Sydney Harbour Bridge: The past in the present

The construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge was a story of tumult and triumph. The State Library of NSW's online resource and podcast The Bridge is a ... Skiptomaincontent Hidemessage Newsflash: TheMitchellLibraryReadingRoomisnowopen. Moreinformation › Youarehere:Home Learning SydneyHarbourBridge:Thepastinthepresent StudentsexploretheSydneyHarbourBridgethroughtime andreflectontheimportanceofhistoricplaces.  Keyinquiryquestion#1:  Whataspectsofthepastcanyouseetoday?Whatdotheytellus? Keyinquiryquestion#2:  Whatremainsofthepastareimportanttothelocalcommunity?Why? LearningIntention Wearelearningto:  understandwhytheSydneyHarbourBridgeisimportanttoSydney,nowandinthepast.  Successcriteria WhatI'mlookingfor:  IcanexplainwhytheSydneyHarbourBridgeissignificanttothelocalcommunity.  StudentActivities Activity1 Activity1 StudentsexploretheSydneyHarbourBridgethroughtimeandreflectontheimportanceofhistoricplaces.  Numberofsettasks:5 NSWSYLLABUSFORTHEAUSTRALIANCURRICULUMHISTORYK-10 Outcomes Content HistoricalSkills HistoricalConcepts LAC Outcomes HT1-2identifiesanddescribessignificantpeople,events,placesandsitesinthelocalcommunityovertime HT1-4 demonstratesskillsofhistoricalinquiryand communication  Content Theimportancetodayofanhistoricalsiteofculturalorspiritualsignificance;forexample,acommunitybuilding,alandmark,awarmemorial(ACHHK045)  Students:  Identifyahistoricalsiteorsitesinthelocalcommunity.  Discusstheirsignificance,whythesesiteshavesurvivedandtheimportanceofpreservingthem.  HistoricalSkills Comprehension:chronology,termsandconcepts Distinguishbetweenthepast,presentandfuture(ACHHS032,ACHHS048)   Useofsources Exploreandusearangeofsourcesaboutthepast(ACHHS034,ACHHS050)   Research Posequestionsaboutthepastusingsourcesprovided(ACHHS033,ACHHS049)   Explanationandcommunication Usearangeofcommunicationforms(oral,graphic,written,roleplay)anddigitaltechnologies(ACHHS038,ACHHS054) HistoricalConcepts Continuityandchange:somethingschangeovertimeandothersremainthesame Significance:importanceofanevent,developmentorindividual/group LAC Learningacrossthecurriculum Literacy Criticalandcreativethinking   Backgroundnotesforteachers TheconstructionoftheSydneyHarbourBridgewasastoryoftumultandtriumph.TheStateLibraryofNSW’sonlineresource andpodcast TheBridge isafive-partserieswhichtracesthejourneyofthisenormousundertakingandtellsthestoryofthepeoplewhomadetheSydneyHarbourBridgeareality.Itwasapublicworksfeatthatmadeitamarvelofitstime.  WhenEuropeansfirstsettledinSydney,theylivedaroundSydneyCoveonthesouthernsideoftheharbour.Asthetowngrew,peoplebegantomoveacrosstothenorthshore;however,theycouldonlygettothenorthsidebytravellingacrossthewaterbyboatorbylandaroundtheharbour.Soonpeoplebegantohaveideasaboutbuildingabridgetojointhenorthandsouthshores.  Itwouldtakeover100years,fourgovernmentbridgeplancompetitionsandover70designsforthoseambitionstoberealised. In1878afloatingbridgewasproposedtoconnectthetwosidesoftheharbour.In1885atunnelundertheharbourwassuggested.Sydneyandthenorthshorecontinuedtogrow.In1912engineerDrJohnBradfieldwasappointedtodesignabridgetospantheharbour, butconstructionwasdelayedwhenWorldWarIstartedin1914. TheStateLibraryofNSWhasmanydrawingsofsuggesteddesignsfortheHarbourBridge,andseveralalternatebridgedesignscanbeviewedin3DusingtheStateLibraryofNSW’s BridgeExplorer resource.   AfterWorldWarIthegovernmentdecidedtogoaheadwiththebridgewhichwouldbeasinglearchacrossthewater.Constructionwasstartedatthesametimeonbothsidesin1922andtheyfinallymetinthemiddlein1930.Thedeckfortheroadandtherailwaywereaddedlater.SydneyHarbourBridgewasofficiallyopenedon19March1932withahugecelebration.  SydneyHarbourBridgecouldhaveendeduplookingverydifferenttothebridgewehavetoday.Duringitsdevelopmentpeoplecouldhavemadedifferentdecisionsthatwouldhavechangedthewholething.Theycouldhavechosennottobuilditbecauseitwastooexpensive.Theycouldhavechosentobuilditinadifferentplace.Theycouldhavechosenabridgedesignthatlookedverydifferent. TheSydneyHarbourBridgeisnowan Australian iconandhashadenormousimportancetopeoplelivinginandvisitingSydneyforalmost100years.   Recommendedreading  TotheBridge:thejourneyofLennieandGingerMickbyCorinneFenton  TheDayWeBuilttheBridgebySamanthaTidy&FionaBurrows  LennietheLegend:solotoSydneybyponybyStephanieOwenReeder Jointheconversation NewsBlogsPodcasts Viewourmostrecentsocialmediaposts Viewalistofallouraccounts Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Flickr Pinterest HistoryPin