SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1930, Page 3

SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE

THE REAL DESIGNER, * DR BRADFIELD’S TRILLMPH. SYDNEY, Aug. 14. The happiest man in Sydney to-day is little ter Bradfield. For some time tnere has been quite a spirited verbal war as to what man can claim tlie high honour oi having designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge—in short, whether Dr Bradfield, the State •Government official or Air Ralph Freeman, consulting engineer to the bridge builders, Alessrs Dorman, Long and Co. is to go down to history in that connection. With Air Freeman’s return to Sydney from London, the controversy has again cropped up, although neither of the rivals is responsible for the fresh outbreak. The Public Works Department has now expressed the unequivocal view that the designer of the world’s biggest single arch bridge is Dr Bradfield, and not Air Freeman, and that, when time is ripe/ (presumably when the bridge is opened), it will throw the whole of its cards on t)ie table of public opinion, and confidently abide by the public's decision. Dr Bradfield scored another triumph some time ago, when the Government stood by him, and .thwarted an attempt by a section of the Press to upset his underground railway scheme at Circular Quay. A little, rather stout man—he is about the same height as “Billy” Hughes—with an enormous forehead, Dr Bradfield spends most of his waking hours either at his job or in lecturing at night- round the suburbs on the story and progress of his beloved bridge. He .Ims the unfortunate academic habit- of talking about engineering matters, if one goes to interview him, in technical language as puzzling as the new sales tax. He either leaves one in the clouds that way or immediately escoyts the interviewer to eually perplexing sets of weird-looking maps and diagrams. How he lectures on the bridge is simple, popular language is a mystery. The assumption is that he does, for the public flock to his illustrated talks.