CARNIVAL IN SYDNEY

Southland Times, Issue 21659, 22 March 1932, Page 7

CARNIVAL IN SYDNEY

BRIDGE OPENING CELEBRATIONS. FESTIVAL AT NORTH SHORE, (United Press Assn. —By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 9.25 p.m.) Sydney, March 21. The carnival spirit prevails in Sydney. The chief attraction to-day was the opening of the Royal Show in ideal weather. With racing men the only topic was Phar Lap and the Randwick carnival beginning on Saturday. fjtill another bridge festival was staged to-day, this time at North Sydney, where to commemorate the linking of North Shore with the city a spectacular procession passed along the main streets to the local recreation ground. All sorts of attractions were provided, not the least important being a bowling carnival at which were representatives of all the states and New Zealand. There was a stirring naval and military tattoo at the Showgrounds to-night. Over 1,000,000 people in trains, trams and vehicles and on foot crossed the Harbour Bridge in the first 24 hours. Thirty thousand vehicles also went over. The toll revenue yesterday totalled £l5OO. HISTORY OF BRIDGE PROJECT FIRST MOOTED LN 1815. STORY OF ITS CONSTRUCTION. The completion of the bridge is undoubtedly an epochal event of historic and economic importance to Australia and, therefore, a brief survey both of the course of its construction and the undertaking itself, should make interesting reading. Away back in 1815, Mr Francis 11. Greenway, the Government Architect, first proposed the project, but nothing of a material nature resulted from his suggestion. Forty-two years later, a Sydney engineer, Mr Peter Henderson, presented the first recorded drawing of a bridge designed to join the northern and southern shores, and in the years following other names were associated with bridge proposals. A floating bridge, a truss bridge of seven spans, a high level bridge, a suspension one. and even the idea of tunnels, in contradistinction, were each mooted, but nothing eventuated in furtherance of the schemes. The work of these earlier planners was not entirely in vain. Public imagination was stimulated, anti the bridge idea began to gain ground. A Royal Commission of inquiry was appointed, but there followed a period of reaction. The first definite action was taken by the late Mr E. W. O’Sullivan, when Minister of Works in 1900, for he called for competitive designs and tenders. In response, 24 schemes were submitted, but after mature consideration were rejected. As years passed, the prospects of bridging the harbour became increasingly favourable, and finally, on March 24, 1924, the tender of Dorman, Long and Co., Ltd., for a two-hinged arch bridge in conformity with the specification wms accepted by the Government of the day.

The contract provided for practically the entire fabrication of the work locally, the tendered price being £4,217,721. The period of completion was fixed at six years from the date of acceptance. The fact that the bridge was to incorporate members greater both in size and weight that hitherto fabricated and erected naturally meant that much experimental work, was necessary before the final details of the fabrication and the scheme of erection could be settled. While such preliminary work was being undertaken, the constructors also turned their attention to the opening up and equipping of a granite quarry at Mornya, New South Wales, to supply the 20,900 cubic yards of masonry required for the forcing of the piers and pylons of the bridge. Rapid production was essential and it was found necessary to bring a large number of masons from Scotland. With other workers, the total number, of men engaged at the quarry reached. 250, and for the housing of these workers and their families 72 cottages were erected, as well as a village store, post office and social hall.

For the erection of the bridge fabrication shops, the Government allotted a site on the northern side of the harbour on the .waterfront adjacent to the bridge, and some 55,000 cubic yards of rock and earth were excavated before the erection of the shops could be commenced. By September, 1926, piers wore built ready for the reception of the approach span steelwork, while excavations were proceeded with for the base of the main pylons. Then followed the erection of the main arch and that of both the half arches. The first closure was effected at 4.15 p.m. on the afternoon of March 19, 1930, but there was a subsequent slight opening with the contraction in the cool of the evening. Slacking of the cables was continued without intermission, and the final closure was made at 10 p.m. the same day. Next morning the Union Jack was flown from the jib of one creeper crane and the Austra-

lian Ensign from the other, to signify to the city that the arch had been successfully closed. Then followed the erection of the hangers to support the deck and the construction of the deck itself. Within nine months of the closing of the arch, the steel-work erection of the deck was completed, including all hangers, cross-girders, bracing, railway and roadway stringers and pressed plates from the deck. The roadway was concreted and then came the testing of the bridge itself. Every feature of the bridge scheme has been governed by probable requirements of the future. Coming generations are amply provided for. Provision has been made for four lines of railway, roadway for six lines of vehicular traffic, and two footwalks, each 10 feet wide. Some idea of the tremendous traffic stream can be gauged by the fact that when the structure is working at maximum capacity, 128 electric trams, 6000 vehicles and 40,000 pedestrians will be able to cross in an hour.

It is estimated that the construction, resumption and all other costs approximate £10,000,000. The actual construction cost is about £6,250,000.