The line that wasn't

Okay, one more post on the subject of trains then I promise I'll write about something else but this one is - or could have been - the most relevant of all to the Barwon. Following the implementation of the so called "Octopus Act" of 1884, subsequent bills were introduced to parliament including one which was due to come before parliament in the latter half of 1889 in which a further 4922 miles of track was requested.
Two in particular were of relevance to Geelong and the Barwon. The proposed lines were: Geelong-Lorne (via Barwon Heads) and Geelong-Portarlington, however, despite the mania surrounding the building of railway lines in 19th century Victoria, not every line that was proposed went ahead. Some, like the "Black Line" to Warnambool or the Geelong-Ballarat Line did proceed, but took different routes to those originally suggested. Others, such as the proposed line to Barwon Heads never proceeded, but it is interesting to consider what might have been had they done so.
By the 1880s, Barwon Heads was well established as a summer tourist destination and there were many farmers and fishermen in the area who would benefit from a rail link as would the holiday trippers heading to the coast. This was the argument of those in favour of a Barwon Heads line.
It was envisaged that such a line would be an extension of the already existing branch to the old Geelong Race Course which was located at Marshall. The new track would extend just over 9 miles to the township.


Camping at Barwon Heads in the 1880s, image held by the Victorian State Library

But that was only part of the plan, as there were those who would have seen the forests of the Otways opened up to rail traffic and one suggestion was to extend the Barwon Heads line along the coast crossing Bream and Spring Creeks to Jan Juc, Airey's Inlet and Lorne. Another particularly audacious - but financially improbable - suggestion was to extend the branch line already under construction from Birregurra to Barwon Downs (1889) and ultimately to Forrest (1891) via a tunnel under the mountains to Lorne.
NOTE: instead of these grand plans, the Otways were served by the Birregurra-Forrest branch line and a narrow-gauge line from Colac to Beech Forest. Today, the first route forms the basis of the Forrest "Tiger" Rail Trail, a 30km walking/riding track which is under construction at various points between the two towns whilst the second is now the "Old Beechy Rail Trail".
Meanwhile, back in Geelong, in March, 1890 local members J. F. Levien and Charles Andrews both agreed to support the proposal for the Barwon Heads line in parliament. It was also indicated that the line would immediately open up a limeburning trade in the Barwon Heads area which could be expected to last 50 years. On 18th June a railway construction bill was introduced which included the proposed line. Two days later it was announced that less than 800 miles of the total track applied for by various districts would be built by the government. Amongst those lines chosen was the line to Barwon Heads.
However, the decision was not without its detractors and one Mr Dixon MLA, member for Prahran put it to parliament that:

The line from Geelong to Barwon Heads would not pay for greasing the wheels of the trains either in the present or the future.

Ultimately it seems, the government agreed with him. Almost two years later, despite the initial approval, the matter was put before the number 2 sectional committee of the Parliamentary Railway Standing Committee who convened at the Coffee Palace at Barwon Heads on 22nd January, 1892.

The Coffee Palace, Barwon Heads 1898. The site of today's Barwon Heads
Hotel. Image reproduction rights held by the Victorian State Library

A little over two months later on 31st March the standing committee handed down its recommendations. It was stated that the line to Barwon Heads would be "unremunerative". It was also decided that the proposed branch line from Drysdale to Portarlington was unnecessary as the district was already sufficiently served by the existing Queenscliff line. And that it seemed was that. The issue was not mentioned again in the media and seems to have been completely abandoned.
I can find no on-line information regarding the exact route the line from Marshall to Barwon Heads was to take, but in this modern era of closed branch lines reinvented as rail trails one can only wonder what a Barwon Heads-Geelong rail trail might have been like.

Looking towards the modern seaside town of Barwon Heads
from the Bluff, December, 2012

On the other hand, it is also more than a little concerning to consider (depending on the route taken) what the environmental implications of a railway through the middle of the now internationally listed RAMSAR wetlands might have been.

Where did it all go?

I started this blog post by researching the rather gruesome topic of murder on the banks of the Barwon - a topic which I have addressed before and which continues to be one of my most popular posts: A Murder on the Barwon. However it wasn't long before I once again found myself reading about one of Victoria's pioneering families. This time it was the Roadknights - a familiar name to anyone acquainted with the coastline near Anglesea.
So who were the Roadknights?  Well, they certainly weren't convicted murderers - let's get that straight! But their name did crop up in association with some unfortunate events, one of which will form the basis of another post.
The founding father of the Roadknights in Victoria was William. Born in 1792 at Warwickshire, England, he and his brother Thomas migrated to Tasmania in 1820. They were accompanied on the voyage by their father - also named Thomas - who died at sea only a day from Hobart Town. With William was his first wife Harriet and their four children.
Upon their arrival in Tasmania, the brothers were each allotted 1,000 acres of land but soon moved away from farming, instead establishing themselves as persons of responsibility in the colony. By the late 1830s, William and his son Thomas were looking further afield to the opportunities presented by the opening up of land in the Port Phillip District and in 1836 William and his sons landed in the Port Phillip District with sheep from Tasmania.


