Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are both landmarks in Sydney Australia. The unique shape of the Sydney Harbour Bridge makes it instantly recognisable as a symbol of Sydney, and of Australia – particularly with the sails of the Sydney Opera House in the picture.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge with a Sydney ferry in the foreground, as seen from Circular Quay. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The Sydney Harbour Bridge with a Sydney ferry in the foreground, as seen from Circular Quay. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Two forms of transport. Just as the Bridge provides for essential vehicle traffic, so the Sydney ferries provide an extensive net of passenger services all over Sydney Harbour.
Copyright © Willem Schultink
A familiar sight to Sydneysiders. Sydney Harbour Bridge, New South Wales, Australia.
A familiar sight to Sydneysiders. Sydney Harbour Bridge, New South Wales, Australia. Paul Hogan (of Crocodile Dundee fame) used to paint it. Its the world’s largest steel arch bridge. It is made of 52 800 tonnes of steel, with six million rivets holding it together.
Copyright © Willem Schultink
Sydney Opera House from the Harbour Bridge tower, New South Wales, Australia.
Sydney Opera House from the Harbour Bridge tower, New South Wales, Australia. Along with the Sydney Opera House the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the most recognisable thing about Sydney.
Copyright © Koole Imaging
The Sydney Opera House is often used as a screen to display different scenes. This is in the evening of the fifth of June 2024. Photo taken by an Copyright © Luke Schultink.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge as seen from the Opera House.
The bridge as seen from the Opera House. If you look carefully you can see a party of bridge climbers just returning from their climb to the top of the bridge.
Copyright © Willem Schultink

When the bridge was opened in March 1932 the then Premier of New South Wales Jack Lang was upstaged by a Captain Francis de Groot who came charging through on his horse and slashed the ribbon with his sword before Mr Lang had a chance to cut it!

The arch itself is just over half a kilometre long (503 metres), and the whole bridge is more than twice that at 1149 metres. When they designed it they left 49 metres underneath so ships can easily pass through. The Bridge deck is a massive 49 metres wide, and has a six lane roadway down the middle which carries 100 000 vehicles a day. On the western side there is a train line, as well as lanes of traffic, and on the eastern side there is is a pedestrian walkway.

Did you know?

Before they opened the bridge in 1932 they tested it by parking 96 steam locomotives on it in various configurations. There were no problems, and the bridge has worked well ever since.

Sydney and the Harbour Bridge, New South Wales, Australia.
A familiar sight to Sydneysiders. Sydney and the Harbour Bridge, New South Wales, Australia.
Copyright © Willem Schultink

Though it is a beautiful structure, the Sydney Harbour Bridge requires constant maintenance. When they put the first three coats of paint on it, it took 272 000 litres to do it. The bridge has to be repainted all the time – its a constant job. As soon as they have finished they start again. That’s why the Australian actor Paul Hogan had a job there – painting the bridge!

They have even developed a special paint for the job. It dries out within a few seconds so that any paint drops are dry by the time they get to the cars far below.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge from Circular Quay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge from Circular Quay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Copyright © Koole Imaging
The Sydney Harbour Bridge from the railway station.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge from the railway station. It’s a pretty neat view to have when waiting for a train. Almost like a painting on the wall! December 2022. Copyright © Gordon Cheng

Interesting facts and figures about the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Length of arch span503 metres
Height of top of arch134 metres above mean sea level
Height to top of aircraft beacon141 metres above mean sea level
Clearance for Shipping49 metres
Height of Pylons89 metres above mean sea level
Width of deck49 metres
Base of each abutment tower68 metres across and 48 metres long (two pylons rest on each abutment tower)
Total length of bridge1149 metres including approach spans
Bearing PinsEach of the four pins measures 4.2 metres long and 368 millimetres in diameter
Thrust on bearingsUnder maximum load approximately 20,000 tonnes on each bearing
Number of rivetsApproximately 6,000,000
Largest rivetWeighed 3.5 kilograms and was 395 millimetres long
Longest Hanger58.8 metres
Shortest Hanger7.3 metres
Total weight of steelwork52,800 tonnes including arch and mild steel approach spans
Weight of arch39,000 tonnes
Rock excavated for foundations122,000 cubic metres
Concrete used for bridge95,000 cubic metres
Granite facing used on pylons & piers18,000 cubic metres
Allowance for deck expansion420 millimetres
Allowance for arch expansionThe arch may rise or fall 18 centimetres due to heating or cooling
Number of panels in arch28, each 18.28 metres wide
Record tonnage erected589 tonnes of steelwork was erected on the arch in one day on 26 November 1929
Paint required272,000 litres of paint were required to give the Bridge its initial three coats.

Strewth! That’s a big Pin!

  • 4.2 metres (that’s 14 foot!) long and 368 millimetres (14 and a half inches) thick.
  • There’s four of them to hold the whole thing up.
  • But then they need to be big – they hold up twenty thousand tonnes each!

Aussie Stories - telling about Australia in words and pictures


Aussie Stories - telling about Australia in words and pictures


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