Talk: The enigmatic art of the Ross Bridge at Launceston Library

National Family History Month is a nationwide celebration of the stories, mysteries and secrets that shape who we are. Join author Jennie Jackson at Launceston Library as she shares the fascinating story behind the art of Ross Bridge and her personal connection to it.

Jennie’s great-great-grandfather was a quarryman who worked with the Ross Bridge gang from 1831 to 1835, before being sentenced to three years at Port Arthur. Her own background - studying art with honours in sculpture, alongside her career as a general practitioner in the Midlands - sparked a unique interest in the bridge, which she crossed daily on her way to and from work. This interest led Jennie to undertake extensive research into the sculptures of Ross Bridge, culminating in her book The Enigmatic Art of the Ross Bridge.

The bridge itself features 180 carved arch stones and six keystones. The keystones satirise British authority: Lieutenant-Governor Colonel George Arthur, for example, is depicted as a grotesque lion wearing a crown adorned with a cat-o’-nine-tails and ankle irons. The carvings on the north face represent people of Ross, while those on the south face depict people of England. Between these are intricate sculptures illustrating folk tales and stories, as well as themes of death and regeneration, Mother Earth, the seasons, and the elements.

Together, these carvings form an extraordinary gallery that reflects the experiences of the convicts who created them - making Ross Bridge a rare example of an architectural narrative found nowhere else in the world.

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