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"Turning of the First Sod"
The official ceremony to mark the "turning of the first sod" occurred on 28 July 1923. This was followed by the building of two worksheds at Milsons Point to assist in building the bridge - the light and heavy workshops. -
Period: to
The Sydney Harbour Bridge
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Foundation Stones of Southern Abutment Tower laid
In January 1925, the excavations to build the abutments and approach spans began. In October 1925, the building of the abutments and approach spans themselves began. -
Construction of the Main Arch Begins
Construction of the bridge itself began in December 1928, with the construction of the bridge parts in the workshops. Construction of the arch of the bridge began in 1929, with two separate teams building the arch on each side using creeper cranes. -
Arch Halves Completed
During construction, the two halves of the arch were held up by numerous support cables. Once the arch halves were completed the cables were slowly released to bring the two halves of the arch together. -
Rail and Roads Completed
The road and the two sets of tram and railway tracks were completed in 1931. -
Almost Complete
Power and telephone lines, and water, gas and drainage pipes were also all added to the bridge in that year. -
Safety Check
On 19 January 1932, the first test train, a steam locomotive, safely crossed the bridge. About 90 others also crossed the bridge in the months that followed as part of a series of tests to ensure the bridge's safety. -
Opening of Bridge
The bridge was formally opened on 19 March 1932. Amongst those who attended and gave speeches were the state Governor, Sir Philip Game, the Minister for Public Works, and Ennis. The Labor Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, was to open the bridge by cutting a ribbon at its southern end.
However, just as he was about to do so, a man in military uniform rode in on a horse, cutting the ribbon and opening the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the name of the people before the official ceremony.
