50th anniversary | Hobart’s Tasman Bridge disaster

The Tasman Bridge disaster on 5 January 1975 was a sudden and catastrophic event that resulted in the death of 12 people and effectively severed the city of Hobart in two.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Tasman Bridge disaster, on the evening of Sunday, 5 January 2025, the Tasman Bridge will be lit bright white. From 9:27 pm to 9:57 pm, the feature lighting between gantries 11 and 12 (pier 17 and 19) will change to a dark blue, signifying the time and area of impact from the SS Lake Illawarra 50 years earlier. At 9:27 pm the bridge will also be closed to traffic for approximately three minutes.

The accident

On 5 January 1975, a misty summer evening, at approximately 9:27 pm, the bulk carrier SS Lake Illawarra bound for Risdon and piloted by the ship’s master, struck one of the Tasman Bridge’s eastern spans.

The collision almost immediately brought down three unsupported spans and a 127-metre section of roadway, which crashed onto the vessel's deck sinking it to the floor of the Derwent, with its load of 10,000 tonnes of zinc ore.

On board the Lake Illawarra seven crewmen died, as did five motorists who were driving across the bridge at the time.

Miraculously others managed to escape from two vehicles that teetered on the bridge’s edge. A sadly iconic image burnt into the memories of many.

Rescue and Recovery

That night Hobart Marine Board’s Harbour Master, Captain Woods and his team leapt into action. Working tirelessly alongside emergency service workers and volunteers, they searched for survivors amidst an ocean of debris.

Marine Board staff on the MV Kulanda, a motorised landing barge still in use today, played a pivotal role in the aftermath, searching for survivors, clearing debris and retrieving wreckage from the river.

The bridge collapse effectively severed Greater Hobart in two. In the following weeks and months, Marine Board staff worked to convert Elizabeth Street pier into a temporary ferry terminal for east-west commuters. Marine Board staff and assets were also put to work securing a prefabricated floating bridge in place that served as a temporary lifeline across the river while the Tasman Bridge was reconstructed.

Two and a half years after the disaster, the reconstructed Tasman Bridge was opened in October 1977.

A Legacy of Maritime Safety

The incident also helped to shape TasPorts' current approach to maritime safety, including legislation, procedures and policies adhered to to this day:

Visiting vessels are assessed for length and beam as well as other key features such as manoeuvrability prior to being granted permission to transit under the bridge.
A licenced and highly trained Marine Pilot, who has completed comprehensive training requirements, is required to pilot all vessels exceeding 35 metres in length transiting under the bridge.
A TasPorts pilot vessel assists in each transit, acting as a standby and security vessel, and offering a second pair of eyes for waterways hazards during the transit.
When deemed necessary TasPorts tugboats attach to and assist vessels in the event of an emergency.
The Tasman Bridge is closed to all vehicle traffic three minutes prior to any bridge transit and opened again after completion of the transit.
The Hobart Port Tower, which was built in the years following the accident, is manned by trained operatives during each transit and provides a visual of the approaching waters to the Tasman Bridge.
Weather, currents and other parameters influence the timing and planning of each transit.

In addition, TasPorts pilots carry state-of-the-art portable pilotage units on board each vessel they transit, to ensure a highly accurate and independent navigation aid is always available.

The Lake Illawarra with its 10,000 tonnes of cargo, still lies on the floor of the Derwent, under the 127 metres section of the collapsed bridge. A poignant reminder of the complex and often dangerous nature of the waterways in which TasPorts operates 24hrs a day, seven days a week.