Two von Guerards for the price of one!

Whilst it was easy enough to find the locations from which 19th century landscape painter Eugene von Guerard made his two famous Geelong paintings - View of Geelong and Mr Lewin's hut on the Barwon River, finding the location of some of the informal sketches he also made during his time in the region was a little trickier.
Whilst von Guerard spent many hours sketching the river from several vantage points along the Barwon Valley through what would become the suburbs of Highton and Newtown, he also took his sketchbooks to some more out-of -the-way locations. Places that I've seen too.
Most recently, I paddled up the river from Baum's Weir to the bridge at Merrawarp Rd - a section of the river I've paddled many times before. My main aim on this occasion was to take some photos of a couple of locations I was fairly sure von Guerard had visited a little over 160 years before me. Surprisingly for a July afternoon, we headed out in short sleeves on a sunny, windless afternoon, but with the river flowing somewhat higher than the usual summer levels, paddling upstream required a little more effort than normal.
Our first stop, was not far from the Geelong Ring Road where - as you head upstream - the river sweeps around three right-angled bends in succession, to form a large "U" shape beneath the Barrabool Hills. It is here that we think von Guerard's made two of his sketches. Neither, as far as I'm aware, was ever developed into a painting, however even in sketch form, they give a good impression of the height and dramatic appearance of the Barrabool Hills at this point.
Whilst I was certainly not the first person to take in this particular view, neither for that matter was von Guerard. In 1848, the landscape painter, squatter and later civil servant Charles Norton painted a very similar view to that of von Guerard's sketch. The watercolour, titled View from front door "Carlsbadt" on the Barwon, was one of a number of watercolours and sketches of the area completed by Norton between 1847 and 1849. For this short space of time, he occupied a squatting run on the Barwon which he named 'Carlsbadt' after the town in Germany in which his father was born. I can find no mention of 'Carlsbadt' on the maps or in newspapers from the era, but from context assume it must have been situated on the north bank of the Barwon, immediately to the west of the Fyansford township reserve, on land originally held by the Mercers on behalf of the Port Phillip Association.

View from front door "Carlsbadt" on the Barwon, 1848 by Charles Norton

Similar view to the above sketch, July, 2016, but taken from midstream

Soon after his arrival in the district, Norton married Susan Meade - governess to the children of then Superintendent La Trobe. In 1849, during their time at 'Carlsbadt', a daughter - Joanna Kate - was born to the couple. Her birth was registered at nearby Fyansford. This same year however, with the run proving unprofitable, (as as was the case with an earlier property held by Norton in the vicinity of Clunes) Norton advertised his stock (sheep) for sale as he intended leaving the district. By 1850 he and his family had moved to Melbourne where a further two sons were born. A longer biography of his career can be found at Design and Art Australia Online.

'Carldsbadt' near Geelong, sketched by Charles Norton, 1848. Image taken from
the State Library of Victoria

Some five or six years after Norton's departure from 'Carlsbadt', on the 13th March, 1855 von Guerard, with sketchbook in hand, took in the same view.  His vantage point however was not the same as Norton's from his front door, or mine from midstream. Instead,  he chose to perch on the steep slopes above the east bank of the river to make his sketch of the view before him. To find that spot, I needed to do the same. After two visits and some precarious climbing I felt I had come as close to von Guerard's vantage point as was possible.

Eugene von Guerard sketch looking south to the Barrabool Hills near
Fyansford, 13th March, 1855

A similar view to von Guerard's sketch as it appears today. 25th July, 2016,
possibly somewhat altered by the building of the Geelong Ring Road in 2009

The peaks were all there, the fence still followed the same line over 160 years later.  The only things which didn't quite match were the proportions of the double peak at the centre of the sketch; that and the presence of the Geelong Ring Road where von Guerard sketched two men on horseback, no doubt following a long gone track (although not one which shows on any map I've found). The profile at this point appears to have been eroded away somewhat, but as far as I can tell by comparing historical images on Google Earth, this was not the result of excavations for the Ring Road, so any erosion must be from an earlier date.
Next, as I traversed this section of the bank, I noticed that I could see not one, but two von Guerard "sketches". The second sketch (actually made earlier the same day), took in the hills a little further downstream from those shown above. Upon first seeing it, I had quickly recognised the location of this sketch, but had assumed it was made from a point near to the closest bend in the river to the hills. Looking across the Barwon from this more easterly perspective however, I realised that what I had thought was another hill, was actually the tip of the promontory around which the river flows and that this sketch must have been made from a very similar view point to the other with the two drawings effectively being a continuation of the one scene.

