Denison Canal

The Denison Canal, located in Dunalley, southern Tasmania, Australia, is a man-made canal that was constructed to shorten fishing and trade routes between the east coast and Hobart.

Named after former Governor William Denison, the idea of digging a canal through the East Bay Neck was conceived in 1820. The canal was finally constructed by Henrikson and Knutson at a cost of £17,999 and opened by Governor Sir Gerald Strickland on 13 October 1905.

The Denison Canal is a significant engineering feat, measuring 895 metres (2,936 ft) long or 2.42 kilometres (1.50 mi) long if including its dredged approaches. It is 34 metres (112 ft) wide at ground level, dropping to 7 metres (23 ft) at low tide. The water depth varies from 3.9 metres (13 ft) at high tide to 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) at low tide. While it was previously used by small trading vessels, the canal is now only accessible by small fishing and recreation boats due to shifting sandbars in Blackman Bay on the eastern approaches.

Originally bridged by a hand-operated swing bridge, the Denison Canal saw the installation of a larger and electrically operated bridge in 1965. Visiting the canal provides an opportunity to appreciate the ingenuity of engineering, learn about Tasmania's transportation infrastructure history, and explore the stunning beauty of the area at a leisurely pace.