The 90th anniversary of the opening of the Sydney Harbour bridge on March 19 has unearthed another local gem.
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Well-known locals, Rhonda and Arthur Moorhouse have been going through "cleaning up"" family records when they came across a photo of Rhonda's father Ned Bate, from Nowra and Jack Caddell, from Brundee, who were members of the 1/21st Light Horse NSW Lancers who were part of the 1932 bridge opening.
Local historian Alan Clark also documented in one of his popular Historical Happenings columns how a number of residents of Roseby Park participated in the official opening ceremony.
Some 25 residents of Roseby Park participated in the major event of 1932, and together with other Aborigines from La Perouse and the North Coast, they made up a group of 61.
Mrs Moorhouse said the photo of her father and Mr Caddell must have been "taken up at the opening somewhere."
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Mrs Moorhouse's father was born in 1901 so it is believed he was around 30-31 at the time the photo was taken.
He died in the early 1970s, aged in his 70s, with Mrs Moorhouse saying she can remember him talking about the bridge opening when she was young.
"I don't really recall what he said," said, the now 88-year-old.
Mr Moorhouse said it is believed the group rode their horses across the bridge as part of the opening ceremony.
There is mention on the NSW Lancers official website that they were also the "guard for the Governor General" at the official opening.
"We don't know where the photo was taken or who the other men in the photo are - we are thinking they might be from Sydney," Mrs Moorhouse said.
"We don't even know if there were other locals up there as well - we just know Dad and Jack Caddell, who's right next to him, were up there and are in this photograph."
"We have been cleaning out boxes of family records this one came up through Rhonda's family," Mr Moorhouse said.
"It certainly brought back some memories."
He said, while they have no records, they are assuming Mr Bate was part of the Light Horse for around 10 years.
"He would have been 14 or 15 when World War 1 broke out and probably joined when he was old enough, after the war was over," he said.
"So we're thinking from the 20s to 30s.
"Another piece of great local history and what a time to find it on the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Sydney Harbour bridge."
The couple also have a superb book, The Bridge, from the story broadcast by Dr JJC Bradfield, the Australian engineer, who was the chief proponent of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, overseeing both the design and construction.
The Bridge published by NSW Bookstall Co Ltd, Castlereagh Street, Sydney and wholly set up and printed by Pratten Bros Ltd Sydney is a superb 16-page book that tells the story of the bridge and takes you on a fascinating journey through its construction and includes some amazing photographs, including one of the large blocks of sandstone at Moruya Quarry being cut into stones for the bridge.
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