Pyrmont Bridge
Artist
Henry (Harry) Dangar
(Australian, born 1895)
Date1931
Object number00004854
NamePainting
MediumWatercolour on thick paper.
DimensionsMount / Matt size: 527 × 621 mm
Sheet: 320 × 425 mm
Sheet: 320 × 425 mm
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionA watercolour of the first Pyrmont Bridge by Henry 'Harry' Dangar painted in 1931. The painting depicts the Bridge soon after its opening in 1857 as evidenced by the man in the stove pipe top hat in the foreground and Saint Andrews Cathedral under construction in the background (which opened for services in 1868).
HistoryPyrmont Bridge in Sydney, Australia, is a swing bridge spanning Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour.
The first Pyrmont Bridge was opened in 1857. It was a wooden structure with a manually operated swing panel that allowed ships to enter the docks. In 1902 a replacement bridge was opened. This bridge, designed by Percy Allen, featured a new electric swingspann powered by the power plant at Ultimo. The bridge is still operating today and it is estimated to have opened over 600,000 times.
SignificanceThe Pyrmont area of Sydney was a central focus for quarrying and later the waterfront industries of shipbuilding, exports and imports. The bridge, orginally opened in 1857, became the vital link for the area and the inner west into the city.
