The formal proceedings on 19 March 1932 were arranged by staff within the NSW Premier's Department directed by Clifford H Hay, the Organising Secretary for the official opening. Guests included the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, the state Governors of Victoria and South Australia and their 'ladies', other representatives from state and federal governments, and members of the legal, academic and military spheres. Officiated by the Governor of NSW, Sir Philip Game, the ceremony saw the reading of ten speeches congratulating everyone from the government to the contractors, engineers and workers for their achievement. The proceedings acknowledged the bridge's beauty and its embodiment of pride and hope and witnessed the unveiling of commemorative plaques and the inaugural unfurling by the Lord Mayor, Samuel Walder, of the flag of the City of Sydney. Governor Game opened the ceremony with a message from King George V, congratulating Sydney and all involved in such a 'magnificent triumph of engineering skill' and expressed his hope that the bridge 'may be a means of increasing the prosperity' of Sydney and New South Wales.

Sir Philip Game Speaking photographer unknown, 19 March 1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge Photographic Albums 1923

Barbara Robinson from Collaroy Plateau
My husband Richard and I were employed at North Sydney Council during the 1950's and worked in the Health Department with the head Mr. Ben Wellington. At the time of the bridge opening he was chauffeur for the Council and was the first car to travel across the bridge driving the then Mayor or North Sydney. We were all fascinated with his wonderful stories from that memorial day. We thank those responsible for this wonderful exhibition we see here today.

Charles Martin Horne from Ipswich UK
I have in my possession a piece on the opening ribbon which is signed by DeGroot and has has come to me from my mother - Mrs Freda Martin. The Martin family moved to Sydney in 1922 as my Grandfather Alf Martin came to establish a Sydney base for Dorman Long & Co.Ltd, two years before the contract for the Bridge was signed in 1924. My grandfather Alfred Martin was assistant to Lawrence Ennis on the Bridge project and looked after the procurement of materials and personnel. Alfred's brother Henry Martin moved to Sydney in 1925 to take charge of the Workshops.In a two part article printed in Sydney Morning Herald in 1930 by Lawrence Ennis he payed tribute to Henry saying " In conclusion I wish to mention that every credit is due to Mr H. Martin,the Bridge Shop Manager, and his assistants for the accuracy of the erection to date, which in a previous statement to the Press I described as "extraordinary" ". A fitting tribute to Henry. One of Alfred's duties on the Opening day of the Bridge was to look after the opening scissors presented by Dorman Long and my mother told me he had a very restless night as he put them under his pillow. On the opening day my mother Freda aged 12 presented flowers to Mrs Lang on the dias on behalf of Dorman Long. As a souvenir she was given a large length of the blue ribbon after the dramatic incident of the ribbon cutting by De Groot. DeGroot wanted to get hold of a piece of the ribbon after he had managed to pull off his audaciuos protest against the Lang's labour government.He asked Alfred for a piece of the ribbon but he declined to want to get involved as negociations for payent to Dorman Long were still ongoing .Alfred said that his daughter Freda had been given a long length of the ribbon and he would ask her for a piece of it. As a thankyou DeGroot sent a signed piece of the ribbon in a picture frame and presented it to Freda with an autographed photograph of himself slashing the ribbon. After returning to Middlesbrough England with her family in 1933 my mother told me of many memories of her time in Sydney and her time at Sydney Church of England Girls Grammer School (SCEGGS) Freda Martin did manage to return to Sydney in 1982 for the 50th anniversary and addressed the school at assembly describing her School days from the twenties.

Claire Keoghan from Armidale, NSW
I have an invitation to the opening of the Bridge, sent by The Government of New South Wales to my maternal grandparents Mr. and Mrs. T.Egan. My grandfather,Thomas Egan was at that time, I believe, Head of the Child Welfare Department for the NSW Government. I was not born till two years later but as a small child remember them telling tales of the great day whenever we crossed the Bridge.

Donald Amey from Tadcaster, Yorkshire, UK
My father Henry Dean Amey of Sunderland England, (named after Henry Dean of Sydney) was an engineer on the Port Hobart, one of the ships bringing the steel across from Middlesbrough to Sydney. He was present at the opening ceremony and was proud to hand on to me his souvenir brochure and other documents, which I still have in my possession. I am delighted to be visiting at the 75th anniversary of the opening of the bridge, having heard so much about it from childhood onwards.

Patricia Bethune from Thirlmere
My grandfather (John George Kilburn) was an MLC and was at the bridge opening with my grandmother , Elizabeth and the Garden party afterwards.

Patricia O'Donnell from Green Point Central Coast
I have an original invitation to the opening of the Harbour Bridge to my deceased grandparents.This is gold embossed by NSW Government to Mr & Mrs K.N. Carruthers by his Excellency the Governor Sir Phillip W. Game. The invitation is to the Official Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge by the Memorable J.T.Lang Premier and Colonial Treasurer for Saturday 19th March 1932.

Ruth de Montfort from Balgowlah
As an employee of the NSW Government department of works my maternal grandfather Alfred Thoman Hyem participated in blueprinting the plans for the Harbour Bridge. He and my grandmother Agnes Australia Hyem were invited to the opening and sat in the third row from the front. My grandfather was convinced that De Groot did not succeed in cutting the ribbon.