A second von Guerard sketch of the Barrabool Hills and Barwon River from a
similar perspective

A similar view to that sketched by von Guerard, 26th July, 2016

The angle and elevation of the above comparison photo is slightly different to that of the sketch as any lower perspective today is obscured by trees, however it was clearly from this part of the river that von Guerard made both his sketches. The relationship of the two drawings can be seen in the panoramic shot below.

The Barrabool Hills, 25th July, 2016. Click to enlarge

Finally, whilst there are several other sketches drawn by von Guerard on his various visits to Geelong, in my next (and probably final) post on these sketches I will look at an elusive little waterfall on the Moorabool River.

Read All About It!

And indeed we can! The Mt Brandon - Draft Landscape Plan is now available for viewing either in person at the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) customer service centres or can be downloaded as a series of pdf files via the CoGG website by following the "Have Your Say" link and choosing the link to the Mt Brandon report. It will be open for public comment until 24th September, 2012.
As a reminder, the area in question is a significant strip of land extending from the current Buckley Falls Park, along the south bank of the Barwon as far as the Geelong Ring Road. At the present time it looks something like this...

...although perhaps with slightly less water. Looking south across the base of
Mt Brandon Peninsula towards Rivergum Dve, during flooding on 16th January, 2011

From the top of Mt Brandon Peninsula looking towards the Ring Road in the
distance. The land to the left will include part of the new parkland development

Looking at Mt Brandon Peninsula across "gully 1" (see council plans).
Development on Rivergum Dve can be seen to the left

And the view south from the base of Mt Brandon Peninsula

So...in brief, the plan is...to provide public recreation facilities, open spaces, both formal and informal walking tracks, habitat regeneration and - perhaps most excitingly for me - a pedestrian bridge near the Ring Road bridge which would provide a loop connection to the trail on the opposite bank which will also receive some needed attention.

The Ring Road (Geoff Thom) Bridge from the north bank and the site of
a future path and pedestrian bridge

The option of adding a few extra kms to my runs/rides/walks is an enticing prospect, however the downside of all this - especially for those who are as impatient as I am - is that the plan is to be implemented in six stages and is, at least in part, dependent on State Government funding. In addition, with the latter stages not due to be implemented until such time as urban growth extends to the area near the Ring Road, I may be more interested in wheel chair access than running tracks by the time it is complete! Nor did I see anything which even hinted at a potential time line for all these works.
In the short term and assuming the plan is implemented, the initial stages appear to involve revegetation in addition to that which is already being undertaken by the Friends of Buckley Falls group, ongoing weed control and the construction of some walking tracks at the Bunyip Pool end of the precinct.
As for the rest, I guess we'll just have to wait and see, but the prospect of this extension to the river trail, combined with the plans for nearby Batesford South and the Moorabool are an exciting prospect for the future of the Barwon River Parklands project, especially when combined with the prospect of trail extensions beyond Breakwater and the upgrade of park facilities further downriver at sites such as Tait's Point, Ash Road in Leopold and other works in Barwon Heads. More details on the Barwon River Parklands project is available on the Parks Victoria website.

So who was Geoff Thom?

