Medal from Sydney to People of Boro

fmttmadmin

Administrator
Staff member
The Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough has received a very special package from Australia, and it’s not a postcard to add to the museum collection.

A medallion celebrating 90 years of the Sydney Harbour Bridge has been sent to the museum to say thank you to the people of Middlesbrough for their continued friendship.

The medallions were made as part of the birthday celebrations and handed out to all Transport for NSW staff that work on the bridge with indelible lings to its North East birthplace.

Knowing the history that the bridge represents to the people of Middlesbrough, the team were delighted to send a medallion to the Dorman Museum, to go on display for all to see and enjoy.

Matthew Wilson, Executive Director of Transport for NSW, said: “I’m aware that you have other historical items related to Sydney Harbour Bridge in your museum.

“I hope this medallion fits seamlessly into your collections.

“We look forward to sharing many more years of connection with Middlesbrough through our shared history of the bridge.”

Councillor Stephen Hill, Middlesbrough Council's Executive member for Culture & Communities, said: “We can’t wait for everyone to see the medallion on display.

“The people of Middlesbrough are rightly proud of Dorman Long’s heritage of ‘building the world’ and all that it represents, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge is probably the most famous example of the major impact our small town has had on the world.

“Arranging a trip to the museum to see it has to be on your to-do list!”

  • The Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th birthday medallion is now on display at the Dorman Museum, alongside the silver plated ceremonial trowel presented to Arthur Dorman that was used to set the foundation stone of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1925.
The Dorman Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm, and admission is free.

(Councillor Stephen Hill pictured with the medallion)

sydney medal.jpg
 
Me grandad George would be pleased he was an overhead crane operator at the Cargo Fleet furnaces from the 1920s to the 1950s. The job took his life @ the age of 53. The crane operators had no enclosed cabins to protect them from the furnace fumes and smoke.
 
Last edited:
The Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough has received a very special package from Australia, and it’s not a postcard to add to the museum collection.

A medallion celebrating 90 years of the Sydney Harbour Bridge has been sent to the museum to say thank you to the people of Middlesbrough for their continued friendship.

The medallions were made as part of the birthday celebrations and handed out to all Transport for NSW staff that work on the bridge with indelible lings to its North East birthplace.

Knowing the history that the bridge represents to the people of Middlesbrough, the team were delighted to send a medallion to the Dorman Museum, to go on display for all to see and enjoy.

Matthew Wilson, Executive Director of Transport for NSW, said: “I’m aware that you have other historical items related to Sydney Harbour Bridge in your museum.

“I hope this medallion fits seamlessly into your collections.

“We look forward to sharing many more years of connection with Middlesbrough through our shared history of the bridge.”

Councillor Stephen Hill, Middlesbrough Council's Executive member for Culture & Communities, said: “We can’t wait for everyone to see the medallion on display.

“The people of Middlesbrough are rightly proud of Dorman Long’s heritage of ‘building the world’ and all that it represents, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge is probably the most famous example of the major impact our small town has had on the world.

“Arranging a trip to the museum to see it has to be on your to-do list!”

  • The Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th birthday medallion is now on display at the Dorman Museum, alongside the silver plated ceremonial trowel presented to Arthur Dorman that was used to set the foundation stone of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1925.
The Dorman Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm, and admission is free.

(Councillor Stephen Hill pictured with the medallion)

View attachment 44722
I worked on several major projects throughout my working life but nothing filled me with more pride
than working on the SHB for ten years. Working and climbing over every inch of that bridge with the name
Middlesbrough, my footy team and Dorman Long the place where my father and both grandads worked
was stamped on every piece of steel and everywhere you looked.

I will never forget the night all of us that had spent months of nights erecting the Olympic rings for the Sydney
games were taken to a reservoir in the eastern suburbs to get the best view as the electricians turned on
the lights for the first time.

Like everybody else, I was just standing around anxiously waiting for that special moment.
When that moment did arrive and the colours started to appear and become distinctive there was a huge roar
from the boys like the Boro had scored with lots of yahooing, jumping up and down and hugging.

Except from me. I suddenly and unexpectedly began to tremble and started to cry like a baby.
I was immediately overwhelmed with emotion and pride at the thought of how proud my father would be of me
if he were to be here with me right now. Thoughts of my grandfathers, " the Boro " and all the Boro lads that made
this steel and took part in the changing of the Sydney skyline and here I was changing that same skyline bursting
with pride, yet crying my eyes out.

All the lads were huddling around me, some laughing, others mocking me and others that smothered me with their
arms as they could visibly see that something was terribly wrong. The attention that I received made it even worse
as I pretty much broke down entirely and the lump in my throat was so huge I was unable to get out any words
of explanation.
On the way back to the bridge in the mini bus the engineer turned to me and said I didn't see that coming. I responded
with neither did I.
He asked me what was that all about.?

I told him that we will leave that for another day.
Where would one start to try to explain and how could they ever understand such feelings without knowing my history,
my roots, my family, my beloved Boro, the people of the Boro that shaped me into who and what I am feeling this day.?

I look forward to catching up with the boys when I go to Sydney at Xmas and hopefully will get to see their medallions
and will be sad that I wasn't still working there and having one of my own.

UTB
 
I really enjoy reading your stories Redblood. You write with such emotion about your family and experiences.
Thank you mate, that means a lot to me, but I'm sure that you or any other Boro fan that is passionate about
the Boro and its peoples would have had the same thoughts and emotions flowing through their veins had they
been in my work boots that night.

We tend to take our lives and people around us for granted and it's not until we leave it all behind that we realise
their importance and how much miss and love them.

I wish I had known beforehand that the sight of those lights coming on would destroy me as I would have happily
told the engineer to take the boys and that I will stay behind with the sparkies in case they need me instead of making
a complete fool of myself in front of my Aussie workmates.

Thankfully there was a redundancy package on offer within six months of us taking down the rings, which I happily
took and avoided many years of being made fun of. 🤣

However, I haven't entirely escaped as many have kept in touch and visited me in Qld and I often go to Sydney
and do catch up with them and, I, still to this day, twenty years later, are without fail, reminded of it. :mad: :D

At least the young guys that started on the bridge after I left who come for a drink at the pub know nothing
about it and I can totally deny that such a thing had taken place but I'm not certain that I'm getting away with it
due to the laughing responses from those that do know the truth. 🤣
 
You know I haven't been to museum for a few years. Time to go again maybe when I drop my coats off.
I visited it just before Covid, its quite impressive. I hadn't been there since I was a kid growing up in Linthorpe, so I was disappointed that the faded lion on top of the zebra were no longer there 😊
 
Back
Top