Closing the Harbour Bridge arch

Amateur footage documenting aspects of the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The closing of the arch on the 19th of August, 1930 is shown.

A worker puts in rivets while another tightens nuts with a huge spanner. A ferry passes underneath the bridge and an intertitle explains this is 'The ill-fated Tahiti passing under for the last time'. Workmen climb into an open-air lift.

An intertitle reads: 'Standing room only- and 450 feet drop to the bottom.' A view of the span from the lift is shown as it descends. The men alight when it arrives at the bottom.

An intertitle reads: 'The 550 ton creeper crane. Lifting capacity 122 tons'. Crane driver shown sitting in cab of his crane talking on a telephone. Erection of last diagonal member on South side is shown with the intertitle '28,000 tons of steel being lowered into position'.

Shows the process of closing the arches using hydraulic jacks. Two men stand on the plate joining the arches. A Union Jack and an Australian flag fly from the top of the bridge.

Notes by Beth Taylor