SYDNEY: Australians on Saturday marked the 90th anniversary of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.A host of events littered Sydney's harbour as locals and tourists rang in the bridge's 9th decade of regular use, including a spectacular lighting up of the bridge at night, a number of pop-up art galleries and museums displaying the bridge's history, musical and dramatic performances, and a commemorative vintage train ride, reports Xinhua news agency.
Kicking off Saturday's festivities, a red F1 Vintage Electric Train and a New South Wales (NSW) Waratah Train, the city's most modern train, headed across the bridge in opposite directions -- a symbolic meeting of "old and new".
As the train rolled into the platform just north of Sydney Harbour Bridge, excited children and reminiscent seniors piled into the train for the historic ride.
Over the other side of the bridge performers and actors warmed up ahead of keen crowds. An actor dressed in newsboy attire from the 1930s passed out papers and touted facts about the bridge.
"Extra, extra read all about it, Sydney Harbour Bridge's construction used over 6 million rivets, " he shouted to passers-by.
Plaques lined the harbour with facts and stories about the bridge's construction and long history, and performers brought brightness despite the dreary grey skies.
More than just a tourist destination, the bridge was first opened for public use on March 19, 1932. To this day it joins Sydney's northern and western suburbs and continues to play an integral role in the development of the nation's largest city.
NSW Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott praised the bridge as a vital part of Sydney's history on how its citizens move around the city.
"On this day 90 years ago, the Sydney Harbour Bridge came to life, and so too did the vision of a modern Sydney. More than 1 million people crossed the bridge on its opening day in trams, trains and on foot, which was almost the entire population of Sydney at that time, " said Elliot.
Despite what the scale of the feat might suggest, its construction and completion came at a time of extreme poverty in Australia's Great Depression when unemployment hit a staggering 32 per cent in 1931.