Pylons, Parks and Poetry

Explore the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s past, and its people, with Frank Johnson, former Chair of Engineering Heritage Sydney.

Most people have walked across it, ridden over it, taken the train across it and perhaps even climbed it, flown over it or sailed under it. And poet C.J. Dennis described it as “that arch that cut the skies” in his poem “I dips me lid”, penned to celebrate the opening in 1932.

Hear about Dr JJC Bradfield (1867-1943), chief engineer for the Bridge and the Metropolitan Railways, the former streets and houses of Milsons Point that were demolished and the landscape of Bradfield Park on the northern side.

Pylons, Parks and Poetry is part of the Australian Heritage Festival 2025.

Image: Percy James Bryant (1935) provided courtesy of the City of Sydney Archives