How transport infrastructure became an Icon: the social meanings of Sydney Harbour Bridge

<p dir="ltr">Sydney Harbour Bridge, a globally known landmark, is popularly referred to as an icon. This is curious for an old piece of transport infrastructure made from steel and stone, many of which are not bestowed with such status. All functional bridges offer safe passage over an obstacle and provide social benefits such as connecting communities and facilitating social inclusion. And yet, not all bridges are iconic. So, what, this thesis asks, sets the Sydney Harbour Bridge apart? What qualities converge to make it an icon, to shape its iconicity? </p><p dir="ltr">Known locally as ‘The Bridge’, the Sydney Harbour Bridge impresses by its massive scale; it is the largest steel arch bridge in the world. But it also has aesthetic qualities, as has the Bridge’s place on the Harbour, which in combination with its sheer size make it unique. Appearance that resonates with observers may be a prerequisite attribute of icons, but alone, so this thesis argues, it is not enough to generate iconicity. The Bridge is key transport infrastructure, and beyond that, a symbol of its city and a stage for special events and tourism, illustrative of its dual roles—symbolic and commercial. These aspects combine to attract the social participation of residents and visitors alike, and present unique opportunities for ‘placemakers’ and ‘place-marketers’. We are therefore dealing with a constellation of social significances that together help explain the Bridge’s enduring iconicity. </p><p dir="ltr">Unlike iconic buildings, bridges are under-researched, especially concerning their social meaning as connoted by the term ‘iconicity’. This thesis seeks to conceptualise and explain iconicity with specific reference to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in the hope that the findings may be useful to other researchers concerned with the social meanings of bridges and other landmarks. This aim is pursued by way of engagements with semiotics, urban and visual sociology, the analysis of archival records and interviews with expert informants. </p><p dir="ltr">Overall, the thesis finds that iconicity is socially conditioned and accepted through storytelling, but able to be felt in the presence of the Bridge, as explained by expert informants. Moreover, an archival review demonstrates that the Bridge’s iconicity is not a contemporary phenomenon but emerged at its inauguration, a lifetime ago. The thesis concludes that the Bridge’s iconicity is founded on three constitutive aspects: its monumental form, its place and ongoing place-making and place-marketing efforts.</p>