I believe this photo to be Thomas Roadknight as captioned, however he would have been much
younger in 1836 than this photo appears. The photo is held by the Victorian State Library which
gives a publication date of 1896 for the photo - five years after Thomas' death.

Between them, the family proceeded to establish properties totalling almost 100,000 acres around the Barwon River and beyond. They held land at Yan Yan Gurt, Deans Marsh, Gerangamete, Cape Otway and at Ceres in the Barrabool Hills. Other stations belonging to the Roadknights included Cherry Tree Hill near Beeac, River Station and Stony Rises Station.
 Testament to the extent of their landholdings  are names such as Point Roadknight, Roadknight Street in Birregurra and Aireys Inlet as well as a street of that name in the township of Forrest and nearby Roadknight Creek.
However, in the early days after their arrival, the Roadknights took up land closer to Geelong in the Barrabool Hills "near the Ceres Bridge". In 1838 William returned briefly to Tasmania to marry for a second time, taking his new wife (Elizabeth nee Twamley) to live at Barrabool. Research for the National Trust names them as living at "Berromongo" where their son Zachariah was born in 1839. I believe this later became Berramongo Vineyard eventually owned by John Belperroud who from 1842 initially leased, then purchased the land from Charles Swanston to whom William sold it. John was one of a wave of Swiss immigrants who brought their wine-making skills to the region, encouraged by Governor LaTrobe and his Swiss wife.
The land taken up by Roadknight in 1836 was located on both sides of the Barwon very near the "Ceres Bridge". One contemporary map shows the bridge to be a few hundred metres upstream from today's Merrawarp Road bridge and the Victorian Heritage Database shows a house "Berramongo" located in this area on Crooks Road.

Merrawarp Road bridge today looking from somewhere near the probable
site of the old Ceres Bridge

That same year, as the land around Geelong was opened up for sale, William purchased 22 acres overlooking the Barwon River at Chilwell. His property was situated on the north bank, opposite and a little upstream from Kardinia House - the property of Dr Alexander Thomson - and just across Pakington Street from the house of Charles Sladen Esq. (Sladen House). The land stretched from the banks of the river, back to the government road which became known as West Fyans Street. Today, the site is occupied in part by the former Returned Sailors and Soldiers Mill buildings which date from 1922.
Initially, Roadknight built a small house known as Barwon Cottage, then in 1845 he built a larger home on the property which he called Barwon Crescent. It was constructed from locally made bricks and it is interesting to note that in 1849 land immediately north of his property was advertised as being "first rate brick earth". He also established an orchard garden on the land near the house and it was here that the family lived.
Meanwhile, his ambitions as a squatter saw him establish stations on land to the west of Geelong as mentioned above. However, this venture was not without controversy. Unsurprisingly, the spread of European settlement caused the displacement of the local indigenous tribes. In the 1840s with Governor LaTrobe realising the need to erect a lighthouse at Cape Otway to ensure the safety of the shipping routes, it became necessary to find a land route to the Cape - a task which LaTrobe himself eventually achieved.

The Cape Otway lighthouse was eventually built by 1848

However, during a subsequent surveying expedition in 1846 lead by George D Smythe, a white seaman named Conroy was killed by members of the Gadubanoot tribe. He was alleged to have raped several of the tribeswomen - a capital offence according to Aboriginal law.
Smythe returned to LaTrobe and requested a party be put together to make an arrest. Permission was quietly granted and Smythe - armed with a warrant and a group of trackers from the Barrabool tribe of the Wathaurong - returned. He was joined en route by a group of heavily armed men lead by William Roadknight. According to a 2007 publication by Bruce Pascoe (Convincing Ground: learning to fall in love with your country) a massacre resulted. Smythe claimed to have "lost control" of the Barrabool tribesmen, however surviving members of the Gadubanoot tribe said they were shot down by white men whilst a later report indicates that there was only a single Barrabool man with Smythe's party.
Pascoe also claims that this was not the first time Roadknight had used tribesmen from one district in an attack upon another and that there may have been as many as three more massacres between 1846 and 1848. Each was part of a wider campaign to ensure the safety of the few families who would come to the Cape to man the lighthouse when it was built. He also notes that Roadknight was running stock on the Cape prior to 1846, presumably without interference from the Gadubanoot. The implication is perhaps that he had already employed measures to protect his stock. Unsurprisingly, some descendants of the family have disputed this version of events and there is certainly ample evidence to show that in other parts of his life that William was a genial and kindly man.
Interestingly, with the centenary of the settlement of Melbourne approaching, the Hobart Mercury of 3rd October, 1934 reproduced in part an earlier article indicating that both Thomas and William were present at a meeting of Port Phillip settlers on 1st June, 1836. Amongst the unanimously carried proposals was one stating that:
"all subscribing parties pledge themselves to afford protection to the aborigines to the utmost of their power, and, further, that they will not teach them the use of firearms, or allow their servants to do so, nor on any account to allow he aborigines to be in possession of any firearms."
It was also unanimously carried that:
"all parties do bind themselves to communicate to the arbitrator any aggression committed upon, or by, the aborigines, that may come to their knowledge, by the earliest opportunity, and that he be empowered to proceed in the matter as he may think expedient."
Despite their early acquisitions and prominence in the settlement of the Port Phillip district, the Roadknights did not retain the majority of their acreage. Their holdings were significantly reduced as a result of bad business deals and a move by the government to reclaim a significant amount of land for a Wesleyan Mission to "maintain and civilize" the local Aboriginal population. Again, Pascoe states that Roadknight worked to thwart the intentions of the missionaries whose venture ultimately did not succeed. In the end, the land was sold off, but the Roadknights did not reacquire any of their forfeited acres and by 1870 little of their holdings remained.
Meanwhile, after the death of his second wife Elizabeth, in 1857, William married for a third time in 1860 to Helen Buchanan, however the marriage did not last long as William died on 25th November, 1862.

