Bowen Bridge to Iron Pot Light house 30km

Bowen Bridge to Iron Pot Light house 30km

Situated approximately halfway between the Tasman Bridge and the Bridgewater Bridge, the Bowen Bridge was constructed to mitigate any future failure of the city's bridges following the Tasman Bridge disaster. The State and Federal Governments established the Joint Committee in November 1975 to oversee the design and construction of a bridge across the River Derwent near Dowsings Point.[5] Maunsell and Partners served as consulting engineers and Leighton-Candac, awarded the contract in 1980, completed the construction.


The Bowen Bridge is a segmental cantilever road bridge crossing the River Derwent in Tasmania, Australia. The bridge serves as a vital transportation link in the state capital of Hobart, facilitating the movement of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists between the local government areas of Clarence on the eastern shore and Glenorchy on the western shore. The Bowen Bridge links the East Derwent Highway with the Brooker Highway (as Goodwood Road) at Glenorchy, approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Hobart city centre.

The Bowen Bridge is composed of eight river spans, each measuring 109 metres (358 ft). The end spans are 48 metres (157 ft) and 56 metres (184 ft) long. It maintains a consistent deck width of 21.4 metres (70 ft), accommodating a 7.42-metre (24.3 ft) divided highway with two lanes each, along with two separated shared-use walkways.[1]

The Bowen Bridge takes its name from British coloniser John Bowen, who founded the first European settlement in Tasmania (then Van Diemen's Land) at Risdon Cove on the eastern shore. Bowen subsequently moved the colony to the western side of the River Derwent, where the Hobart city centre is located today.[3] Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser revealed the bridge's name at a public ceremony at Dowsings Point on 10 October 1980


Tara Grout and Jewlie Boxsell were the first recorded swimmers to swim from the Bowen Bridge on the Derwent River Hobart Tasmania to the Iron Pot lighthouse on Iron Pot Island at the mouth of the Derwent River in Storm Bay. Jewlie and Tara swam on 06/02/2024 in a time of 9hrs 53min 15sec and totalled 29.6km.


  • Jewlie Boxsell : on the 06 February 2024 from Townsville QLD completed the swim in 9hrs 53m 15sec with a total distance of 29.6km
  • Tara Grout: on the 06 February 2024 from Perth WA completed the Swim in 9hrs 53min 53sec 15sec with a total distance of 29.6km

All of these other swims are available on the webpage  www.derwentriverbigswim.co