Geoff Thom Bridge over the Barwon River

Today I visited a section of the Barwon which I have seen from a distance, but never visited. I pulled off the Ring Road into what is presumably a service area at the new Geoff Thom Bridge which spans the Barwon upstream of Baum's Weir and had a look around.
The river at this point has a rural feel to it, despite the constant traffic noise from the bridge overhead. Whilst there has been some planting aimed at regenerating the area under bridge which was disrupted by construction, not too far away, the river banks are grassy and scattered with a few eucalypts. Whilst I didn't see a wide variety of bird life, there was none-the-less constant bird noise, making a distinct counterpoint to the sounds of traffic.
The bridge itself is the usual modern concrete construction consisting of a pair of 110m long spans supported by pairs of pylons which rise from the banks and the riverbed itself. I snapped a few photos and had a quick look around, but there was lots of long grass and the weather was warm, so I didn't venture too far afield.

A glimpse of the Barwon River looking south west
from the Ring Road 

At the present time, this  part of the river isn't exactly being promoted as a tourist destination so there is not a great deal to see, however it it my understanding that there are long term plans to extend the walking track from Baum's Weir, the extra 600 or so metres required to reach the new bridge and on the opposite bank, it is suggested that a shared trail He will be developed connecting Buckley Falls to Mount Brandon Peninsula and on through newly-developed parkland to Wandana, but what the timeframe for the implementation of these improvements might be is not indicated.
It also occurred to me as I was looking around, that I had no idea who Geoff Thom was. I know who the McIntyre Bridge, the James Harrison Bridge, even Prince's Bridge were named for, but who was Geoff Thom? Google as it turns out was relatively unhelpful giving me a photo of the bridge and an reference to an article which was not on-line. A quick query to a local mailing list however solved the problem.

Geoffrey Walter Thom was born in Geelong West in April 1910. He was an accountant, first with Ford and then running his own practice. He saw military service in New Guinea, was a member of numerous local committees and an active member of the Ashby Methodist Church as well as being a Rotarian, sportsman and politician. From 1946 until 1958, he was active as a Geelong West city councillor, serving as mayor from 1955-1957. Following on from his stint in council he was an elected member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1958 until 1970, serving as whip for the state Liberal Party in the mid-1960s under the government of Sir Henry Bolte.
In the 1960s, during Thom's time as an MLC, the idea of a ring road to carry traffc around Geelong was first tabled. He was a strong supporter of plan, lobbying parliament to get the project up and running.
It may have taken nearly fifty years for the ring road to become a reality, however the naming of the bridge over the Barwon in Thom's honour, recognises the early efforts and the foresight of one of Geelong's noted politicians.

Building Bridges

Bridges are useful things, but we do tend to take them for granted. You can cross over them, jump from them, be pushed from them, fall from them and even - as I discovered - throw murdered bodies off them. When they are not there, life becomes significantly more difficult.
During the recent floods, the bridge over the Barwon at Breakwater was, as usual, out of action forcing a significant amount of traffic to use other crossings. Imagine the inconvenience then, when the only real bridge over the river - the Barwon Bridge on Moorabool Street - was swept away in the major floods of May, 1852. It had only been built in 1848.

Construction of the new bridge at Breakwater

It was not until the end of the year that the government organised a punt to carry those wishing to cross the river from one side to the other. This situation continued for another year until two more punts were rigged to form a floating pontoon, which then had to suffice until a two-lane iron bridge was built in 1859. One imagines that private vessels were also used to cross the river and that some private operators charging a fee may not have been so unhappy with the loss of the bridge as the general community.
The current bridge - widened in the 1960s and again last year to meet requirements for the International World Cycling Championships held in Geelong - was built in 1926 to allow trams to cross.
As a quick search of Wikipedia will tell you, that in addition to the Barwon Bridge there are a number of bridges crossing the Barwon along its lower reaches. There is the controversially rebuilt Barwon Heads bridge at the mouth of the Barwon, joining Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. In addition to the Barwon Bridge, Geelong has the ovoid sewer aqueduct, the Breakwater Bridge and the rail bridge which crosses both the river and the road bridge at this point, the James Harrison Bridge, the McIntyre Bridge, the Queen's Park Bridge and even the little foot bridge which crosses the Barwon at Fyansford. Then there is the soon to be completed replacement for the Breakwater Bridge which will re-align Breakwater road and flood-proof the river crossing at that point.