William Roadknight is buried in the Eastern Cemetery
with his second wife, Elizabeth

Barwon Crescent then passed to his son Thomas who with his son Alfred Hill Roadknight became a noted stock and land agent in Geelong. Thomas and his wife Caroline (nee Hill) lived at "The Crescent".
Their son and heir Alfred was also one of the earliest crop of students produced by the recently-established Geelong Grammar, by that time located in Maud Street, Geelong. Thomas died on 28th October, 1891, leaving the house to Alfred who leased the nearby property Barwon Grange for the next couple of years until his mother vacated Barwon Crescent.


Thomas and his wife Caroline are also buried in the Eastern Cemetery and their
headstone notes that Thomas died at "Barwon Crescent"

Alfred then lived at The Crescent until its eventual sale in 1907. Alfred himself lived a further 14 years. He died in 1931 and is also buried in the Eastern Cemetery with his wife (Emily Harriet Carr) like his parents and grandparents before him.

Grave of Alfred and Emily Roadknight in the Eastern Cemetery

Finding photographic material for this post has proven hard to come by. Whilst the Roadknights' holdings were extensive in the middle of the 19th century, it seems that nothing other than the odd place name here and there remains of their "empire". Barwon Crescent is long gone, demolished to make way for the woollen mills of the 1920s and I can find no (online) photos dating to that period, nor can I find their name on the early maps of Victoria.
There are however, quite a number of Roadknight descendants today and the Roadknight name did crop up fairly regularly in the national newspapers of the 19th century, usually with respect to appointments to committees and land transactions however, during Thomas' tenure at Barwon Crescent in the 1870s, the orchard was leased to a market gardener by the name of William Stenton and it was in 1876 that trouble arose....

Growing concerns

Animals are not the only introduced species to be found along the Barwon. With the arrival of European settlers came a wide variety of plants, some provided food, some were ornamental, some no doubt arrived unintentionally and many became weeds in their new environment.
I've mentioned deforestation along the Barwon and its tributaries in previous posts - especially as its effects relate to water catchment and the ability to withstand bushfire in the Otways. Another problem with the loss of native vegetation is the loss of habitat and food sources for wildlife. If eucalypts are cleared instead of being allowed to age naturally and die, those birds and other animals such as Red-rumped Parrots which nest in tree hollows will struggle to find suitable sites in which to build.

Dead tree with hollow branches used by nesting Red-rumped Parrots at Fyansford

Native re-vegetation at Barwon Valley

Birds like the various honeyeaters which rely on the nectar from native plants may be adversely affected by a lack of flowering native trees and shrubs - for instance the White-plumed Honeyeater has a close association with River Red Gums. On the other hand, many of these birds (along with the various introduced species) may also benefit from the presence of exotic flowering plants and fruit trees.

Introduced prunus in bloom near Breakwater

Whilst re-vegetation efforts in recent years have aimed to increase the presence of native plants along the river - especially through the urban areas - there are still many remnants of 19th century plantings along the riverbank.

Apple tree growing wild on the banks of the West Barwon
River below the West Barwon Dam

Cyprus tree on the riverbank at Barwon Valley

Apple trees remaining near the West Barwon Dam are one example of introduced plantings as are cyprus trees found at various points along the river through Geelong. Another is the few remnant willow trees which still grow along the river bank through Geelong. These willows are the last survivors of a string of 19th century plantings stretching from town to the breakwater. Ironically, they were planted in an attempt to control erosion along the riverbank. In actual fact, the opposite may be true as the root masses formed by willows can inhibit fast-flowing water, causing erosion. They can also prevent water flow and the growth of other aquatic plants important to native fauna.

Willow tree below Barwon Grange, Newtown

Willow and other exotic plantings below the breakwater

Despite this, I still love the look of willow trees hanging over the water.

Firepower

It is bushfire season. As the temperature in Geelong and surrounding districts peaked at 41 degrees yesterday, a small grassfire broke out near the Barwon River outside of the township of Stonehaven. On this occasion, it was contained within a few hours. Despite media and government reports of an aerial firefighting unit, several tankers from Geelong and surrounding towns and the possible presence of smoke, there was nothing to be seen from a distance. None-the-less, the tanker from Gnawarre became bogged and then trapped in the flames. No-one was injured, however the truck suffered substantial damage.

