10 Facts about the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney, Australia’s most populous and arguably most impressive city, attracts tourists in their masses from all over the globe. With its sprawling beaches, stunning skyline, world-class cuisine and diverse shopping opportunities, Sydney is the perfect tourist destination for families, backpackers and surfers alike. However, regardless of who you are or why you’re visiting, some hotspots just can’t be missed.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks and a location that plays host to festivals, New Year celebrations and much more. However, even though the majority of tourists come here just for the spectacular view, most people remain largely unaware of its interesting history.

At Eastcoast Sailing, we give people the chance to relish the sight of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the deck of a luxurious chartered boat, yacht or catamaran. We believe that Sydney yacht hire represents the best way to observe this iconic masterpiece, whether you just want to take to the waters for an afternoon with the family or stay aboard one of our vessels overnight with your better half.

We welcome you to contact one of our professionals to learn more about the Sydney boat charter service we offer, and you can feel confident that our experienced guides will inform you of the Harbour Bridge’s significance in Australia’s history. However, to give you a taste of what to expect from boat hire near Sydney Harbour, we’ve detailed ten lesser-known facts about the bridge below.

Things You Didn’t Know about the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Here are ten interesting and mostly unknown facts about the Sydney Harbour Bridge so that you can be the conversation starter the next time you’re in the area:

  1. The Sydney Harbour Bridge wasn’t included in the annual New Year celebrations until 1996 despite being built in 1932. For the last two decades, the Harbour Bridge has been one of the main focal points of the festivities thanks to being the site of an extravagant fireworks show.
  2. Sydney’s current population is just over 4 million, making it the nation’s most-populous city, but that figure is dwarfed by the 6 million rivets alone that were required to construct the Harbour Bridge.
  3. It cost 4.2 million pounds to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and it took 55 years for that investment to pay off. Nowadays, 4.2 million pounds is equal to around $69.9 million.
  4. Although not the longest, the Harbour Bridge is the largest steel arch bridge on Earth, with a length equalling 23 swimming pools and a weight of approximately 9,600 Asian elephants.
  5. Its design is focused just as much on style as it as functionality. 272,000 litres of paint were required just for the first three layers, and the four pylons on either side of the bridge serve as nothing more than decorative features.
  6. Some would say that the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a birthplace of legends. Paul Hogan, who made a global name for himself by playing Crocodile Dundee, worked as a rigger on the bridge before entering the world of showbiz.
  7. It took an astonishing amount of labour to construct the Harbour Bridge over the best part of a decade. 1,400 men helped build one of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks, and, sadly, the task claimed the lives of 16 workers.
  8. Sydney Harbour Bridge is about 134 metres above sea level, though that height varies slightly depending on the time of year. Due to the changing outdoor temperatures, the bridge’s height rises and falls by about 180mm.
  9. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was built to benefit the city, but the cost of its completion came down to more than just money. 800 families were displaced without compensation to make way for the bridge’s construction.
  10. The bridge was completed in 1932, making this year it’s 85th

Without a doubt, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a must-visit landmark in Sydney, Australia’s largest city and most popular tourist destination. However, making the most of your time in Sydney means knowing where and how to witness the best views of the bridge and its surrounding sights.

What’s the Best Way to See Sydney Harbour Bridge?

Most tourists take a look at the Harbour Bridge by eating at one of the city’s many harbourside restaurants, and you can also see it up close by heading to the Sydney Opera House, another one of the city’s most impressive landmarks. However, if you’d rather see the bridge from a place that’s less crowded, you should think about trying something a little different to the norm.

You might enjoy viewing the bridge while walking along the Hermitage Foreshore track with the family, which starts at Bayview Hill Road, stops off at Milk Beach and ends at Nielsen Park. Alternatively, if you’d like a room with a view, you could consider staying at several harbour side Hotels with great views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Australia has hundreds of fantastic hotels, such as the voco Hotel Gold Coast so if you didn’t want to stay near the harbour, you’ll still have lots of choices when it comes to hotels!

However, many people would agree that the best place to capture the sights of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from is the harbour, which you can take full advantage of thanks to Sydney Harbour boat rental. Alternatively, you could call us to charter a yacht in Sydney so that you can relax in style while absorbing the views of the city’s most iconic landmark.

Learn More about Boat Hire in Sydney

At Eastcoast Sailing, we offer a range of harbour tours for individual travellers, couples, families and corporate retreats, and our excursions range in duration from a few hours to a couple of nights. Browse our website to learn more about the Sydney boat charter tours we offer, or get in touch with one of our professionals to find out about our tailored excursions.

We want to make sure that everybody can enjoy a unique experience while visiting Sydney, and we guarantee you’ll never forget a tour in a private yacht on the harbour that surround some of the most breathtaking sites in the city. Call us today on 1300 883 023 for more details on boat hire in Sydney.