John M McIntyre Bridge

Whilst not always the most aesthetically attractive examples, several of these Bridges are significant from an architectural perspective. The John M McIntyre Bridge was built in 1968 to carry sewerage across the river to Black Rock. It is a "post-tensioned, prestressed stayed girder"which at the time of its construction was an Australian first.
John M McIntyre after whom the bridge was named was the Engineer-in-chief of the Geelong Waterworks (precursor to Barwon Water) and was involved in the the construction of the West Barwon Dam and reservoirs at Bostock and Lal Lal and extension works at the Wurdee Boluc Reservoir. The bridge which bears his name also provides pedestrian access across the river and - if memory serves me correctly - makes a handy reference point on the rowing course. Word has it that once your boat reaches the "Sh*!t Bridge" you row hell for the finish line.

Queen's Park Bridge

At one time, the ovoid sewer aqueduct served the same purpose. It is an architecturally important structure, built over three years between 1913 and 1916 which I think I have discussed in a previous post. Its 14 reinforced concrete cantilever spans however, are in a crumbling state despite the structure being listed on the Victorian National Estate Register and access to and thoroughfare under the aqueduct is prohibited. The pipe was decommissioned in 1993 and its eventual fate still hangs in the balance.
The Queen's Park Bridge is another historically significant bridge across the Barwon. The present single-lane steel structure dates to 1930. The site was initially serviced by a punt and was used as a cattle crossing with a wooden bridge built for the purpose in 1861. This was twice washed away in floods, first in 1870 and again in 1909. Purely functional are the new twin bridges which cross the river to the west of town. They were built in 2009 as part of the Geelong Ring Road which allows coastal traffic to avoid the congestion of local roads through the city.
Likewise, the James Harrison Bridge which crosses the river just upstream from the original Barwon Bridge, is designed purely for road traffic. Although this does not stop it being taken over for an hour or two on the third Sunday in November by the several hundred runners who have for the past two years completed the "Run Geelong" fun run event.

Pollocksford Bridge

Then of course, there is the Princes Bridge which appears to be the favoured point from which to dump the bodies of murder victims as I have noted previously. The present bridge is the third structure to stand near this site. The previous two, located a little further downstream, were named for Queen Victoria's husband Albert, the Prince Consort. The initial timber structure was built the year after Albert's death, in 1861. A second bridge with the same name was erected in 1889 to replace the first which was in a poor state of repair. This in turn was extensively repaired in 1959 and then replaced with the present bridge in 1965.
Once out of Geelong,  the bridges become more widely spaced. Heading further upstream, the first is the Merrawarp Road Bridge and then the Pollocksford Bridge - a five span bluestone bridge built in 1859. The next crossing point is on the Inverleigh-Winchelsea Road just out side of Inverleigh, near the confluence of the Leigh and Barwon Rivers.

Winchelsea Bridge

Possibly the most picturesque bridge across the Barwon is the bluestone Barwon River Bridge, built in 1867 to replace two previous timber structures. This bridge was replicated in later years with a prestressed concrete structure being built slightly downstream of the first.
Other bridge crossings I have yet to investigate include the Winchelsea-Deans Marsh Road which appears to cross a shallow stretch of the river at a natural ford, Kildean Lane and Conn's Lane. Another road bridge lies just outside of Birregurra on the Birregurra-Deans Marsh Road, then one on the Colac-Murroon Road and Dewing's Bridge Road. All appear to be modern concrete structures of little aesthetic interest.
At this point I become somewhat confused, but know of at least one more bridge just past Barwon Downs and another on the outskirts of the township of Forrest, below the West Barwon Dam. Then finally, at the base of the dam is a little foot bridge designed for pedestrian access.
In general it would seem that most of the bridges over the Barwon have been built for function rather than appearance, however several have long histories which tie in with the story of Geelong and the farming communities through which the river flows.

"Ring! Ring!"

