Historical Moruya Granite Quarry supplied Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons

When Sydney Harbour Bridge engineer John Bradfield searched for granite to coat the 290 foot high pylons at each end of the bridge, he found a small quarry on the north bank of the Deua River at Moruya that had been operating since 1850.

The quality of the granite, the quantity available, and the ease of transport - the quarry was on the river so rocks could easily be loaded onto a steam boat and sailed to Sydney - made Moruya the obvious choice.

The manager of the quarry at the time was John Alexander Gilmore, a Scotsman who had immigrated with his wife and nine children in 1924.

Moruya resident Christine Greig is the great granddaughter of Mr Gilmore.

She grew up hearing from her grandmother stories about life in Granite Town - the little village established neighbouring the quarry that housed the 250 foreign workers from 14 different nationalities. She heard stories about blasts from the quarry that shook goods off the shelves of the one co-op store in the town and rattled the desks of the 60-or-so students, one of whom was Ms Greig's grandmother, as they tried to study in the town's classroom.

Ms Greig has always been captivated by stories of the quarry, Moruya's connection to the Harbour Bridge, and her family relationship to one of Australia's most iconic landmarks.

Ms Greig was on a Year 6 excursion to the Harbour Bridge when the guide asked the class if they knew where the granite came from. He was shocked when Ms Greig shared about her great grandfather and the stories she'd inherited about the quarry.

"It was probably then that I realised how great this story really was," Ms Greig said.

Granite would be blasted away from the quarry face using blasting powder. Workers would then drill holes with compressed air into the surface of the rock. A guide and a wedge would be hammered into each of the holes, gradually splitting the rock.

Ms Greig said the workers would wait for the stone to "sing" as they hammered in the wedges, knowing the sound meant a clean break was only a few more swings away.

The granite would then be transported to the stonemason's shed, where it would be shaped using a hammer and chisel to within one quarter of an inch of the planned size.

The stones would all be laid out and fitted together at the quarry to ensure a snug finish.

Ms Greig's grandmother would visit her father at the quarry and see blocks neatly labelled with an N or S - north or south pylon - and a number in red paint so the giant stone puzzle could be fitted together again in Sydney.

Over seven years, 175,000 blocks - more than 50,000 tonnes - of Moruya granite were shipped to Sydney for the Harbour Bridge.

"Not one stone was rejected," Ms Greig said.

There were two recorded deaths at the Quarry - one in April 1926 caused by a crane accident and another where a worker was crushed by a piece of falling granite in 1927.

Ms Greig said her great grandfather was incredibly relieved when each piece of granite departed by ship, because it was another piece of the puzzle no longer under his responsibility.

This was especially true of a certain engraved stone - three metres long, 1.6 metres wide - which would become the Cenotaph in Martin Place. Other pieces of granite scattered throughout Sydney include the base of the Queen Victoria statue outside QVB in Sydney and the base of the James Cook statue in Hyde Park.

"It's incredible to think what was done at that period of time," she said.

"Nearly all of it was by hand.

"To think what was once there is amazing."

Every time Ms Greig visits Sydney, she makes sure to see the bridge. Whether flying over it, walking, driving or climbing up it, she is in awe of the grandeur and ingenuity of the now 91-year-old coat hanger.

"It's amazing to think that came from Moruya," she said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

While she was at university Ms Greig self-published a history of the quarry and its significance.

Not Forgotten: Memorials in Granite is now in its third edition.

The old quarry site is now Crown Land, largely overgrown and closed to the public. The concrete footing of the wharf where granite was loaded onto ships and some footings from Granite Town remain, but a road now cuts through the centre of the old quarry site.

In 2022, Ms Greig opened the gates for a public tour of the site to celebrate the 90^th birthday of the Harbour Bridge. She was overwhelmed by the community interest. On March 12, 2023, she is throwing open the gates again for another tour. She said running tours at the site was her "life long dream".

She would like to see the site transformed into a museum so the history of the granite and the creative engineering that made its quarrying possible is not forgotten.