Ten News footage of the Gnawarre tanker in flames at Stonehaven

The potential for danger was clearly quite real and it got me thinking  about what role fire has played along the banks of the Barwon over the centuries. Certainly, the local Wathaurong tribes are known to have conducted burns as part of the land management strategies they used to encourage the propagation of various food sources. Studies have suggested that the current growth of native trees in what is believed to be an untouched remnant of bushland at Ocean Grove - not far from the Lake Connewarre Game Reserve - may have changed over the last 150 years with the cessation of burning by the Wathaurong tribes.

Man-made lake and remnant bushland in the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve

At the other end, near the headwaters of the Barwon, it is rather a different story. The Otway Ranges receive more rainfall than any other part of the state. This has lead to the growth of temperate rainforest which does not burn easily - if at all. I am informed that prior to European arrival, a bushfire could be expected in some parts of the Otways no more regularly than every 300-500 years!
With the arrival of white settlement however, things have changed somewhat. Clearfell logging has had an impact on the ability of the area to withstand bushfire damage and both have had a significant effect on water catchment capacity and water quality. Clearfell logging in the Otways ceased in May, 2008. It is predicted that within 60 years if no further logging takes place that water yields will increase by 10%.
Over time, damaged areas of bushland will regenerate, however even this comes at a cost to short term water catchment capacity. Young trees draw water from the soil, evaporating it through their leaves as they respire and grow. Old growth trees by contrast retard the flow of runoff water through the soil which remains moist, allowing more time for it to drain into the creeks and rivers of the catchment area. Likewise, bushfire can not only damage old growth trees, but it draws moisture from the ground which would otherwise end up in the catchments.

Section of regrowth  and old growth forest at West Barwon Dam

The West Barwon catchment area is largely old growth forest however, parts of this were burnt out during bushfires in the area in 1919 and again in the 1939 Black Friday bushfires when Victoria's rivers were reported to be at their lowest levels for 80 years. One story tells of Bill Kellas, a survivor of the more recent 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires who as a six year old boy, spent two days sheltering beside the Barwon in 1939 with his mother. They survived the bushfires by ducking beneath the surface of the river to avoid falling embers and hiding beneath wet blankets.
Bushfire management has come a long way since then and not surprisingly, the threat of bushfire in the Otways and along the Barwon is very much a "hot topic". So much so in fact that the authorities responsible for developing safety strategies in the region (the Department of Sustainability and Energy and Parks Victoria) have won the Motorola Innovation Knowledge Agency Award for those deemed the most progressive in the fields of fire and emergency.
Let's hope their innovations are effective!

Doing the cycad stomp

On Monday I packed the kids off to school and headed for the hills - literally. I decided I needed a few extra photos for my annual Barwon calendar, but they just happened to be on parts of the river which were about as far away as I could get. Despite this, I decided I had time to make it there and back and get the shots I needed.

West Barwon Dam, confluence of the West Barwon River
and Munday Creek

I made good time and snapped snapped away at the West Barwon Dam which was looking suitably vast on this sunny morning then headed for the east branch of the Barwon. Here I made a quick circuit of the lake, took more shots - including the one I needed for the calendar - and stopped for a break.
As I was sitting at a high point overlooking the lake, I read the strategically placed, but rapidly fading, information board. It informed me - as I knew - that early in its existence, the level of the lake was lowered by several metres after the upper part of the landslide which had originally dammed the river, gave way.
What happened next is still visible today.
Not surprisingly, the trees and other vegetation which had been submerged by the initial inundation had died off. When the water level fell after the partial collapse of the initial landslip, several metres of deforested bank was revealed. This provided an opportunity.

North bank of Lake Elizabeth (left) showing regrowth of land originally
covered by higher water levels

On the cool, shady north bank of the lake, the cycads took hold - the green fronds of tree ferns which were ideally suited to this environment came to dominate the land immediately above the water level. The myrtle beech trees, so common in other parts of the temperate rainforest found in the Otways, also took their opportunity.  From where I was sitting, a quick glance showed this quite clearly to be the case.

Amongst the myrtle beech and tree ferns on the north bank of Lake Elizabeth

On the opposite, more exposed bank I was informed, tussock grass found a niche and established itself.

Lake Elizabeth Beach from the north bank

Tussock grasses on Lake Elizabeth Beach

Looking at this bank from the opposite side, the definition does not seem to be as clear as on the north bank, however it is certainly different, more open and with less of a rainforest feel to it.
So, armed with the necessary photos and some new information, I completed my circuit and headed once again for the lower reaches of the Barwon.

Learning to fly...

The foot of a Myrtle Beech tree

The final leg of our grand tour of the Otways was to visit the Otway Fly. This is a unique, tourist-oriented venture which - as is pointed out at the gate - generates a far greater income for its area than logging could ever do.It is located a short drive from the township of Beech Forest where we stopped for lunch prior to hitting the Fly.

