Constitution Dock
A marina with rock walls. A bridge is raised to allow boats to enter.
Motor pleasure boats, yachts, professional fishing boats.
Busiest after Christmas Day each year. The berthing place for many yachts from the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Not the maxis.
1847: Construction of the dock began. Convicts built the walls out of rocks and soil.
1850: Governor Denison named it Constitution Dock because a new constitution was mooted. The new constitution could only come take effect with the end of transportation.
1853: The last convict ships arrived. Parliament of Van Diemens Land could now begin.
1854: Tasmanian Constitution Act was passed. The act gives Van Diemens Land responsible self -government and a bicameral parliament.
1856: Self government begins. One of the first acts passed was Van Diemens Land renaming itself Tasmania.
Constitution dock is named to celebrate and commemorate the constitution that made Tasmania self-governing. Constitution dock is all about Tasmania becoming self-governing. It is not about Australia’s constitution.
1858: Local newspaper:
We some time ago pointed out to the proper authorities, the great accommodation which our Merchants, and others having business on the wharves, would receive by the construction, over the mouth of the Constitution Dock, of a slight Swing Bridge for the use, of course, of foot passengers alone.
Throughout the whole day a continual chain of communication is kept up between the Old, the Franklin, and the new wharves-the two latter of which are divided from the former by the mouth of the dock -thus necessitating a circuitous walk round the whole of the dock to enable our Merchants and others to accomplish the distance of two or three yards.
We really cannot understand why any difficulty should be raised against erecting a light swing bridge over the mouth of the dock. Those only whose business compel them to traverse the wharves from one end to the other in a broiling summer's sun, can comprehend the amazing advantage which such a bridge, thrown over the mouth of the dock, would prove. We sincerely trust that this matter will be at once taken in hand.
1858: First swing bridge at constitution dock built.
1885: Small crane near Mures commissioned in 1885. Was on Franklin wharf. Moved to constitution dock in 1890.
1899: Crane next to bascule bridge built in Leicester England. Commissioned in 1899. Operated on tracks. Long service until 1969. Remains in situ.
1921: Wooden pedestrian bridge was built to replace existing wooden bridge.
1935: Bascule bridge built at constitution dock.
1960: Present Victoria Dock swing bridge was built. Originally built as a single lane bridge, the present structure was designed by the Marine Board in 1960 and the running gear was replaced in 1976.
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight. The name comes from the French term for balance scale.
A swing bridge is moved horizontally to let ships go through.
Motor pleasure boats, yachts, professional fishing boats.
Busiest after Christmas Day each year. The berthing place for many yachts from the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Not the maxis.
1847: Construction of the dock began. Convicts built the walls out of rocks and soil.
1850: Governor Denison named it Constitution Dock because a new constitution was mooted. The new constitution could only come take effect with the end of transportation.
1853: The last convict ships arrived. Parliament of Van Diemens Land could now begin.
1854: Tasmanian Constitution Act was passed. The act gives Van Diemens Land responsible self -government and a bicameral parliament.
1856: Self government begins. One of the first acts passed was Van Diemens Land renaming itself Tasmania.
Constitution dock is named to celebrate and commemorate the constitution that made Tasmania self-governing. Constitution dock is all about Tasmania becoming self-governing. It is not about Australia’s constitution.
1858: Local newspaper:
We some time ago pointed out to the proper authorities, the great accommodation which our Merchants, and others having business on the wharves, would receive by the construction, over the mouth of the Constitution Dock, of a slight Swing Bridge for the use, of course, of foot passengers alone.
Throughout the whole day a continual chain of communication is kept up between the Old, the Franklin, and the new wharves-the two latter of which are divided from the former by the mouth of the dock -thus necessitating a circuitous walk round the whole of the dock to enable our Merchants and others to accomplish the distance of two or three yards.
We really cannot understand why any difficulty should be raised against erecting a light swing bridge over the mouth of the dock. Those only whose business compel them to traverse the wharves from one end to the other in a broiling summer's sun, can comprehend the amazing advantage which such a bridge, thrown over the mouth of the dock, would prove. We sincerely trust that this matter will be at once taken in hand.
1858: First swing bridge at constitution dock built.
1885: Small crane near Mures commissioned in 1885. Was on Franklin wharf. Moved to constitution dock in 1890.
1899: Crane next to bascule bridge built in Leicester England. Commissioned in 1899. Operated on tracks. Long service until 1969. Remains in situ.
1921: Wooden pedestrian bridge was built to replace existing wooden bridge.
1935: Bascule bridge built at constitution dock.
1960: Present Victoria Dock swing bridge was built. Originally built as a single lane bridge, the present structure was designed by the Marine Board in 1960 and the running gear was replaced in 1976.
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight. The name comes from the French term for balance scale.
A swing bridge is moved horizontally to let ships go through.