Lennox, David (1788 - 1873)

Summary

David Lennox's arrival in New South Wales opened a new chapter in the bridge-building history of the colony. He built a series of stone bridges, some of which are still standing. In 1844 he moved to Melbourne, where he had charge of all roads, bridges, wharves and ferries, acted as advisory engineer to the New South Wales colonial government and built 53 bridges.These 53 bridges included a number of stone bridges, such as one on the main western road at Lapstone Hill, the Lansdowne Bridge on the main southern road near Liverpool, the Lennox Bridge over the Parramatta River and the first Prince's Bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne.

Details

Born Ayr, Scotland. Arrived Sydney 1832; Sub-Inspector of Roads 1832-33; Superintendent of Bridges 1833-43; district surveyor to the Parramatta Council 1843-44; Superintendent of Bridges, Port Phillip District 1844-53. Built a number of stone bridges, including one on the main western road at Lapstone Hill, the Lansdowne Bridge on the main southern road near Liverpool, the Lennox Bridge over the Parramatta River and the first Prince's Bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne.

Chronology

1832

Life event - Arrived in Sydney, New

1832 - 1833

Career position - Sub-Inspector of Roads, Surveyor General [I], Colony of New South Wales

1833 - 1843

Career position - Superintendent of Bridges, Surveyor General [I], Colony of New South Wales

1843 - 1844

Career position - District Surveyor to the Parramatta Council, Surveyor General [I], Colony of New South Wales

1844 - 1853

Career position - Superintendent of Bridges, Port Philip District, Surveyor General [I], Colony of New South Wales

Related entries

Published resources

Book Sections

• Antill, J. M., 'Lennox, David (1788-1873), bridge-builder' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1967), pp. 106-107. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020093b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Alsop, Peter F. B., 'Bridging the rivers 1839 - 1859 : Part II: David Lennox', Investigator : magazine of the Geelong Historical Society, 3 (3) (1968), 155-174. Details
• Alsop, Peter F. B., 'Geelong's First Water Supply', Investigator : magazine of the Geelong Historical Society, 6 (1) (1971), 15-26. Details
• O'Connor, Colin, 'The bridges of David Lennox', Heritage Australia : the journal of the Australian Council of National Trusts, 4 (1) (1985), 9-13. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5236489. Details
• 'Lennox, David (1788-1873)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1464597. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_l.html. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders (Barton, A.C.T.: Institution of Engineers Australia, 2019), 136 pp. 'Breaking New Ground - David Lennox' p.5. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2019), 236 pp. p.46. Details
• Fraser, Don, 'Chapter 1: The seventy years 1790-1960' in Sydney: from settlement to city: an engineering history of Sydney, Don Fraser, ed. (Crows Nest, New South Wales: Engineers Australia, 1989), pp. 1-16. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia. Sydney Division. Engineering Heritage Committee, The Historic Engineering Plaques of Australia (Milsons Point, New South Wales: The Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1994), 38 pp. p.15. Lennox's Landsdowne Bridge, Landsdowne, N.S.W. Details
• Serle, Percival, Dictionary of Australian biography (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1949). Details