The name of this town is not so much a name as a description really, as the surrounding bushland, unlike the eucalypt-dominated landscapes we had so far driven and walked through, consists primarily of Myrtle Beech in its upper story - as I was about to see rather close up. I gather that these trees are native to Victoria and Tasmania and are found in temperate rainforest environments. And this area certainly fit the description. We paid our entry and decided not on this occasion to take the adrenaline-filled, but rather pricey option of a zip line tour during which one is propelled between the trees via an elaborate flying fox arrangement and opted instead to go on foot. The initial part of the walk is at ground level amongst the Myrtle Beech, tree ferns and a variety of other moisture-loving species of plants with which I am not familiar.

Otway Fly treetop walk

One small boy I could mention was particularly impressed with the display of dinosaurs to be seen amongst the undergrowth as we made our way down the path.  Sign posts explained some of the flora and fauna and pointed out some of the more impressive examples of the former to be seen along the path - such as the above tree.
From here, we stepped out onto the treetop walk - a steel walkway standing 30m above ground level and extending for 600m through the upper foliage of the forest.
If you are even slightly prone to vertigo, then this probably isn't the walk for you. I have no such qualms and was happy to be impressed by the view below and then to climb the viewing tower which rises a further 17m above the walkway.

View below from the treetop walkway

After descending, the next nerve test is to walk out to the end of a cantilever span which hangs out over the forest below. The views are impressive to say the least.
From here we continued to wind our way through the canopy back to the path at ground level and from there, trekked back up the hill to our starting point - with of course, another detour via the dinosaurs.
A further interesting little point in our journey was a creek running below the walk. It was helpfully explained that this one - Young's Creek, named for the grandfather of local running legend Cliff Young - was one of the hundreds of creeks which rise along the Otway Ridge. From there, depending on which side of the ridge they fall, they make their way into rivers such as the Barwon. This particular example makes its way to the nearby Triplet Falls

Tree ferns from above

Here, once again, we failed to see a platypus or for that matter any of the aquatic life reputed to live in the creek - maybe next time. What we did see once again was an amazing array of mosses, lichens, molds and fungi an example of which is below.
I was as usual on the lookout for the local bird life, however the significant amount of undergrowth in the forest is rather conducive to hiding any number of small birds, so whilst I could hear them all around, there were few to be seen.
And so we came to the end of the walk and much to the consternation of one queasy stomach, headed once again for the hills, and those winding roads...

Moss and lichen dripping off every available
surface

Around the bend

View of the Otways from the Great Ocean Road
near Apollo Bay

And boy did we go round some bends! After saying goodbye to this part of the Barwon for now, we headed to Apollo Bay for the night, winding our way through the Otways down to sea level. In a post not too long ago, I looked at the effect of the Otways on local weather patterns along the river. As we made it to the top of the Otways the effects of the Otway rain shadow hit us head-on.
As I mentioned in my last post, the weather was mild and overcast with an occasional shower along both branches of the river. I was a little surprised then, as we topped the rise, to be confronted by a wall of fog so thick that I could barely see 20m in front of me. The rain shadow was was suddenly very real. All that moist sea air rolling in from the west was hitting the slopes of the Otways and condensing into a thick fog whilst the relatively warm, dry air moving over the top of the ranges was keeping things mild along the Barwon. And the fog really was only at these higher altitudes. By the time we completed our descent, we had left the fog behind and the weather was once again cool and mild.

Koala at Cape Otway

The following day we were headed back into the Otways, but not before we first skirted around them and headed down to have a look at the Cape Otway Light Station which is located at the tip of Cape Otway in the National Park.
It is probably worth noting that the Cape was named for Captain Albany Otway, a friend of the English naval officer who discovered it in 1801 in his vessel the Lady Nelson.
As we wound our way once again through towering eucalypt bushland towards the Cape, we rounded a bend to find a number of stationary cars pulled mostly onto the shoulders of the rather narrow road with their occupants wandering around and in some cases, standing on the roadway.

Coastline at Cape Otway

No, it was not the scene of some horrendous traffic accident, but rather, a koala colony. Having been given the word earlier by a helpful local, we drove a little ahead and pulled into a safer clearing before joining the throngs looking up. Every second tree had its own koala, so there were plenty to go round. As English-speaking tourists we found ourselves rather in the minority here and the same was true at the light station which was our next stop.
Cape Otway is the second most southerly point on mainland Australia and was the first land sighting for incoming immigrant ships during the 19th century. The coastline along this part of the country is rather dramatic and perhaps best described as rugged, so it is easy to see why so many ships came to grief here.

Cape Otway Lighthouse

In response to a public outcry at the number of these shipwrecks in Bass Straight, the government was forced to build lighthouses at various points along the coast. Between 1847 and 1848 therefore, a lighthouse was erected at Cape Otway and then, in 1859 a telegraph station was added to service a subterranian cable running between Tasmania and the mainland. However, the cable foundered after only 6 months and the telegraph station became a signalling station which passed shipping news to Melbourne.

