O'Shannaassy Aqueduct Trail - Dee River Ssction

A 4 km (return) hike on March 19, 2017, starting at the Dee River car park and continuing to the Dee Slip Bridge.
 

:O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail - East Warburton

These pix were taken on June 8, 2015, on a 2 km hike along the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, East Warburton, starting from the access point at the Yuonga Rd crossing. Parts of the Trail continue to be damaged by deer, which cross the Aqueduct on their way to foraging in adjoining private properties

O'Shannassry Aqueduct Trail - Yuonga Rd Section

Pix of August 23 2014 along the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, starting at the Yuonga Rd car-park.

Click here for a Slideshow of all of the photos of this visit!

O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, Cement Creek Sector

These pix were taken on Nov 2 2012 along the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, East Warburton.

This was a 4 km (return) hike from the Cement Creek access point, westerly towards Yuonga Rd.

The Trail crosses the Cement Creek West Branch, which was flowing strongly.

The access point is at the end of Cement Creek Rd, which is in very poor condition, with ruts, corrugations, rocks and puddles. Best with 4WD!

Click to see all of the Photos of my visit!

Dee Slip Bridge - O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail

These pix were taken on August 4, 2012.

They show the scenery, environment and features along the Dee Bridge Sector of the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, Warburton, 70 km east of Melbourne.

My 4 km return hike started at the Dee Rd car park and picnic area, crossing the Harrison Creek, then easterly to the Dee Slip Bridge and beyond.

East of the Dee Rd junction is the Dee Slip Bridge. This was restored during 2008, and is the only timber trestle bridge on the system. It was built in 1947 following the collapse of the aqueduct. The force of the flow created a large hole in the side of the embankment beneath the aqueduct, and two separate trestle bridges now support the maintenance track and the aqueduct at this point. A section of the aqueduct immediately adjacent to the bridge collapsed again in 1991, the repairs to the channel are visible.

The replacement channel was fabricated from steel.

It is not commonly known, but the picnic ground and car park occupy an area on which a timber tramway once operated. This tramway carried logs cut down from the area extending from just above the car park and the slopes of Ben Cairn higher up.

It ran from the top of Dee Rd, passing over the Harrison Creek. A rough foot-track starts from the car park and extends into the forest past the Creek. There is little evidence remaining of the original timber cutting, except for some blackened stumps from the 1939 Black Friday bushfires which ravaged this part of the forest.

The tramway transported logs to the mill operated by Kennedy and Munro in the years 1885-1886, which was located below the present-day Aqueduct on the east side of the Dee River. From there, the sawn timber was carried on the Dee Valley Tramway to the railhead at Millgrove.

The Dee Valley Tramway started at Mortimer Brothers' Mill (1903-1910) near the summit of Ben Cairn, and carried timber from various mills.

A mill operated by McKechnie was located just past the end of present day Dee Rd. This operated for some 50 years, from 1919 to 1968, and was on land which is now private freehold property.

See the complete set of Photos of my visit!

O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail - Sussex St Sector

These pix were taken on July 20 2012, on a 4 km return hike on the Sussex St section of the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, 70 km east of Melbourne, at Warburton.

The Sussex St entry point is reached by following Surrey Rd from near the Mayer Bridge over the Yarra, which links the Warburton Highway with Damman's Rd.

This Section of the Trail is of historical interest, passing concrete bridges once used for timber tramways for Horden's Sawmill (1932-1937, Richard's Sawmill (1907-1913)and Parbury's/Anderson's Brookfield Sawmill (1901 to 1928).

The trail also crosses the Ythan Creek.

Just off the trail is a short walking track to the Ythan Creek, to a weir, and the adjacent Warburton Reservoir.

Further to the east, the Trail crosses the Mt Victoria Walking Track.

A fire/comms tower is located next to reservoir, adjacent to Sussex St.

Past the Mt Victoria Walking Track another logging tramway bridge is encountered - this was for Richard's Mill, (1907 to 1913) which was located about 1 km north of the Aqueduct. The tramway started at the former Richard's Bridge on the Yarra, which was replaced many years later by the present day Brisbane Bridge.

The legacy of Richard remains as Richard's Rd, which runs off Brisbane Hill Rd.

The Aqueduct was built between 1911 and 1914, and the open channel sections were heightened in 1925/1926. It was decommissioned in 1997. The Maintenance Track is now a 27 km shared trail.

Seer the complete set of Photos of my visit!