Like many conservative Australian world war veterans, De Groot joined the New Guard in Sydney; a right-wing, proto-fascist militia, which boasted a membership in excess of 50,000. De Groot infamously garnered an enduring notoriety in Australian folklore at the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on March 19th, 1932. Upon its completion in 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was the largest single-arch bridge in the world. Captain De Groot being dragged from his horse by policemen after he had forestalled the official opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge. His would-be nemesis, Premier Lang had been dismissed by the Governor of NSW within two months of the bridge’s opening, thereby effectively ending his political career.

Source: The Irish Times March 26, 2018 10:07 UTC