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Engineer John Bradfield established the design parameters, comp-leted by Dorman Long & Co. Sir John Burnet and Partners of London design-ed the decorative granite-clad Art Deco pylons.

Since BridgeClimb opened for business in 1998, more than one million people have climbed the Bridge. The 3.5-hour guided climb is well organized and exhilarating, and there’s no better way to appreciate the structure’s enormity and beauty.

The Southeast Pylon offers 360-degree views of Sydney and three levels of exhibition space exploring the Bridge’s genesis. A BridgeClimb ticket includes free entry.

Free highlights include a pedestrian and jogging path along the eastern side of the Bridge, and a cycle path along the western side.

Under the northern pylons, this small park commemorating John Bradfield offers unparal-leled views of the Opera House and Circular Quay. Directly beneath the Bridge is the bow of the original HMAS Sydney.

Beow the southern pylons is Dawes Point, where the colony’s first observatory was built in 1788. The park’s inter-pretation boards, and the excavated remains of the fort that replaced the observatory in 1791, offer an interesting perspective on the city’s development.

Over $3 million and 30,000 litres of paint a year are needed to keep the bridge shipshape. Before establishing himself as an actor, Paul Hogan worked as a painter on the Bridge.

When the Bridge opened in 1932, the toll for cars was 6 pence. Horse and carts cost 3 pence and sheep and pigs were a penny per head. The current toll for vehicles is $3.

Works by renowned artists such as Grace Cossington-Smith, Dorrit Black, Gwen Barringer and Henri Mallard reflect the optimism inspired by the Bridge in the midst of the Great Depression, and honour the bravery of its construction workers.

During the Great Depression 1,400 people worked on the Bridge while hundreds more worked for subcon-tractors. A plaque on the southern approach commemorates the 16 workers who lost their lives during construction.