29/05/2026
Sentimental Saturday
A Postcard in the collection. A Sands printed postcard. Photographer Capt. Frank Hurley. Not dated.
Sydney Harbour Bridge c1951. Between March 1932 and June 1958, electric trams crossed one of the world’s most recognisable bridges — the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The tram tracks across the bridge, linking North Sydney with Wynyard, were originally designed by Dr J.J.C. Bradfield to accommodate heavy rail services for his proposed Northern Beaches railway. However, with Australia in the grip of the Great Depression, funding constraints meant the railway extension was never constructed.
Instead, tram services from the once-busy Milsons Point and McMahons Point ferry wharves were diverted to operate across the new bridge, with the ferry-connected tram routes closing soon after the bridge opened. New cross-harbour tram services were subsequently introduced from Wynyard to destinations including Lane Cove, Chatswood, Northbridge, The Spit, Balmoral and Taronga Zoo.
Trams travelled along Blue Street, North Sydney, before entering Milsons Point Tram Station on the eastern side of the bridge approach via a dedicated tram-only overbridge spanning the roadway lanes. From there, they used tracks on the eastern side of the Harbour Bridge before descending into the underground tunnels near The Rocks for the short journey to Wynyard.
In this early 1950s photograph, an R or R1 Class corridor tram can be seen at left departing Milsons Point for Wynyard, while another R1 Class tram stands at the station awaiting departure on an outbound service.
Changing transport patterns and the rise of motor vehicle traffic led to the closure of the North Sydney tramway system in 1958. Following the closure, the tram tracks, Milsons Point Tram Station and the tram-only bridge were dismantled and removed. Bradfield’s proposed heavy rail link to the Northern Beaches was never completed, and the former tram corridors across the bridge were ultimately converted to roadway lanes.
