About David Lennox
David Lennox was a renowned bridge-builder and master stonemason who designed and oversaw the construction of the iconic sandstone Lennox Bridge in Parramatta in the late 1830s.
Spanning the Parramatta River, one of Sydney’s great inland waterways, its simple stone arch is 24 metres long and 12 metres wide. Named Lennox Bridge in 1867 in honour of its creator, it remains one of the city’s finest landmarks.
A man of great vision and technical skill, David also spearheaded countless other well-known bridges and public works projects.
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Personal loss brings David to Sydney
David Lennox was born in 1788 in Ochiltree in Ayrshire, Scotland.
He became a skilled stonemason, working in Britain for more than 20 years, including under the supervision of famous bridge engineer Thomas Telford. During his early career, David worked on many bridge projects, including Telford’s majestic suspension bridge over the Menai Strait in Wales.
David emigrated to Australia after his wife died in 1828. He was first employed on day wages cutting the coping stone for the wall of the hospital in Macquarie Street, Sydney. But the Surveyor-General Major Thomas Mitchell soon noticed his talent and would later praise his role in 'all the bridges this colony possesses worthy of the name'.
Building a career
Appointed to the Roads Department on a salary of £120 a year, David was named the colony’s superintendent of bridges within 8 months.
He built his first bridge on the main western road at Lapstone Hill in the Blue Mountains in 1833. By the direction of the Governor, Sir Richard Bourke, it was named Lennox Bridge. Still the oldest bridge standing on the Australian mainland, it carried all road vehicles heading west from Sydney for almost a century.
David’s other legacies include the Queen’s Wharf at Parramatta, the brick arch bridge over Duck Creek (which still carries Parramatta Road traffic) and the dam across the Georges River at Liverpool.
As Victoria’s superintendent of bridges in his later career, David oversaw all roads, bridges, wharves and ferries. This notably included the first Princes Bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne. This was his largest bridge, featuring a stone arch spanning 46 metres.
Lennox retired to a house he had designed in Parramatta and remained there until his death in 1873.
A lasting legacy
Parramatta’s Lennox Bridge remained unaltered until 1902 when the arch was strengthened to carry the Parramatta–Castle Hill tramway. In 1912, the parapet on the western side was removed and a cantilevered footway was added.
The bridge was later widened, and further modifications have since been made to accommodate cycleways and the installation of the Parramatta Light Rail.
Today, Lennox Bridge lies at the heart of Parramatta’s business, retail and cultural attractions – a priceless link to both the history and the future of the city.