Dunrobin Bridge over Meadowbank Lake
Meadowbank Lake, a large spread of dammed water through which the Derwent River runs, is located west of New Norfolk: an expanse of water which measures at least 15 kms in length. Like many other dams and lakes on the Derwent, Meadowbank has been designed for electricity generation purposes. The Meadowbank Power Station was commissioned in 1967. In a document The Power of Nature, Hydro Tasmania provides information about Meadowbank and the other electricity-generating lakes and stations across Tasmania.
The Dunrobin Bridge carries Dawson Road; a road which extends from the Lyell Highway, crosses Meadowbank Lake then continues on the western shore until it reaches Lake Repulse Dam.
The first Dunrobin Bridge over the Derwent River was built in the early 1850s. The National Library of Australia’s Trove repository of historic documents provides information from a 1910 copy of The Mercury newspaper: ‘Dunrobin Bridge was built over the Derwent, between the Ouse and Hamilton during the regime of Governor Denison. Governor Denison’s rule in Tasmania lasted from 1847 to 1855. It is a fine stone structure, and the cost is stated in the Legislative Council Journals of 1856 to have been £13,875. Its construction seems to have occupied six years, from 1850 to 1856. Dawson’s Road, which was named after the man who superintended its construction, went from Dunrobin Bridge…’ westwards.
The bridge was damaged during flooding in 1952 according to Linc Tasmania.
Once the Meadowbank Dam was built, the gorge behind gradually filled with water. The remnants of the old Dunrobin Bridge apparently remain beneath the current Meadowbank Lake. The new Dunobin Bridge was officially opened on 10th April 1959
We found this to be a beautiful peaceful view and hope you will enjoy it too.