Editing Sydney Harbour Bridge (section)

===Early proposals===
[[File:Sydney harbour Bridge 1857 SLNSW FL6257399.jpg|thumb|Proposed bridge from near Dawe's Point, Sydney, 1857]]
[[File:Sydney Harbour Bridge designs submitted, 1900.gif|thumb|upright|Sketches of designs submitted when tenders were called for a harbour crossing in 1900]]
[[File:Ernest Stowe Proposed Sydney Harbour Bridge.jpg|thumb|alt=Sydney Harbour Bridge design proposed by Ernest Stowe|Three-span bridge linking [[Millers Point]] with [[Balls Head Reserve|Balls Head]] and [[Balmain, New South Wales|Balmain]], proposed by Ernest Stowe in 1922]]
There had been plans to build a bridge as early as 1814, when [[Convicts in Australia|convict]] and noted architect [[Francis Greenway]] reputedly proposed to Governor [[Lachlan Macquarie]] that a bridge be built from the northern to the southern shore of the harbour.<ref name=culture.gov /><ref name="shb-archives37">{{cite web|title=Archives In Brief 37 – A brief history of the Sydney Harbour Bridge|url=http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/guides-and-finding-aids/archives-in-brief/archives-in-brief-37/|work=The State Archives|publisher=NSW Government|access-date=26 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218203227/http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/guides-and-finding-aids/archives-in-brief/archives-in-brief-37|archive-date=18 February 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1825, Greenway wrote a letter to the then "[[The Australian (1824 newspaper)|The Australian]]" newspaper stating that such a bridge would "give an idea of strength and magnificence that would reflect credit and glory on the colony and the Mother Country".<ref name="shb-archives37" />

Nothing came of Greenway's suggestions, but the idea remained alive, and many further suggestions were made during the nineteenth century. In 1840, naval architect Robert Brindley proposed that a [[Pontoon bridge|floating bridge]] be built. Engineer Peter Henderson produced one of the earliest known drawings of a bridge across the harbour around 1857. A suggestion for a [[truss bridge]] was made in 1879, and in 1880 a high-level bridge estimated at £850,000 was proposed.<ref name="shb-archives37" />

In 1900, the [[Lyne ministry|Lyne government]] committed to building a new [[Central railway station, Sydney|Central railway station]] and organised a worldwide competition for the design and construction of a harbour bridge, overseen by Minister for Public Works [[Edward William O'Sullivan]].<ref>{{cite web |title=A Short History of the Sydney Harbour Bridge |url=https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/documents/about/environment/protecting-heritage/harbour-bridge-history.pdf |website=Transport NSW |access-date=17 March 2022 |archive-date=18 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318082813/https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/documents/about/environment/protecting-heritage/harbour-bridge-history.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Edward Cruttwell|G.E.W. Cruttwell]], a [[London]] based engineer, was awarded the first prize of £1,000. Local engineer [[Norman Selfe]] submitted a design for a [[suspension bridge]] and won the second prize of £500. In 1902, when the outcome of the first competition became mired in controversy, Selfe won a second competition outright, with a design for a steel [[cantilever bridge]]. The selection board were unanimous, commenting that, "The structural lines are correct and in true proportion, and... the outline is graceful".<ref name="Freyne">{{cite book |title= Norman Selfe, Man of the North Shore|last= Arthur|first= Ian |year= 2001|publisher=unpublished essay submitted for the North Shore History Prize|pages=21–24}} Cited in {{cite web|url = http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/selfe_norman|title = Selfe, Norman|last = Freyne|first = Catherine|year = 2009|work = [[Dictionary of Sydney]]|access-date = 26 May 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120624064441/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/selfe_norman|archive-date = 24 June 2012|url-status = live|df = dmy-all}}</ref> However due to an economic downturn and a change of government at the [[1904 New South Wales state election|1904 NSW State election]] construction never began.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellmoos and Murray |date=2015 |title=Building the Sydney Harbour Bridge {{!}} The Dictionary of Sydney |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/building_the_sydney_harbour_bridge#:~:text=A%20design%20by%20the%20Sydney-based%20engineer,Norman%20Selfe%20was%20announced%20the%20winner.&text=A%20design%20by%20the,was%20announced%20the%20winner.&text=by%20the%20Sydney-based%20engineer,Norman%20Selfe%20was%20announced |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=dictionaryofsydney.org}}</ref>

A unique three-span bridge was proposed in 1922 by Ernest Stowe with connections at [[Balls Head Reserve|Balls Head]], [[Millers Point]], and [[Balmain, New South Wales|Balmain]] with a memorial tower and hub on [[Goat Island (Port Jackson)|Goat Island]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Design Tenders and Proposals|url=http://sydney-harbour-bridge.bostes.nsw.edu.au/building-the-bridge/design-tenders-and-proposals.php|publisher=NSW Government|access-date=3 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911105231/http://sydney-harbour-bridge.bostes.nsw.edu.au/building-the-bridge/design-tenders-and-proposals.php|archive-date=11 September 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McCallum|first1=Jake|title=Rare plans for the Sydney Harbour Bridge show how the iconic landmark could have looked|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/the-hills/lifeline-to-auction-off-plans-for-the-sydney-harbour-bridge-after-donation-of-rare-documents/news-story/81d30d48e90ca6e90b05c41136f3d46b|access-date=3 September 2016|work=Hornsby Advocate|publisher=News Corp Australia|date=8 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819131504/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/the-hills/lifeline-to-auction-off-plans-for-the-sydney-harbour-bridge-after-donation-of-rare-documents/news-story/81d30d48e90ca6e90b05c41136f3d46b|archive-date=19 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>