'... the Harbour Bridge’s de facto project manager, tender manager, negotiator and publicist ...
'Butler was without parallel anywhere in the world at that time, except for another bridge builder, Emily Warren Roebling, commonly described as the “woman behind the man who built the Brooklyn Bridge” in the 1870s ...
'When Bradfield was appointed as chief engineer of the Sydney Harbour and City Transit branch in the Department of Public Works, Butler was his first staff pick. [Game recognises game.]
'... she was in England – sent by Bradfield – leading a team of young male engineers supervising in London office of Dorman Long ...
'"... Mr Bradfield is the father of the bridge, but Miss Butler is the godmother,” the [1922] piece [in The Sunday Times] read.
'The newspaper quoted Mr A. E. Ellis, the manager of the Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory in the United States, who had studied Butler’s plans and specifications for the construction of the cantilever bridge across Sydney Harbour.
'It was a “more complete and comprehensive specification than any we have thus far encountered in our experience of inspecting large bridges”, he said'.
Salute to a legendary Australian engineer who finally gets her due!
#CNI
Jai Maa Saraswati!
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/not-a-girl-or-a-secretary-harbour-bridge-engineer-recognised-at-last-20240806-p5jzut.html