Francis Edward de Groot (1888-1969) was born in Dublin and came to Australia in 1910. He served with the British cavalry in World War One after which he established an antique dealership in Sydney. He also managed a fine art gallery for Angus and Robertson's. In 1931 he joined Eric Campbell's New Guard which was a para-military organisation with monarchist loyalties and was strongly opposed to communism and the Labor Premier Jack Lang. De Groot is best remembered for charging up on horseback to cut the ribbon with his sword at the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 19 March 1932. He did this out of protest because Lang, not the Governor-General was performing the opening ceremony. An initial charge of insanity was dismissed and de Groot was fined a total of 9 pounds for offensive behaviour. He returned to Dublin in the late 1940s where he later died.
