Blue Plaque to honour 'Godmother' of Sydney Harbour Bridge
One of the unsung forces behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Kathleen Butler, will be honoured by a Blue Plaque in a new round of the popular program.
The plaque will celebrate Butler’s enduring legacy as the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s de facto project manager, tender manager, negotiator and publicist. Ahead of her time, Butler forged a path for women in engineering and STEM.
Known as 'the Godmother of the Sydney Harbour Bridge', Kathleen Muriel Butler (1891–1972) is not widely known outside professional spheres despite her significant input.
While her official job title was Confidential Secretary to Chief Engineer John JC Bradfield, Butler’s many roles included project manager, tender manager, negotiator, administrator and publicist for the Sydney Harbour Bridge project.
Nominated by Engineers Australia, Sydney Division, Butler’s trailblazing efforts are legendry in professional circles. The mega tunnel boring machine used in the Sydney Metro is named after her.
This plaque was chosen from 117 nominations made by the public and assessed by independent historians in the second round of the Blue Plaques NSW program. 14 new plaques will be installed in coming months, joining 35 already in place.
Blue Plaques NSW celebrates well-known characters many of us are familiar with, but also brings attention to lesser-known stories of people and events that shaped a particular community, town, or field of work or study.
Heritage NSW is working with experts and potential property owners to finalise the plaque’s location and once installed it will be listed on the Blue Plaques NSW website.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Heritage Penny Sharpe:
“The second round Blue Plaques recognises the diverse individuals, events and perspectives that make the history of NSW so intriguing.
“Whether you’re exploring Sydney’s CBD or taking a drive off the beaten track to regional towns like Grafton and Pambula, there’s a Blue Plaque for you to discover.
“The installation of each new plaque brings added interest to the heritage of an area, encouraging locals to explore their backyards, and inviting those from further afield to learn more about the history of these communities.”
Quotes attributable to Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich:
“This Blue Plaque for Kathleen Butler honours her key work on the Sydney Harbour Bridge project; from project manager, tender manager, negotiator and publicity agent.
“Kathleen Butler is unsung hero behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge who has left an inspirational, enduring legacy.
“We celebrate her lasting impact in the Women's Engineering Society and STEM, exemplified by the mega tunnel boring machine named after her in the Sydney Metro—a fitting tribute to her ground-breaking contributions.”
Full list of round two Blue Plaques
| Subject | Recognition | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Butler | A woman without formal engineering qualifications who had a central role in the development of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. | Sydney CBD |
| Emma Jane Callaghan | Aboriginal midwife, activist, nurse, and Indigenous Culture Recorder. | Phillip Bay, Sydney |
| Susan Katherina Schardt | Born blind, Schardt established the Commonwealth Home for Destitute Invalids, now known as Royal Rehab. | Ryde |
| Dorothy Simpson McGregor Drain | One of the first Australian female war correspondents, who reported on the Korean and Vietnam Wars. She was also a poet, columnist, and Editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly. | Glebe |
| Establishment of the first recorded life savers club | Founded in February 1907, the Bondi Surf Life Saving Club was the first recorded Surf Lifesaving Club in Australia. | Bondi |
| Sir William Dobell | A portrait and landscape artist and three-time winner of the Archibald Prize. | Wangi Wangi |
| Syms Covington | A cabin boy on the HMS Beagle who became assistant to Charles Darwin. Syms later worked as a businessman and postmaster in Pambula. | Pambula |
| Charmian Clift | A prolific writer and essayist. | Kiama |
| Pearl Mary Gibbs | A prominent female activist in the Aboriginal rights movement, Gibbs was heavily involved in the development of the Day of Mourning and the establishment of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. | Sydney CBD |
| Ioannis (Jack) and Antonios (Tony) Notaras | Greek immigrant businessmen known for establishing Grafton’s still-thriving Saraton Theatre. | Grafton |
| Beryl Mary McLaughlin | One of the first three women graduates of the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Architecture. | Wentworth Falls |
| Ken Thomas | Trucker and entrepreneur known for establishing the TNT transport empire and for his contributions to road safety. | Murrumburrah |
| Grace Emily Munro | Co-founder and first president of the Country Women’s Association. | Bingara |
| First release of myxomatosis | The CSIRO released myxomatosis in Balldale in 1950, to combat a severe rabbit problem. It was the world’s first successful biological program for control of a mammalian pest. | Balldale |