Photographer Don Stephens worked for the Hobart newspaper The Mercury for more than thirty years. His choice of camera was a Mamiya RB6×7.
Don’s images of the devastating Hobart bushfires were published in The Mercury, 7-9 February 1967. Many are held in the National Library of Australia’s collections.
Another tragedy in the Hobart area which cost lives was the collision of the bulk ore carrier, the Lake Illawarra into the Tasman Bridge on January 5th, 1975. Don Stephens took this photograph at night as the rescue operation continued:
Image copyright 2006 © Don Stephens & Leatherwood Online
These are some of the Australia Department of Defence photographs of salvage operations in 1975:
NAVY REPORT: Bridging troubled waters by Brett Mitchell
On the evening of January 5, 1975 the Australian National Line bulk carrier MV Lake Illawarra, laden with a cargo of zinc concentrate, collided with the Tasman Bridge, which spanned the Derwent River in Hobart.
The ship sank, killing seven of the crew, and collapsing two pylons and 127 metres of bridge decking into water 110 feet deep.
Four motor vehicles fell into the river, killing five occupants.
At 4.30am on January 6, a 14-man detachment from Australian Clearance Diving Team Two (AUSCDTTWO), commanded by LEUT Alexander Donald, flew to Hobart for search and recovery operations.
Following preliminary dives later that day, AUSCDTTWO was tasked to locate and assist Hobart Water Police recover the motor vehicles.
Two additional divers from AUSCDTONE arrived from Sydney, with a one-person recompression chamber.
Two vehicles were identified on January 7; one was salvaged that day and the second three days later.
Another vehicle was found buried under rubble on January 8. Three team members assisted Tasmanian Police divers comprehensively survey the wreck of the Lake Illawarra between January 9–13.
Operations ceased on January 16.
The Navy divers operated in hazardous conditions with minimal visibility and strong river currents. Divers had to contend with bridge debris consisting of shattered concrete, reinforced steel rods, railings, pipes, lights, wire and power cables.
Strong winds on the third day brought down debris from the bridge above, and caused unguarded ‘live’ power cables to fall into the water, endangering the divers.
Understandably, LEUT Donald described the conditions as “appalling”.
The breakage of an important arterial link isolated the residents in Hobart’s eastern suburbs the relatively short drive across the Tasman Bridge to the city suddenly became a 50 kilometre journey around the bay.
Although ferries provided a service across the Derwent River, it was not until December 1975 that a single lane combat bridge was opened to traffic, thereby restoring some connectivity.
Reconstruction of the Tasman Bridge commenced in October 1975 and the bridge officially reopened on October 8, 1977. The wreck of the Lake Illawarra remains where it sank in 1975.
Recent images of the wreck of the Lake Illawarra were captured by the Royal Australian Navy’s Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Forces and the United States Navy Mobile Diving Salvage Unit using specialised sonar equipment and head-mounted cameras during a survey exercise as part of training activity Dugong 09. Details appeared in this article from The Mercury November 1, 2009:
Lake Illawarra revealed
Photographer: Department of Defence
Source: The Mercury online
DANIELLE McKAY
November 01, 2009 08:00am
NAVY divers have taken the closest look yet at the ship which slammed into the Tasman Bridge and sank 34 years ago.
LYING at the bottom of the River Derwent, the MV Lake Illawarra has the aura of a well-preserved ghost ship, say its most recent visitors.
The murky waters make it difficult to see the vessel until you get up close, say navy divers who visited the infamous wreck next to the Tasman Bridge last week.
It is more than 34 years since the vessel smashed into the bridge in 1975, killing 12 people and severing the link between Hobart’s eastern and western shores.
In eerie silence and limited visibility, the Royal Australian Navy’s Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Forces and the United States Navy Mobile Diving Salvage Unit One have captured the most extensive survey of the wreck yet.
Using specialised sonar equipment and head-mounted cameras, 30 divers collected the data over eight days and more than 160 individual dives during a survey exercise as part of training activity Dugong 09.
Visibility was a metre, temperatures below 7C and divers went down to 36m.
“There was something very eerie about the silence,” said navy diver Able Seaman Joshua Manning, 26, from Sydney.
“We were focused on the task while we were down there, but there was also time to think about the tragedy and death, which was really surreal.”
A regular flow of fresh water has kept the bulk ore carrier remarkably preserved, the divers say.
Cargo doors remain open, in anticipation of unloading, but now they are inches out of line from the enormous jolt the ship suffered when it hit pylon 18 of the bridge.
But the bridge and wheelhouse are almost intact.
“We went inside the wheelhouse, about 4m in, it’s amazing.” Able Seaman Manning said. “It’s just pristine — as it would have been at the time I imagine.”
However, the bow’s port-side is a mangled wreck of steel and rotting wood, crushed under the weight of several columns of concrete.
The divers discovered the rear bumper of a car resting poignantly on the bow.
Clearance Diving Team One commanding officer Lieutenant-Commander Chris White, from Launceston, said the survey was a challenge for his team and a chance to return something to Tasmania.
Caption: Navy divers take a look at the Lake Illawarra, which brought down the Tasman Bridge in 1975.
Video and photos courtesy Australian Department of Defence 2009
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