David Lennox
David Lennox was a Scottish-Australian bridge builder and master stonemason born in Ayr, Scotland.
Personal details
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 following the death of his wife. He arrived in August 1832 aboard the ship Florentia.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.
Lennox moved to Melbourne in 1844, to take up a position responsible for bridges in the Port Phillip district.
Lennox retired in November 1853 and returned to New South Wales two years later where he lived in Parramatta. He died on 12 November 1873, and was buried in old St John's cemetery, Parramatta. His grave was never marked so it is not known exactly where he was interred.
Partial list of works
- 1832 - Lennox Bridge
- 1832-1835 - Lansdowne Bridge
- 1836 - Liverpool Dam
- 1836-1839 - Lennox Bridge, Parramatta
- 1839 - Parramatta Boundary Markers
- 1844-1853 - Lennox built fifty-three bridges in the nine years he was in the employ of Victoria, including the second Prince's Bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne. The stone arch was the largest built by Lennox and was opened in 1851. 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. It is possible that he designed Towrang Bridge that once carried the Hume Highway.