The boy on the Harbour Bridge

The NFSA included this film in our Harbour Bridge curated collection. On 13 March, Seven News Sydney ran a story about the curated collection, including this remarkable footage. Journalist Chris Maher asked the public to help find Kenneth Jones and, less than 12 hours later, the Jones family reached out.

Unfortunately, Kenneth passed away in the 1980s, but he is survived by his wife Maureen, their five children, and several grandchildren. One of his granddaughters, Tahlia Jones, sent the NFSA an email:

'It’s not every day that you’re watching the news and a family member pops up. It’s sad that he isn’t here to share his experience with you guys. As a granddaughter of Kenneth Jones, seeing this footage makes my heart melt. It’s a shame I never got to meet him, so seeing the film is amazing! My brother, who looks up to my pop so much, is excited about all of this, and I’m sure my other cousins and relatives are happy to know about this.'

We also spoke with Maureen Jones, who said: 'I was a bit shocked. I knew about the Harbour Bridge story, but it sort of took me by shock when I saw it on TV last night. It was a surprise.'

We're very excited that the Jones family were able to see their beloved Kenneth again as a young child. It's a reminder of the power of the NFSA collection, and the thousands of stories preserved in it.

This article was first published in 2017. The text was updated in 2024.