AGY-1898 | Sydney Harbour Bridge Branch [Department of Public Works]

Full description

Background
The erection of a bridge to connect Sydney and North Sydney was first proposed by the Commissioner for Roads and Bridges in 1878,(1) but it was not until 1913 that the Parliamentary Standing Committee recommended that John Bradfield's design for a cantilever bridge be accepted. (2)

Some years elapsed before further progress was made, but in 1921 the Minister for Public Works instructed Bradfield to proceed with the preparation of plans and specifications for the bridge. (3) The Sydney Harbour Bridge Act was passed in 1922, and tenders for the bridge were called. (4)

John Bradfield was employed by the Railway Commissioners, but during the years 1921 to 1930 he was paid an allowance by the Public Works Department for his duties as Chief Engineer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. (5)

Sydney Harbour Bridge Branch
The Sydney Harbour Bridge Branch, headed by Bradfield, was responsible for the development and co-ordination of all major aspects of the work associated with the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Bradfield retired from the Railway Commission in 1930, but Cabinet preserved his status in the Department of Public Works and he continued to represent the Government as the Chief Engineer, Sydney Harbour Bridge until the bridge opened on 19 March 1932. (6)

Under the provisions of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (Administration) Act, 1932 the control of the Sydney Harbour Bridge was removed from the Department of Public Works and transferred to the Department of Main Roads from the date of its official opening. (7) However this did not occur until the end of 1932. For the period 24 June 1932 until 29 December 1932 the responsibility for managing the Sydney Harbour Bridge Account belonged to the Highway and Roads Transportation Branch of the Ministry of Transport. (8)

Endnotes:
(1) NRS 15436, Sydney Harbour Bridge Advisory Board, Report on designs and tenders submitted in connection with the proposed bridge over Sydney Harbour to Connect Sydney with North Sydney, 1903 p.1.
(2) Bradfield, John Job Crew in Australian Biographical Dictionary. Vol 7. pp.381 384, Melbourne University Press, 1979.
(3) NSW State Records, loc. cit.
(4) Australian Biographical Dictionary. op. cit.
(5) NRS12535.
(6) Australian Biographical Dictionary Op. Cit.
(7) Department of Public Works Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1933 p.7.
(8) Department of Main Roads Eighth annual report for the period 1st July 1932 to 30th June 1933 p.50 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1933-34 Vol. 1 p.666.