▁Bay ▁Ne ck ▁were ▁first ▁made ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 0 . ▁However , ▁no ▁serious ▁consideration ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁a ▁canal ▁until ▁William ▁Den ison ▁became ▁governor ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁Den ison ▁had ▁previously ▁worked ▁on ▁the ▁R ide au ▁Canal ▁in ▁Canada , ▁and ▁commission ed ▁a ▁report ▁into ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁building ▁a ▁canal ▁at ▁East ▁Bay ▁Ne ck ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 . ▁However , ▁no ▁work ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁project . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁canal ▁was ▁rev ived ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁The ▁Tas man ian ▁Government ▁sought ▁tend ers ▁for ▁the ▁project ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁firm ▁Hen rik son ▁and ▁Kn ut son ▁were ▁selected ▁after ▁lod ging ▁the ▁lowest ▁price ▁( £ 1 7 , 9 9 9 ). ▁The ▁canal ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁Nap ier ▁Bell . ▁While ▁the ▁contract ▁specified ▁that ▁the ▁canal ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁completed ▁by ▁ 2 9 ▁May ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁delayed ▁by ▁negoti ations ▁over ▁whether ▁Hen rik son ▁and ▁Kn ut son ▁or ▁the ▁Tas man ian ▁Government ▁would ▁retain ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁equipment ▁needed ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁canal ▁once ▁it ▁was ▁complete . ▁The ▁canal ▁was ▁finally ▁opened ▁by ▁Governor ▁Sir ▁Ger ald ▁Str ick land ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁October ▁ 1 9 0 5 . ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁be