Iconic Aussie landmark turns 90

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of Australia's iconic landmarks.

It's our most photographed and recognisable landmark and it is to Australia what the Eiffel Tower is to France.

And the old girl has turned 90 years old.

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On March 19, 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in a ceremony that was marked by controversy.

New South Wales Premier Jack Lang was ready to declare the bridge open when Francis de Groot, a member of the New Guard of Australia, rode past on a horse and slashed the ribbon with a sword.

Since then the bridge, which is also known as the "coathanger", has been front and centre in protest marches, celebrations and massive New Year's Eve fireworks.

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Three-quarters of a million people crowded Sydney Harbour for the opening in 1932.

Among them was June Bollom.

She was just 13 days old and her father carried her across the bridge.

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Today, Ms Bollom has no memories of the day, but her parents often talked to her about it.

Peggy Lambert also has a personal attachment to the Harbour Bridge.

Her father, Tom Davidson, was one of 1400 people who worked on the construction of the bridge.

But it was Mr Davidson who had the honour of putting in the final rivet and was photographed as he did.

Ms Lambert remembers her dad talking about seeing fellow workers fall to their deaths on the job.

In total 16 died building the bridge.

There are happier memories for the Weatherdon family - Mark, Lesley and Gemma.

On March 15, 1996, Mark was rushing his heavily pregnant wife, Lesley, to hospital.

They didn't make it and Gemma was born in the back of the car in lane five.

"It is the first ice breaker that I think of now, when people ask me, 'Tell us something interesting about yourself,'" Gemma laughed.

For celebrated Sydney artist, Ken Done, the bridge brings nothing but happy memories.

He's painted it more than any other artist and made a decent buck out of it too.

"I'm still overwhelmed by the size and scale of it," Mr Done said.

"Sometimes I use Harbour Bridge paint. It's called Harbour Bridge grey.

"A couple of the guys who work up there painting the bridge, I went and talked to them once and they gave me a can of paint."