By Derwent Divided – The Lake Illawarra, the Tasman Bridge and the 1975 Disaster | Tom Lewis | 3rd Edition 2025 [HC]

On 5 January 1975 the bulk carrier Lake Illawarra struck two of the pylons of Hobart's Tasman Bridge, bringing down two spans of the bridge and sinking the ship in the Derwent River. Seven crew members and two people on the bridge were killed. The collapse divided Hobart for nearly two years — cutting the city in half and forcing residents on the eastern shore to take lengthy detours or use a ferry service until the bridge reopened in October 1977.

Tom Lewis's account of the disaster, its causes, the recovery operation and the impact on Hobart life was first published shortly after the event and has remained in print in various editions since. This is the 2025 third edition, updated and republished to mark the 50th anniversary of the disaster. The Lake Illawarra wreck remains on the floor of the Derwent beneath the repaired bridge to this day.

BOOK DETAILS

Hardcover. 70 pages, indexed. Black and white photographs throughout. 21.5cm x 30.5cm. 3rd edition, published 2025.

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