Cape Otway Telegraph Station

Today, the restored building houses a museum whilst the lighthouse - which still serves its original purpose - is also open to visitors. We viewed the museum, climbed the 78 steps of the lighthouse, learnt a little of the indiginous heritage of the area and also took a look at 40 recently acquired paintings of ships significant to the history of Australia.
And then, having seen what there was to see, we departed, heading upwards once again into the mountains for a walk amongst the treetops.

The lady of the lake - part 2

Fungi

...and so to our adventure...
The weather was overcast but mild and an earlier shower had cleared, making conditions perfect for a trek up the track and around the lake - something we had failed to achieve on our previous visit. So off we headed.
The walk was not too difficult despite being rather damp underfoot at this time of year. In fact, it was rather damp everywhere. You got the distinct impression that anything which stood still for more than five minutes was likely to end up covered in moss, lichen or some other odd fungus. Just to make sure, we kept up a reasonable pace with me stopping here and there to snap a few photos.

Mossy rocks

The forest through which we were walking seemed to consist mainly of eucalypts and fern, unlike other parts of the Otways where Myrtle Beech trees predominate - but I am no expert on the topic. With three kids in tow I could hear but not see the birds which inhabit the trees so when we reached the foot of the lake, I let them go on ahead and was soon rewarded with some sightings of birds I'd not seen elsewhere on the river: the Eastern Yellow Robin and a single Rose Robin (which have duly been added to my Barwon Birds page).
On the lake itself I also spotted Eurasian Coots and a pair of Chestnut Teal Ducks who had certainly chosen a more spectacular part of the Barwon River system to inhabit than many of their compatriots.

Fungi and moss everywhere

By far however, the most populous birds seemed to be the Grey Fantails. They particularly liked a secluded section - almost a billabong - right at the bottom of the lake. I've never seen birds do somersaults before, but these little guys seemed to be doing just that and were happy to pose for the camera if I was quick enough, as was the Eastern Yellow Robin I spotted a little further up the track.
Of course, in addition to the bird life, there is all manner of other wildlife. I could hear - but not see - a pair of Koalas calling from opposite sides of the lake. Wallabies are reputed to live here too as of course are perhaps the lake's most famous inhabitants - a colony of platypuses. To see them and probably the wallabies too, you need to be around either at dawn or dusk and as it was neither when we were there, no photo-opportunities were to be had on this occasion. Perhaps a late afternoon paddle on the lake in one of the two canoes tied up at the little dock might be in order at some point in the future.

Eastern Yellow Robin

And so after a tangle with some rather nasty stinging nettles, the discomfort of which was relieved by some conveniently located bracken, we made our way up and around the top of the lake. From here we made our way along the conveniently placed boardwalk which presumably crosses the river at some point, although it was impossible to tell exactly where, with all the swampy growth covering the bottom of the valley floor.
From there it was back in amongst the ferns and the gum trees for the walk back to the bottom of the lake where I once again hung back to photograph the locals.

Grey Fantail

On the trek back to the car I could hear and even occasionally see the bird life in the canopy above, however with the exception of a solitary kookaburra, I didn't have much success with the camera. Aside from the foliage providing excellent cover for small birds to hide, it also reduced the light levels to such an extent that it was hard to take crisp, clear shots of anything much. Perhaps I should try for a sunnier day next time.
And so, just as a search party was issuing forth to ascertain my whereabouts, I made it back to the beginning of the track, ready for the next leg of the journey.

The lady of the lake - part 1

Or the lake which was named after a lady - perhaps even the Queen, although I can't confirm this. This week-end with the family in tow, I finally made it back to the Otways once again. After a quick detour via the West Barwon Dam, we headed over to the East Barwon and down to the bottom of the walking track which leads to Lake Elizabeth.

Lagoon at Lake Elizabeth

View from the bottom of Lake Elizabeth

Lake views

As I mentioned in a previous post, Lake Elizabeth was formed on 17th June, 1952 when a naturally occurring landslide completely obstructed the East Barwon River for a period of a couple of months before water once again broke through. Then, in August, 1953 after heavy rain, the force of the collected water caused a much larger breach in the dam wall, washing away the top 26 metres. The debris from this breach now lies in pieces along the course of the river whilst the remaining portion of the lake was reduced to about a fifth of its original size.

View from the top of Lake Elizabeth

One of the most striking features of the lake would have to be the numerous dead tree trunks which rise from the waters as a reminder that this place was once just another part of the river valley. For nearly 60 years their skeletal remains have survived drought and flood, giving the lake a rather eerie, abandoned feel.

View from above

On this occasion, the weather was quite still and peaceful, with the exception of a couple of distant peals of thunder which amounted to nothing and with the exception of a couple of walkers on their return journey, we had the place to ourselves...

Whether the weather

Every time I run round the river when it is windy, I could swear that I seem to be running into a head wind, no matter what direction I am running. This perception probably isn't helped by the fact that I often start my run in a westerly direction and the prevailing wind around here is yes, westerly.

