Denison Canal

Denison Canal
Date completed	1905
Locks	0
Status	Open

The Denison Canal is a man made canal located at Dunalley in southern Tasmania which opened for use in 1905 and gets its name from former Governor William Denison. The canal was built to shorten the fishing and trade routes between the east coast and Hobart.

History

Denison Canal located at Dunalley, Tasmania had been a planned canal cut through East Bay Neck for many of years dating back as early as 1820 from fisherman and traders who regularly travelled between the East Coast and Hobart. Many recognised the benefits of a canal at this location; however no serious consideration was given to a canal until William Denison became Governor in 1847. William Denison had previously worked on the Rideau Canal in Canada. A surveyor was sent to East Bay Neck however when governor Denison left Tasmania in 1855 the idea was put on hold. The canal was finally opened in 1905 with dimensions of 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) long, 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep at low tide and 17 metres (56 ft) wide with no locks.^[1] The first swing bridge was built in the Launceston Railway Workshops; the roller bearing can be seen today mounted outside a nearby hotel. in 1965 work began on a new concrete bridge with a hydraulic system. This canal is cut through the isthmus of the Forestier Peninsula in southern Tasmania. The journey was shortened by 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the east coast to Hobart.

References

1. ^ "History of the denison canal". http://www.auscanal.org.au/AustralianCanals.php. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 

External links

• Denison canal at www.auscanal.org

Coordinates: 42°53′32″S 147°48′14″E / 42.89222°S 147.80389°E / -42.89222; 147.80389