1984: The Opening Ceremony for a Bridge in Tasmania

February 23. 1984

On the Australian island state of Tasmania, the Bowen Bridge in the city of Hobart was dedicated. This 3,202-foot (976-meter)-long segmental cantilever bridge carries Goodwood Road (Route B35) across the River Derwent. The Bowen Bridge serves a key link for motor vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists traveling between the eastern and western areas of Tasmania’s capital and most populous city. The bridge was named after John Bowen (1780-1827), an English Royal Navy Officer who established the first European settlement in what is now Tasmania.

Construction on the Bowen Bridge began in the aftermath of a deadly accident on the river that occurred on January 5, 1975. That evening, the Australian National Line’s bulk carrier SS Lake Illawarra smashed into several pylons of the Tasman Bridge — located just a few miles (kilometers) north of the present-day Bowen Bridge — and this collision resulted in a large part of the Tasman Bridge’s deck collapsing both onto the vessel and into the river.

Twelve people altogether were killed in this accident; they were seven crew members aboard SS Lake Illawarra and five individuals in a total of four automobiles that fell 150 feet (45 meters) into the river. The ship’s master (captain) was eventually penalized for failure to operate the vessel in an appropriate and safe manner.

The Bowen Bridge was officially opened a little over nine years after that disaster. Bob Hawke (1929-2019), who served as prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, presided at this dedication. In his remarks that day, he underscored both the safety and aesthetics of the new bridge.  Hawke said, “The designers of the bridge were careful that is should not only be strong enough to withstand a direct collision by a ship but it should also blend in with the surrounding landscape.” Hawke further stated, “You will agree that the graceful design and the pleasant curves of the road approaches all combine to enhance the scenic view of this part of the Derwent Valley.”

Photo Credit: Wiki ian (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wiki_ian) — licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

For more information on the Bowen Bridge, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowen_Bridge

Australian prime minster Bob Hawke’s speech at the opening of this bridge is available at https://searchlibrary.adelaide.edu.au/discovery/fulldisplay/alma9916006876001831/61USOUTHAUS_INST:Archives