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Sydney Harbour Bridge Overview

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks in Sydney, Australia. It is an imposing steel arch bridge extending from the Central Business District to the North Shore. The Bridge offers a spectacular view of the Sydney Opera House and the surrounding area of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is famous for being the world's largest steel arch Bridge. The best way to experience this phenomenal structure is to join one of the Climb Leaders and get to the top of the Bridge. 

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a colossal structure which took the efforts of over 1400 workers and a time span of 8 years. The bridge was put together using over 6 million hand-driven rivets into 53,000 tonnes of steel, thus completing the construction of the world's largest steel arch Bridge. A unique fact about this bridge is that it is continuously being painted mostly to protect it from outer elements and due to its humongous size by the time the painting is done it is time to start over and this cycle is unending. The steel arch of the Bridge actually changes in size; sometimes up-to 18 cm change in its height can be seen. The Bridge's workers and caretakers once included the famous Australian Actor Paul Hogan as a rigger and his job was to erect platforms so the painters could come. 

The arch of the Bridge is open to climbing and has had over 3 million visitors since 1998 that came for this adventurous trip. The view from the top of the arch is mesmerizing and unbeatable. Approximately 80 % of the steel used in the bridge was actually imported from the United Kingdom and this means that the steel has traveled halfway across the world to make this bridge. 


History of Harbour Bridge

The plans for building this bridge were proposed originally in 1815 by Francis Greenway to Governor Lachlan Macquarie. He even wrote a letter to an Australian newspaper in 1825, elaborating on the need for a bridge to connect the two sides of the harbor. Though his idea remained in public memory, it did not end up being executed.

In 1840, Robert Brindley, who was a naval architect, proposed a floating bridge, and in 1857 Engineer Peter Henderson ended up designing one of the first drawings. Finally, John Bradfield, who is now known as the father of the bridge, became the "Chief Engineer of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Metropolitan Railway Construction" in 1914. 

Initially, he had proposed a suspension bridge at the location, but later after visiting New York due to the First World War, and got inspired by the architecture and decided to build an arch bridge instead. This construction too was delayed, and finally took place between 1923 and 1932 when the bridge finally opened for the public. 

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Highlights

• The completion of this bridge signified Sydney as a modern city throughout the world due to its unique architecture and size. 
• Even though it was originally proposed in 1815, it was only in 1924 that Dorman Long & Company of Middlesbrough, England received the contract.
•  Over 2000 men were employed in the construction of the bridge, and the construction did have the element of multinational diversity to it. This is because people from different countries were employed in its construction. 
• Its construction was completed in eight years using 53,000 tons of steel. 
• Even though it was the NSW premier, John T Lang, who officially declared the bridge open, Captain Francis de Groot of the New Guard slashed the ribbon with his sword before it could be cut. 
• Before making the bridge functional various locomotives were positioned in diverse ways on the bridge to test its loading capacity.
• Around 79% of steel that has been used to build this bridge has been imported from England and rest 21% from Australia. 
• To give the bridge initial three coats around 272,000 liters of paint was used.
• Around eight hundred families living in the path of the bridge were displaced without any compensation.

How To Reach

Since the distance between these two destinations is roughly seventeen Kilometres, there are many ways to commute between them. 

By Car:

You can either choose to drive a rented car or hire a taxi or town car, which will take about sixteen minutes to reach Sydney Harbor Bridge from Sydney Airport. 

By Shuttle:

Alternatively, you can also take the shuttle from the airport to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which will drop you in about fifteen minutes. 

By Bus:

You won’t find a direct bus between Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Airport. You can board a taxi from the airport and it will drop you at Ward Theaters. From here you can board a bus to Town Hall Station and it will drop you directly at Sydney harbour Bridge.

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Best Time To Visit

Here are some of the best seasons when you can visit Sydney Harbour bridge. December to February is the best time to visit Sydney Harbour Bridge as the temperature remains extremely pleasant. You can also visit this bridge in moderate months like the days between April to May when the weather is a bit warm leading to less crowd. This also automatically means lower hotel prices and travel costs.

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Other Essential Information

Location:

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney NSW, Australia 

Timings:

Since the Sydney Harbour Bridge is operational, it is open throughout the day to traffic. However, if you are planning on climbing the bridge, you can choose any time of the day between dawn and dusk. 

Entry fee:

There is no entry fee. You can walk across the bridge for free. If you are in a vehicle, you might have to pay a toll, depending on the time of the day. The climber experience is, however, ticketed. Ticket prices for adults can range anywhere between 174(Rs 12,506.48) to 203(Rs 14590.90) dollars and for a child can range between 148(Rs 10,636.74) to 283(Rs 20,339.17) dollars.

Places to Visit near Sydney Harbour Bridge 

There are many fun places to visit near the Sydney Harbour Bridge like- 

  1. Sydney Opera House: This is a multi-venue arts center that hosts around sixteen hundred performances every year. These performances include dance, music, theatre, opera, comedy as well as ballet. You can also have scrumptious food at Bennelong Restaurant or Opera Kitchen located over here.
  2. Museum of Contemporary Art Australia: If you are an art lover, Museum of Contemporary Art should be a must-visit. It has the collection of the oldest artifacts from all over the world. The exhibitions held over here are always the next level and give you a glimpse of the rich history of Australia.  
  3. Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens: These sprawling gardens are replete with greenery and flowers that will definitely allure your senses. This is a must-visit place for any nature enthusiast. 
  4. Taronga Zoo: Housing species of animals from all over Australia, the Taronga zoo is one of the iconic landmarks of Australia. You can also feed the animals over here for a unique experience.
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Point of Interest for Sydney Harbour Bridge
Explore the Port Jackson Bay
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Explore the Port Jackson Bay

Port Jackson Bay is a Road and a natural harbour in Sydney, Australia and it is an inlet from the Tasman Sea. The Harbour shares its location with the Sydney Opera House and it is over 19 kms long and 55 square kms and it is one of the finest harbours in the world and it is also one of the natural harbours in the world. 

