ential ▁body ▁of ▁prominent ▁men ▁and ▁polit icians ▁that ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁under ▁the ▁chair mans hip ▁of ▁the ▁Lord ▁Mayor ▁to ▁over see ▁the ▁festiv ities . ▁The ▁celebr ations ▁included ▁an ▁array ▁of ▁decor ated ▁flo ats , ▁a ▁process ion ▁of ▁passenger ▁ships ▁sail ing ▁below ▁the ▁bridge , ▁and ▁a ▁Ven et ian ▁Car n ival . ▁A ▁message ▁from ▁a ▁primary ▁school ▁in ▁Tot ten ham , ▁ ▁away ▁in ▁rural ▁New ▁South ▁Wales , ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁bridge ▁on ▁the ▁day ▁and ▁was ▁presented ▁at ▁the ▁opening ▁ceremony . ▁It ▁had ▁been ▁carried ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁from ▁Tot ten ham ▁to ▁the ▁bridge ▁by ▁rel ays ▁of ▁school ▁children , ▁with ▁the ▁final ▁relay ▁being ▁run ▁by ▁two ▁children ▁from ▁the ▁nearby ▁Fort ▁Street ▁Boys ' ▁and ▁Girls ' ▁schools . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁official ▁cer emon ies , ▁the ▁public ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁walk ▁across ▁the ▁bridge ▁on ▁the ▁deck , ▁something ▁that ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁repeated ▁until ▁the ▁ 5 0 th ▁anni versary ▁celebr ations . ▁Est im ates ▁suggest ▁that ▁between ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁one ▁million ▁people ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁opening ▁festiv ities , ▁a ▁phenomen al ▁number ▁given ▁that ▁the ▁entire ▁population ▁of ▁Sydney ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁ 1 , 2 5 6 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁There ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁numerous ▁prepar atory ▁arrang ements . ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁March ▁ 1 9