

Approximately 6,000,000

Largest rivet

Weighed 3.5 kilograms and was 395 millimetres long

Longest Hanger

58.8 metres

Shortest Hanger

7.3 metres

Total weight of steelwork

52,800 tonnes including arch and mild steel approach spans

Weight of arch

39,000 tonnes

Rock excavated for foundations

122,000 cubic metres

Concrete used for bridge

95,000 cubic metres

Granite facing used on pylons & piers 17,000 cubic metres

Allowance for deck expansion

420 millimetres

Allowance for arch expansion

The arch may rise or fall 18 centimetres due to heating or

cooling

Number of panels in arch

28, each 18.28 metres wide

Record tonnage erected

589 tonnes of steelwork was erected on the arch in one day on

26 November 1929

Paint required

272,000 litres of paint were required to give the Bridge its initial
three coats.

At one time actor and comedian Paul Hogan was a rigger on the bridge before finding
fame and fortune.
In June 1976, the one-billionth vehicle crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The first
500 million crossings took over 33 years while the second 500 million took less than
11 years.
In 1932, the annual average daily traffic volume (in both directions) was about
10,900.
In 1943, with a wartime shortage of vehicles and petrol rationing, there was a drop in
traffic to about 8,600 vehicles a day.
Annual average daily traffic has since grown to:
1950
1960
1970
1980
1987
1989
1991
1992
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000

32,000 vehs/day
76,000 vehs/day
129,000 vehs/day
159,000 vehs/day
180,366 vehs/day
182,024 vehs/day
181,878 vehs/day
138,400 vehs/day
149,391 vehs/day
152,732 vehs/day
155,577 vehs/day
158,392 vehs/day
159,618 vehs/day
161,734 vehs/day (figure high due to equipment problems)

2001

159,597 vehs/day

(NB: Harbour Tunnel opened 31st August 1992)

http://www.sydneyharbourbridge.info/