David Lennox

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Lansdowne Bridge over Prospect Creek on the Hume Highway at Lansdowne. Opened in 1836, it carries traffic to this day.

This article is about David Lennox, a Master Stonemason. For the American Inventor see "Dave Lennox."

David Lennox (1788 - 12 November 1873) was a Scottish-Australian bridge-builder and master stonemason born in Ayr, Scotland.

Trained as a stonemason, Lennox worked on Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge at Anglesey in Wales and on Over Bridge at Gloucester before emigrating to Australia ^[1] following the death of his wife.^[2] He arrived in 1832 aboard the ship Florentina. Prior to this time, the young colony of New South Wales had no skilled stonemasons, and so it was almost fate that a chance meeting with the Surveyor-General, Major Thomas Mitchell should result in Lennox - by now a Master Stonemason with twenty years experience - becoming, provisionally, Sub-Inspector of Bridges and later Superintendent of Bridges.

Historic Lennox Bridge at Lapstone Hill is the oldest bridge on the Australian mainland.

He was commissioned that same year to oversee the construction of the bridges for the new road over the Blue Mountains including Lennox Bridge over Brookside Creek at Lapstone Hill. Construction began in 1832 with Lennox supervising the efforts of twenty convicts who had little, if any, masonry skills. Lennox Bridge is the oldest surviving bridge on the Australian mainland (it is predated by Richmond Bridge in Tasmania, completed 1825) and at the time of its construction was the first bridge in the colony of a permanent nature.

Lennox was also responsible for the construction of historic Lansdowne Bridge over Prospect Creek in Lansdowne which he was enlisted to build in 1832, with construction beginning the very next year using locally quarried stone.^[1] After three years, it was opened in 1836 and with a toll charged for crossing, the construction costs were soon recovered.^[1]

Lennox also oversaw construction of many other stone bridges in the colony, including Lennox Bridge over the Parramatta River at Parramatta which was constructed from 1836 to 1839. ^[3]

In October 1844, Lennox was made responsible for bridges in the Port Phillip district and sailed to Melbourne in November of that year. As well as being in charge of roads, wharves and ferries, Lennox built fifty-three bridges in the nine years he was in the employ of Victoria, ^[4] including the second Prince's Bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne.

Lennox Bridge over the Parramatta River opened in 1839.

The 46m (150 ft) stone arch was the largest built by Lennox and was opened in 1851.^[4]^[5] It was to last until the river was widened some thirty-five years later, and in 1888 was replaced by the present Prince's Bridge.

Lennox retired in November 1853 and returned to New South Wales two years later where he lived in Parramatta. ^[4] He died on 12 November 1873, and was buried in old St John's cemetery, Parramatta.^[4] His gravestone was never marked so it is not known exactly where he was interred.^[4]