Rain storm moving across Geelong, viewed from Tait's Point

Yesterday was no different. I hit the river at Landy Field and headed upriver, beating into a solid westerly. By the time I was on my way back, I could swear I was still running into the same head wind and not for the first time, it occurred to me to wonder what impact the weather has on the river and - conversely - what effect the river and its surrounding geographical features might have on the weather.
In previous blog posts I've mentioned the impact of day to day wind patterns on the wildlife which lives along it banks - fish and birds seem quite sensitive to wind levels. In geological terms, wind caused the build up of sand dunes at the mouth of the Barwon, helping to shape the estuary as we see it today.
However, the most obvious element of the weather to affect any river is rain - its lack or abundance determining water levels along the length of the watercourse. The Barwon River is no different in this respect, with the river and its associated ecosystem relying on regular flood cycles to maintain a healthy balance along its length.

Barwon at Geelong in flood, 16th January, 2011

Not surprisingly, rainfall levels vary from the headwaters in the Otways to the river mouth at Barwon Heads. Through Geelong, the average annual rainfall is 552.7mm, however the main ridge of the Otway Ranges averages almost four times this amount at 2000mm per annum. This occurs as a result of what is called a rain shadow which is caused by the Otways themselves. In short, warm, moist air flowing in from the west hits the mountains and is forced upwards, cooling and condensing as it rises. Any remaining cool, dry air flows over the mountains and descends to the plains below which are sheltered from the rain on the other side of the range. The rain shadow cast by the Otways extends as far as Geelong and Werribee, making this the driest area in the state, with an average rainfall only about 55mm higher than - for example - Barcaldine in outback Queensland and 16mm lower than Roma.
Little wonder then that, most of Geelong's water supply comes from catchments in the Otways, namely the West Barwon Dam which also plays a significant role in mitigating the effects of flooding on the lower reaches of the Barwon. It does not however, prevent it entirely as we saw earlier this year when moderate flooding was recorded.

Baum's Weir in flood, 16th January, 2011

Flooding occurs through Geelong after about 150mm of rain on a dry catchment or 75mm on a wet catchment over a 1-3 day period. Typical weather patterns which produce this kind of rainfall are either a slow moving low pressure system over Victoria and southern New south Wales, a low pressure trough moving down from the northern states - such as in the case of a cyclone as occurred in January - or persistent winter rainfall.

The three highest flood levels recorded through Geelong were in 1880 (4.59m), 1952 (5.47) and 1995 (5.23m). By comparison, the flood this January (reaching around 4m through Geelong) was not outstanding. Despite this, there was still quite a mess to be cleaned up and it is easy to see the impact the the force of a flooded river can have on the landscape.
Another factor which has a significant impact on river health is temperature, which along with rainfall can affect water levels through increased water storage use and through evaporation. This, along with issues of pollution can lead to increased salinity in the river system which in turn puts stress on the plants and animals which rely on the river. Likewise, a change in the water temperature of the river in combination with low water levels and high nutrient content can - and in summer often does - lead to an outbreak of blue-green algae. This is toxic to humans and animals, causing skin irritation, nausea and asthma/allergy symptoms.

Of course,wind is also an important aspect of weather conditions, however, I must say that despite a significant on-line search, I can find little information about wind patterns and the Barwon, unless it is to discuss short-term forecasts. I would imagine that at the very least, the shadow of the Otways would provide protection from wind for some surrounding areas or that at some points, the natural geography of the river would influence local wind movements. But I can find no on-line mention of such effects.

Queen's Park from Windmill Reserve

One final weather phenomenon which I have experienced around the river but so far had not until now photographed - although others have - is fog. The fog which forms in river valleys is generally of the type called radiation fog. It forms at night in clear weather with little wind. After the sun sets, radiant heat is lost from the Earth's surface and forms a layer of moist air close to ground level. Humidity rises and fog is formed. This fog can be quite dense and can hang around for quite some time. I live on higher ground above the river, so I can sometimes leave home on a bright, sunny morning, descend into the river valley and find myself in another world filled with damp, cool air. This was the case during a trip to Fyansford earlier in the year when it took a good several hours for the fog to clear to reveal the sun which I knew was just overhead.
I imagine that the natural depth of the river valley, the moist environment and the slightly cooler temperature closer to the water all play a part in preventing the dissipation of fog which occurs on higher ground - another example of the river influencing local weather patterns.

In the beginning...

It occurred to me recently that I knew very little about the geological origins of the Barwon River, so I set out to redress the issue, but found I was suddenly in some danger of having a great deal of information but very little in the way of understanding. I spent some time sifting through what I could find online and trying to put it in some kind of order. As I understand it, the geological evolution of the Barwon runs very roughly along the following lines:

Cretaceous rock formations at the West Barwon Dam
in the Otway Ranges

Several million years ago, the landscape surrounding the Barwon River looked rather different to what it does today. In fact, the formation of the Barwon dates back as far as the Cretaceous period (70-145 million years ago) when Australia separated from the super-continent Gondwanaland and dinosaurs still roamed Earth. During this period, sedimentary rocks were laid down which can still be seen to the south of the Barwon as rocky outcrops in some places. They also lie off the coast of western Victoria in the Otway Basin.
As recently as 40 million years ago, much of the land through which the Barwon now flows was covered by a wide sea. Early streams flowed from the higher ground of the Otways, northwards to the sea and limestone deposits formed along this ancient coastline.

