Lennox Bridge, Parramatta

This article is about the bridge in Parramatta, Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. For the bridge in Glenbrook in the lower Blue Mountains, New South Wales, see Lennox Bridge, Glenbrook.
Lennox Bridge

The Lennox Bridge in Parramatta, from the west.
Coordinates 33°48′39″S 151°00′16″E / 33.810719°S 151.004548°E / -33.810719; 151.004548Coordinates: 33°48′39″S 151°00′16″E / 33.810719°S 151.004548°E / -33.810719; 151.004548
Carries Church Street, Parramatta;
(Road traffic, pedestrians)
Crosses Parramatta River
Locale Parramatta, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Named for David Lennox
Owner Parramatta City Council
Heritage status Heritage Council of NSW:
Roads & Maritime Services – heritage and conservation register
Preceded by Gaol Bridge (1804-1836)
Characteristics
Design Single arch bridge
Material Hawkesbury sandstone
Total length 90 feet (27 m)
Width 30 feet (9.1 m)
Longest span 76 feet (23 m)
Number of spans 1
History
Designer David Lennox
Construction begin 22 October 1836 (1836-10-22)
Construction end 1839
Construction cost £1,797
References
[1][2][3][4]

The Lennox Bridge, a sandstone single arch bridge across the Parramatta River, is located in Parramatta in Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The bridge was designed by and built under the supervision of David Lennox, the first Colonial Superintendent of Bridges using convict labour between 1836 to 1839. The Lennox Bridge is the third oldest surviving masonry bridge in New South Wales.[2] The bridge carries Church Street, the main north-south street of Parramatta's central business district.[1]

Historically it is a conspicuous element of grace and repose in a picturesque Arcadian landscape.....[it] is a fine example of convict built Colonial Architecture in Australia.
— Statement of significance, Heritage and conservation register, Roads & Maritime Services, 14 May 2009.[2]

History

A view of the Lennox Bridge from the northeastern bank of Parramatta River.

The Lennox Bridge is on the site of the earliest documented crossing of the Parramatta River in the Parramatta area, dating from early colonial settlement. The current bridge is the third on, or adjacent to the site.[2] The first was a simple timber footbridge which was destroyed by floods in 1795. The second bridge, called the Gaol Bridge; built on stone piers with timber railings and was completed between 1802 and 1804.[4][5]

The current Lennox Bridge is a single span stone elliptical arch bridge over Parramatta River on the line of Church Street. The Lennox Bridge is constructed of sandstone sourced from the Parramatta Female Factory quarry. Completed in 1839, the bridge cost £1,797 to complete.[2]

This was David Lennox's third and final bridge,[1] his first two being the Lennox Bridge at Glenbrook, completed in 1833 making it the second-oldest bridge on the Australian mainland, (the oldest being the bridge at the base of Devines Hill at Wisemans Ferry on the Great North Road, which was completed in 1829-30) and the Lansdowne Bridge, Lansvale, completed in 1836.[6]

In 1885-86 the Department of Public Works removed the wall on the upstream side of the bridge was to widen it, and put up the present railing at the same time.[3] In 1901-1902 the bridge was strengthened internally for the Castle Hill Tramway. In 1912 the parapet on the western side was removed, providing a cantilevered pedestrian way. In 1934-5 this new section was removed; the Department of Main Roads widening the bridge in order to handle increased traffic. This modification saw the replacement of the cantilevered walk-way with an open concrete type and the straightening of the curved western face.[1][2]

Construction of tunnels for pedestrians and cyclists

In 2012 a controversial[7][8] proposal to construct tunnels through the bridge on both sides of the bank for pedestrians and cyclists[9] was approved by Parramatta City Council; and work began in early 2014[10][11] with expectations to open before Christmas that year.[12] However, there was a delay attributed to archeological investigations[13] that uncovered a sandstone pier and timber girders of the second bridge on that site, built between 1802 and 1804.[4] The northern tunnel has opened, but the southern tunnel has not.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Lennox Bridge". Heritage Council of New South Wales. Government of New South Wales. 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lennox Bridge, Parramatta". Heritage and Conservation Register, Roads & Maritime Services. Government of New South Wales. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 Barker, Geoff (2 January 2014). "Lennox Bridge, Parramatta, 1836-1839". Parramatta Heritage Centre. Parramatta City Council. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Kembrey, Melanie (7 December 2014). "One of Australia's first bridges found within Parramatta's historic Lennox Bridge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  5. ↑ Newell, H. H. (2 October 1935). Lennon Bridge (Plaque, erected at the time of the widening of the bridge). Sydney: Commissioner for Main Roads.
  6. ↑ "Parramatta Heritage Ride". Cyclists Action Movement West.
  7. ↑ "Parramatta's historic properties under threat from development". Daily Telegraph. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Bartok, Di (20 February 2013). "Bridge pioneer shame". Parramatta Advertiser. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  9. ↑ Bartok, Di (25 October 2012). "Don't drill Lennox bridge: Parramatta heritage fighters". Parramatta Advertiser. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Work begins on Lennox Bridge portals". Parramatta Advertiser. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Kembrey, Melanie (5 February 2014). "Historians lament 'loss of heritage' as tunnel work starts". Parramatta Sun. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Tunnel through the north end of Lennox Bridge will be open to pedestrians and cyclists before Christmas". Parramatta Advertiser. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Bartok, Di (2 October 2013). "Lennox Bridge work could be held up by Heritage Office". Parramatta Advertiser. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
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