| The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of those icons | | | | Harbour Bridge. |
| of Sydney, it is one of the best known tourist | | | | Today the Harbour Bridge has many uses. Firstly |
| icons in the world really and it is true to say that | | | | and probably primarily it is a major road between |
| almost everyone is familiar with it. | | | | the northern suburbs, populations of Sydney and |
| When you think of Sydney, along with the Opera | | | | the Sydney Central Business District. |
| House in Sydney Harbour, we think about Sydney | | | | There are six right lanes, three to four lanes |
| Harbour Bridge. | | | | either way of thick traffic, particularly during peak |
| A little bit of history on the Harbour Bridge. | | | | hour it could get very congested. So it is a big |
| Sydney Harbour Bridge joins the Sydney CBD to | | | | thing the fact that there is traffic there. There is |
| the northern suburbs of Sydney, which is north | | | | also a train line that goes each way across it for |
| Sydney, which is again a business area. But to the | | | | the same kind of thing. |
| northern suburbs which is essentially a link to | | | | There's also a pedestrian access on the eastern |
| those residential areas. | | | | side, you can actually walk by pedestrian access |
| The Bridge itself is 503 metres long, so it is a | | | | and we'll talk a little bit about that in a minute, |
| fairly long Bridge and it is 134 meters above the | | | | about how you can do that. Hundreds of |
| sea level, so it is a very high Bridge. | | | | commuters actually walk across Harbour Bridge |
| Now, some interesting trivia this Bridge was | | | | to get to and from the city to go to work |
| opened in 1932 and this quite interesting story | | | | everyday. So this is a serious pedestrian |
| that comes along behind it. The story goes that | | | | thoroughfare to get from the north side down to |
| on the 19th of March 1932, it was a huge | | | | the south. |
| occasion after many years of building this Bridge, | | | | Interestingly enough, also there's every year in |
| an enormous crowd had gathered on the Bridge | | | | Sydney they have a running event, a marathon |
| itself and around Sydney's foreshore both on the | | | | running event called The Bridge Run or The Bridge |
| CBD side and the north Sydney side. | | | | Marathon. What this is, is as the name implies it is |
| People had gathered to see the official opening of | | | | a running event of varying lengths, but a key |
| this Bridge. One of the ceremonial things that was | | | | focus of the running event is actually running |
| to happen, was that the Premier, the | | | | across the Harbour Bridge. |
| head-of-state for the state of New South Wales | | | | I have participated in this and it is fantastic event |
| would declare the Bridge open and would slash a | | | | and it really is something, and they close up all the |
| ribbon, which was sitting across the Harbour as a | | | | traffic obviously. And as far as the eye can see, |
| ceremonial signification of opening the Bridge. | | | | thousands of people running across that Bridge |
| There is a fantastic idea, but there was certain | | | | embarking on their marathon or half-marathon or |
| people that had a different idea. At the time there | | | | fun-run, varying distances are available. |
| was a para-military group called the New Guard, | | | | So that is another use, and that is really only once |
| who firmly believed amongst other things (they | | | | or twice a year that they run those runs and it |
| were firm Monarchists) that it was appropriate | | | | causes a lot of problems for the traffic, because |
| that a member of the royal family would actually | | | | you have to re-route it in different ways. But it is |
| open the Harbour Bridge by cutting the ribbon. | | | | one of the ways, that Sydney siders use their |
| So vehemently did they believe this, they took | | | | bridge, it affords magnificent views as well. |
| real offence to an Australian head-of-state | | | | When you are actually on the bridge walking |
| actually cutting the ribbon. | | | | across it, beautiful views of the Harbour and the |
| A General by the name of Capt. Francis de Groot, | | | | foreshores by following the northern or the |
| who was a representative of this group was on | | | | southern side is pretty good. |
| horse back and he positioned himself quite close | | | | Another big one which you have probably seen on |
| to where the ribbon was waiting for Premier Lang | | | | television is New Year's Eve. Now what Sydney |
| to arrive. | | | | has done in every since well it will be many years |
| Just before the Premier got there, de Groot | | | | now, since well before 2000, is that the Harbour |
| mounted on his horse galloped forward, pulled out | | | | Bridge itself because it so such a public high icon, |
| his sword and slashed the ribbon, and declared the | | | | thousands and thousands of fireworks are actually |
| Bridge open in the name of the decent citizens of | | | | fired from there at midnight on New Year's Eve. |
| the New South Wales. | | | | It's a focal point there, it is zoomed all across the |
| De Groot was subsequently arrested and taken | | | | world and very much from Sydney, at midnight |
| to a psychiatric hospital, where they found him | | | | everyone knows to look to the Harbour for the |
| sane, but he faced a fine and a charge for | | | | fireworks that run 15 to 20 minutes. And really is |
| offensive behavior in a public place. Anyway, | | | | a New Year's Eve spectacle. |
| interesting little bit of trivia in the history of the | | | | |