Limestone outcrop forming the Belmont Escarpment

The Belmont Escarpment overlooking Barwon Valley and the Jerringot Wetlands is one such limestone outcrop, formed between 25 and 30 million years ago, which extends from a large deposit at Waurn Ponds towards Corio Bay.

More recently, during the Miocene period (7-23 million years ago) a series of plate movements and volcanic eruptions saw the coastline extending as far inland as the town of Meredith and the estuary of the Barwon located at Belmont Common. At this time, much of the present course of the Barwon lay under the sea with only a few nearby features such as the ancient granite of the the Dog Rocks at Batesford protruding above the water's surface to form small islands. It was this sea which deposited the limestone which can be found in the Batesford-Fyansford area and which was quarried for use by the Fyansford Cement Works throughout the 20th century. At around the same time, clay and other materials laid down combined with the Batesford Limestone to produce a band of sedimentary rock running down as far as the eastern fringes of Lake Connewarre. This is known as the Fyansford Formation.
Continuing plate movement throughout the Miocene period affected the various fault lines around the Geelong region such as the Bellarine Fault, causing the Bellarine region to lift and then around 20 million years ago, the sea to withdraw, uncovering the land and the current course of the Barwon.

Plioscene basalt rock formation beside the
walking track to Baum's Weir

Subsequent sea movements in the early Pliocene period (3.5-5 million years ago) resulted in the formation of a shallow bay between Torquay and Ocean Grove, covering the lower reaches of the Barwon once again and led to the deposition of shell beds which now lie under this part of the river including Lake Connewarre and surrounds. Sedimentary deposits across the region including the Bellarine Peninsula at this time produced what is called the Moorabool Viaduct Formation. In places it lies over the top of the Fyansford Formation.
It was also around this time that the movement of fault lines pushed the Cretaceous rocks of the Otway Ranges to their current height, giving the Barwon the strength to carve a path to the sea through new lava flows which occured in the later Pliocene era.
It was at this time that volcanic activity around Mount Duneed, Mount Moriac and Mount Pollock led to further changes in the river and the landscape. Until about 2 million years ago, the Barwon followed a course which saw it flow through a gap in the Barrabool Hills south of Lake Modewarre, then down a valley adjacent to the hills before reaching Fyansford. Around 2 million years ago, lava flows north of Inverleigh blocked this course, causing the inundation of the land to the west of Winchelsea before the river once again carved a new path to the sea. The lava flow followed the old riverbed, leaving a deep basalt deposit in this area and contributing to the wide basalt plains which extend across the region, providing extensive farming land today.

Newly-arrived European settlers were quick to see the material value of these basalt deposits, establishing bluestone quarries along the banks of the Barwon. It is this rock which can still be seen in the stonework of many historical homesteads and buildings across the region - the Barwon Paper Mill and its water race being a prominent example. Naturally, this quarrying made a lasting impact on the river surrounds. This is particularly noticeable along the walking track to Baum's Weir where the quarrying exposed the pliocene basalt, leaving high, rocky escarpments which tower over the river below, whilst a number of quarries were located along the river through Newtown which today have been converted to parkland.

Disused bluestone quarry at Baum's Weir showing
pliocene basalt deposits

At the same time, these lava flows extended out into the bay with three branches forming which dammed the lower Barwon in several places and created a number of lagoons - including a lake at Queen's Park, with another blockage below the Belmont Escarpment.

One of these flows produced the basalt ridge line which runs between Tait's Point and Fisherman's Point, separating Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp from Lake Connewarre and Salt Swamp. As a result, Reedy Lake was fed by fresh water from the now-dammed Barwon whilst Lake Connewarre and the swamplands below the ridge were filled with seawater.

In time however, the barrier at Queen's Park along with that at the Escarpment eroded away, creating alluvial flats downstream. Likewise the lava flow at Tait's Point and another between Sheoak and Pelican Points which had obstructed the river flow were eroded away and water from the upper Barwon and Reedy Lake once more flowed into Lake Connewarre and the lower reaches of the river. This reconnected watercourse now ran alongside the third lava flow which extended to The Bluff and Ocean Grove, establishing the present course of the lower parts of the river and location of the river mouth.

Remains of basalt flow from the late Pliocene era
 forming Tait's Point (right)

It is believed that much of this erosion occurred during times of high flooding - such as 1995 - and as a result of seismic movement. The returning flow of water along with fluctuations in sea levels during the late Pleistocene period (c18,000 years ago) resulted in the build up of sand dunes along the southern basalt flow. In very recent times, with European settlement, this natural rate of sedimentation has been greatly increased by land-reclamation, farming, tree clearing and for a short but intense period, mining in the catchment region of the Moorabool River. All these factors have contributed to sedimentation, causing in-filling which has affected the depth of water in the lakes complex, turning Reedy Lake from an open water system to the swampy complex it has become.

In addition to the various geological and environmental events which shaped the course of the river, across millions of years, continuous erosion and subsequent sedimentation have also influenced the soil of the region, forming the land we see today.