Sydney Harbour Bridge

Photo albums, 1923-1933

This series (NRS-12685) contains 14 albums of c.2000 photographs documenting the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the turning of the first sod to the final steps of construction, the official opening and the early use of the bridge by the public.

The series consists of black and white photographs which were developed from glass negatives and pasted into large albums. One volume is devoted to the southern approach, two to the northern approach and 11 to the main bridge. Each photograph is captioned and almost all are precisely dated with the caption if the date is not incorporated into the image.

A selection from the collection

The albums dedicated to the approaches include the built environment of the immediate surroundings as well as the processes of demolition and excavation, road and railway construction, architectural details of stairways, and lighting installations. demolition and excavation work, the construction of the road and railway approaches, stairways with their architectural details, and lighting. The tollhouses and toll bars are shown as are the setting of the foundation stone and the erection of the various workshops.

The albums that focus on the main bridge illustrate the building of the retaining wall and abutment towers, pylons, steel castings, main bearings, spans, cross girders, and the roadway deck, as well as the railway, tramway, and footway.

Numerous photographs capture both idle and operational equipment, including various cranes, a plate mangle, hydraulic riveters, angle croppers, drilling machines, creeper cranes, power pumps, hydraulic jacks, and a painting gantry. Some components were fabricated off-site, with images documenting their construction and transport to the bridge. The granite slabs sourced from Moruya, NSW, are shown being quarried, cut, and finished, along with several photographs of the town itself.

Other images highlight the construction details, featuring component parts and close-ups of riveting and finishing processes. Key tests conducted during construction are also illustrated, such as strain, load-bearing, and shrinkage tests. Numerous views of the entire bridge are presented, both during construction and after its completion. Staff, contractors, and government officials are photographed while working on and inspecting the bridge, along with formal group shots.

Additionally, there are photographs of school children crossing the bridge shortly before its opening, as well as the first trams, trains, and private vehicles to use it. The official opening celebrations included water and aerial pageants, a procession, the delivery of a goodwill message, and a fireworks display. Spectators and the public crossing the bridge post-ceremony are prominently featured.

The collection also covers the construction of City railway stations at Town Hall, Wynyard, Milsons Point, and North Sydney, along with their surroundings.

Please note that 250 images are Closed to Public Access (CPA) under AD 413.