Big celebration in Sydney Town today. Our bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge aka The Coathanger was completed 75 years ago. We've had replicas of the Bounty, The Endeavour and the Duyfken sailing past our home. The bridge itself is being closed to traffic and opened to walkers who will be invading the old dear, en masse. Apparently some 250,000 people will be walking across the bridge today.
While the Opera house is today seen as the symbol of Sydney for old farts like me it is the bridge that is a far more evocative icon.
Of interest is the fact that when the bridge was due to be opened by the then Premier of NSW, Jack Lang a bloke by the name of De Groot rushed in and slashed the ribbon. DeGroot was a member of a far right wing organisation called the New Guard and he was incensed by the fact that a socialist premier was going to open the bridge and not a member of the Royal Family. BTW they really threw the book at De Groot. Fined him $10.00. Harsh justice in those days.
