POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Reiss (Reisz) carbon granule microphone used at Sydney Harbour Bridge opening

Object No. 2007/147/1

The AWA microphone while significant as a rare example of a high quality Australian manufactured microphone of the period c 1930, is important primarily as one of the microphones used at the official launch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 19 March 1932 and because it has been signed by ten of the dignitaries participating in the opening. Of the ten the best known today are Jack Lang New South Wales premier, Sir Philip Game New South Wales Governor and JJC Bradfield New South Wales Chief Engineer. Their careers are summarised below. Lawrence Ennis was Director of Construction with Dorman Long, the British company contracted to build the Bridge, and became well known in that role, but the others are remembered for other reasons. For JJC Bradfield building the Bridge was the pinnacle of his career but he is also New South Wales' and one of Australia's most important, influential and visionary engineers. In bearing the signatures side by side of Governor Philip Game and Premier Jack Lang, the microphone stands as a link to one the most tumultuous periods in Australian and New South Wales politics. The opening of the Bridge was one of the few periods of respite for Premier Jack Lang at the time of the Great Depression when politics in New South Wales had polarised over economic issues. Despite having a high regard for each other, Lang and Game were socially and politically separated. Lang was at logger heads with the new Prime Minister Joseph Lyons, who was insisting on all State loans to the Commonwealth being paid. When Lang defaulted Game sacked the Lang government and appointed the opposition leader Bevan as caretaker Premier until Lang was defeated in the next election. The sacking took place two months after the opening of the bridge. The Bridge opening had its own drama when DeGroot and a member for the New Guard slashed the ribbon before the Premier had a chance to cut it. DeGroot was protesting that Lang should take it upon himself to open the Bridge instead of the King's representative - Philip Game. Jack Lang - The Premier John Thomas (Jack) Lang (born 21 December 1876, died 27 September 1975), also known as "the Big Fella", was a significant figure in New South Wales and Federal government and politics from the time of his election as a Political Labor Party (later Australian Labor Party) member to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1913 until his defeat as an independent member of the House of Representatives in the general election of 1949. Lang was Treasurer in the New South Wales Labor government of 1920-21, and Premier and Treasurer of the State twice (1925-27 and 1930-32). His first term brought many significant innovations, including child endowment, widows' pensions, increased workers' compensation rates, reversion to the 44-hour week, abolition of secondary school fees, and votes for all in local government elections. Lang's second term, which coincided with the worst years of the Great Depression, ended with the dismissal of his government by the State Governor (Sir Philip Game). Lang's dismissal arose from his defiance of the Commonwealth Government's financial agreements legislation Philip Game - The Governor Philip Game had a distinguished career with the Royal Air Force retiring as an Air Vice-Marshall before he was appointed as the Governor of New South Wales in 1930. At the time of his appointment Jack Lang was the Labor Premier of New South Wales they came from very disparate backgrounds and political leaning but apparently had a quite strong regard for each other. In 1932 two months after the opening of the bridge Game sack the Lang Government after Lang decided to default on loan repayments to the Commonwealth in favour of spending to stimulate the New South Wales economy. JJC Bradfield - The Engineer John Job C. Bradfield became the Chief Engineer for New South Wales and was associated with a great range of engineering works including the Cataract and Burrinjuck Dams, the Sydney Underground Railways and Brisbane's Story Bridge. He was, however, best known as one of the original designers of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (along with Ralph Freeman a consulting engineer to Dorman Long who disputed Bradfield's claim to being the designer). For his thesis on the design and construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city railway system, Bradfield was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science in Engineering by the University of Sydney, as well as the University medal. It is interesting to note that H L Primrose was North Sydney Mayor from 1926 to 1932 and later New South Wales Minister for Health. Primrose was a member of the New Guard, the right wing paramilitary group to which Francis Edward De Groot belonged. Matthew Connell, March, 2007