O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail - Dee Road Section

Dee River

These pix were taken on June 27 2012.

They show the scenery, fauna, and environment along a 4 km (return) hike on the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, starting at the Dee Rd picnic area.

View south from Trail

The day was bleak and cold!

There were nice views from the picnic area across the valley to the mountains near Powelltown.

Sadly, many sections of the Aqueduct are now clogged by fallen trees and vegetation.

Control gate and platform

The Aqueduct converts into a steel pipe which goes under Dee Rd and the Dee River for about 100 metres, and emerges as open channel on the western side.

The O'Shannassy Aqueduct was built in the years 1911-1915, and decommissioned in 1997.

West from Dee Rd

The Trail follows the former Aqueduct Maintenance Track, starting at Parrot Rd (Launching Place) and ending at the O'Shannassy Weir (East Warburton), about 31 km total.

The Aqueduct consists of open channel and underground steel pipes.

As the Trail is a step-on, step-off route, these are the sectors:

Parrot Rd to Ewart's Rd 4 km (pipe)


Ewart's Rd to Dee Rd 5.3 km


Dee Rd to Sussex St 4 km


Sussex St to Yuonga Rd 3 km


Yuonga Rd to Cement Creek 6.8 km


Cement Creek to O'Shannassy Weir 7.6 km

Dee Rd carpark and picnic area

An interesting feature of the Trail is the recently completed Boardwalk. This is reached from the Mt Donna Buang Rd crossing, about 1 km past the end of the Yuonga Rd section. It starts at an open channel section of the Aqueduct along the Maintenance Track.

This Boardwalk passes over the pipeline, deep in the side of Mt Donna Buang.

I have now completed most of the Trail!

A comprehensive set of Trail Notes, and detailed maps, may be downloaded from the Parks Victoria Web site:

http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/315628/Park-note-Yarra-Ranges-NP-OShannassy-Aquaduct-Trail.pdf

The history and development of the aqueduct may be viewed at

http://www.aussieheritage.com.au/listings/vic/Warburton/OShannassyWeirAqueductandAssociatedFeatures/17556

See all of the Photos of my visit!