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Visit the Sydney Tower Eye
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Visit the Sydney Tower Eye

The Sydney Tower Eye is the ultimate viewpoint in the city of Sydney as it is the tallest structure and it is also known as the Flower Tower and the Big Poke. The Tower is also very famous for being the world's safest building that keeps it safe from extreme climatic conditions and earthquakes.

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Stroll around the Taronga Zoo Sydney
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Stroll around the Taronga Zoo Sydney

Taronga Zoo Sydney is a magnificent zoo with numerous exhibits including Cats of Asia, Dog Row, Wild Australia, Serpentaria, Moore Park Aviary and the Great Southern Oceans and it has many notable animals like the Porntip, Gung, Thong See and Like Chai. The zoo was opened on 7th October 1916 and it is spread over 21 hectares. The zoo is very famous due to the numerous exhibits that consists mostly of native animals due to Australia's strict import laws.

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Experience the Sydney Observatory
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Experience the Sydney Observatory

Opened in 1858 the Sydney Observatory is a listed heritage site in Sydney for the Astronomical Observatory, function venue, Science museum and much more. The facility is located on Observatory hill at Upper Fort Street, Sydney. Architects Mortimer Lewis and Alexander Dawson were hired on the project of the observatory's construction, the construction is in pure Italianate Architecture.

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Visit the Museum of Sydney
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Visit the Museum of Sydney

This museum is built around the remains of the old Government House which was the first of its kind in Australia and the museum celebrates the events and history that shaped and created the country of Australia. Here you will get to witness the history of Australia with your own eyes, the remains of the old Government House are within glass cases and can be viewed by visitors.

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Explore the St. Mary's Cathedral
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Explore the St. Mary's Cathedral

St. Mary's Cathedral is dedicated to the Mother of Jesus, Mary and it is the church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and it is also the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney. It was opened in 1928 and architects William Wardell and Augustus Pugin were hired to construct the Cathedral in Gothic Revival Architecture.

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Walk by the Hyde Park
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Walk by the Hyde Park

Hyde Park is one of the oldest parks in Australia and it is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. This popular attraction spans across a vast 16 hectares and its most famous feature is the Archibald Fountain which was built to commemorate the alliance between the French and Australians during World War I. 

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Visit the Sydney Opera House
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Visit the Sydney Opera House

Opera house is an example of innovative and unparalleled architecture from the 20th century. It is the biggest opera house in the world, closely passing the Teatro Colón. The Opera House of Sydney was completed in 1773 and was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites on 28 June 2007.

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Tourism Board Alliances

Sydney Harbour Bridge FAQs

How much does it cost to walk the Sydney Harbour bridge?

You don’t need to pay any fees to walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The visitors need to buy a ticket only to climb the bridge, which is said to be the experience of a lifetime. Ticket prices for adults can range anywhere between 174(Rs 12,506.48) to 203(Rs 14590.90. And for a child, it can range between 148(Rs 10,636.74) to 283(Rs 20,339.17) dollars depending on the time of day, duration of the climb, and other factors.

What is Sydney Harbour bridge famous for?

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is famous for being the largest steel arch bridge in the entire world. It is symbolic of Sydney and has played a pivotal role in turning it into a modern city because of its beautiful architecture and grand design.

Why was the Sydney Harbour bridge built?

Sydney Harbour Bridge was built to function as a connection between people living on either side of the Sydney harbor. This connection had actually been such a pressing need that the construction of such a bridge had been proposed in 1815 but took an entire century for the proposal to be followed. Many architects and engineers from Australia as well as other parts of the world contributed to the plan along the way. The fact that this plan stayed alive in public expectations is what aided it along the way!

What is special about the Sydney Harbour bridge?

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is famous all over the world for being the biggest steel arch bridge. It is 134 meters in height and is known to offer an amazing viewpoint from the top of the bridge. In fact, this unique shape of the bridge has earnt it a rather unusual nickname amongst the locals- they refer to it as the coathanger! Today, it has become an image that is synonymous not only with Sydney but Australia also.

Can you walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for free?

Yes, you can walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for free! It will take you around 15 minutes to half an hour to complete the walk, and the view along the way is absolutely breathtaking. Whether you are a tourist or a local, there is absolutely no charge or ticket to walk along the bridge. In fact, you can even cycle across the bridge! However, you need to buy a ticket to climb the bridge. The prices for this vary depending on the time of day, kind of climb, and age of climber.

Is Sydney Harbour bridge a suspension bridge?

No, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is an arch bridge. Interestingly, the original plan that was proposed for the bridge by Bradfield had the vision of a suspension bridge. But after visiting New York during the First World War, he got inspired and decided that an arch bridge would be the best. This bridge was finally built between 1923 and 1932.

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