Riders along the Barwon

Ring Road that is! Today's escapade saw us take to the bikes again to investigate the relatively new track which runs alongside stage 1 of Geelong's Ring Road. Rather than take a shorter ride across town and fight with the traffic, we chose to take the scenic route and get our dose of the river along the way. I couldn't resist the urge to grab a "large, weak, skinny cap, please" from Barwon Edge on the way past and we sat at a conveniently located table a little further up the track to have morning tea, watching the usual array of cyclists, joggers, walkers and - a new one on me - a pair riding horses.
And so to Fyansford and the one hitch with this particular route - the cement works hill. Taking it somewhat slower than my last attempt and at a walk after losing my chain, we made it to the top then headed for the Gabrielle Blythe Linear Park for the ride around to Church Street.

This is not the most direct route to the Ring Road track, but it is more scenic than McCurdy Road which has the added disadvantage of no bike lane (although traffic is not heavy).

Lewis Bandt Bridge on the Geelong Ring Road from
the Ted Wilson Trail

As I have mentioned previously, I would also like to see the linear park provide an alternate route to busy Church Street by which to reach the waterfront.

Our detour turned out to be well worthwhile as we came across a group from the Bellarine Railway who were just starting the process of ripping up the rails as I had seen discussed in the papers only a week or so ago. We were informed that these rails would be re-laid in a section of the Bellarine line near Laker's Siding as they were longer than the existing rails and the resulting reduction in joins would mean a smoother ride for the trains.

Leaving the guys to their work, we headed to Church Street and then via the bike lane, the short distance to its western end. Had we chosen to ride in the other direction, we could have connected - as we did on our previous ride - with the trail around the bay, but this time, we were headed north.  

From the end of Church Street, it was a matter of metres to the beginning of the Ted Wilson Trail and a short stop to take in some sweeping views of the Moorabool Valley, the old quarry at Fyansford and the Barrabool Hills. 

Before we continue, it is pertinent to mention that Ted Wilson, after whom the trail is named, is a now-retired police officer from Geelong who was instrumental in establishing the Bikeplan program which was piloted in Geelong in the 1970s and 80s and in developing the Bike Ed program which is still taught in Victorian schools today. Ted was also responsible for the re-introduction of police bike patrols across the state in the 1990s. Now, where was I? 

View towards the Batesford Quarry

The Church Street end of the trail was perhaps the most picturesque section which otherwise spends much of its distance shielded from the traffic of the Ring Road behind the large, steel noise barriers. On the other side, the track opens on to suburban backyards and in some parts, on to neighbouring parkland. From the intersection of the Ring Road with the Midland Highway (aka Ballarat Road), there is a good view of the Batesford Quarry, a little further up the Moorabool River.

Along its length, the track is well made from concrete and makes for good riding with minimal road crossings over fairly even terrain up to Cowie's Creek. From there it heads downhill to - I am informed by the local media - Broderick Road in Corio, a total distance of 11.4km. However, we did not have time to go further on this occasion, so discovering the remainder of the trail will have to wait for another day.From this high point above the creek, the view extends north towards the You Yangs Regional Park and west across the northern suburbs of Geelong to the Shell oil refinery which, whilst rather industrial and mundane during daylight hours, becomes quite spectacular at night when it is ablaze with lights.

Looking south along the Ted Wilson Trail

Further contributing to the somewhat industrial feel is the looming presence of high-voltage power lines running above the track for some of the way. Clearly this is a new pathway which has had little time to develop. A concerted effort at tree-planting could go a long way to breaking up those somewhat bland sections which do not have a substantial view. Tree-cover would also provide a significant boon to the local bird-life and on a warm day such as today, would provide some welcome shade for those using the trail.

Another aspect which was brought to my attention was signage. The comments were made on another website bemoaning the lack thereof and in retrospect, yes, they have a point. By word of mouth I knew the trail started at the bottom of Church Street, but there was no sign at any point to inform me of this, nor, as was also pointed out, is there any sign at the major road-crossings (at least one of which required multiple sets of traffic lights to negotiate) which shows where or if the path continues on the opposite side of the road.
Despite these shortfalls, this is still an interesting and well-constructed trail and I am looking forward to investigating the remaining kilometres to Broderick Road at some point in the near future....