Yarra River
Yarra | |
---|---|
Yarra Ranges, Great Dividing Range | |
• location | within Yarra Ranges National Park |
• coordinates | 37°44′57″S 146°8′26″E / 37.74917°S 146.14056°E |
• elevation | 792 m (2,598 ft) |
Port Melbourne | |
• coordinates | 37°51′7″S 144°54′30″E / 37.85194°S 144.90833°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Length | 242 km (150 mi) |
Basin size | 5,464.4 km2 (2,109.8 sq mi)[3] |
Discharge | |
• location | Near mouth |
• average | 63.5 m3/s (2,000 GL/a)[3] |
Basin features | |
Royal Botanic Gardens | |
[4][5] |
The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River,
The lower stretches of the Yarra are where Victoria's state capital
The river has been a major food source and meeting place for Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. Shortly after the arrival of European settlers, land clearing forced the remaining Wurundjeri people into neighbouring territories and away from the river. Originally called Birrarung by the Wurundjeri, the current name was mistranslated from another Wurundjeri term in the Boonwurrung language; Yarro-yarro, meaning "ever-flowing".[1][2]
The river was utilised primarily for agriculture by early European settlers. The landscape of the river has changed dramatically since 1835. The course has been progressively disrupted and the river widened in places. The first of many
Today, the Yarra
The annual Moomba festival celebrates the Yarra River's increasing cultural significance to Melbourne. Melbourne Water is the lead agency for implementing the Yarra Strategic Plan (Burndap Birrarung Burndap Unmarkoo) 2022-32. The plan gives effect to the community's long-term vision for the Yarra and supports collaborative management of the river and its lands.[9]
Etymology
The river was called Birrarung by the Kulin people who occupied the
At European arrival in 1835, Surveyor-General of the Colony of New South Wales John Helder Wedge of the Port Phillip Association visited the area with two Kulin People, who pointed at the flowing water and said yarra yarra, recorded in Wedge's notebook as the phrase yarrow yarrow, in the mistaken belief that this was the name for the river in the Boonwurrung language.[12]
On his first contact with local Wurunderi people in 1835, John Wedge wrote:[15]
On arriving in sight of the river, the two natives who were with me, pointing to the river, called out, Yarra Yarra, which at the time I imagined to be its name; but I afterwards learnt that the words were what they used to designate a waterfall, as they afterwards gave the same designation to a small fall in the river Werribee, as we crossed it on our way back to
Indented Head., published in Bonwick (1868).
Geology and formation
Before 8000 BC, the Yarra River probably joined course with other present-day
A dry period combined with sand bar formation may have dried out the Bay as recently as between 800 BC and 1000 AD, temporarily re-extending the Yarra south to Bass Strait during this period.[17]
History
The area surrounding the Yarra River was first inhabited by the
European discovery and colonisation
The first Europeans to sail up the river was a surveying party led by Charles Grimes, Acting Surveyor General of New South Wales, who in 1803 sailed upstream to Dights Falls, where they could no longer continue due to the nature of the terrain.[18] European explorers would not enter the river for another 30 years until, in 1835, the area that is now central and northern Melbourne was explored by John Batman, a leading member of the Port Phillip Association, who negotiated a transaction for 600,000 acres (2,400 km2) of land from eight Wurundjeri elders. He selected a site on the northern bank of the Yarra River, declaring that "this will be the place for a village".[19][citation needed] The document, commonly called Batman's Treaty, was declared void by the Governor of New South Wales, Richard Bourke.[20]
The
The disposal of sewerage in Melbourne was very basic in the early days. The majority of waste from homes and industries flowed into street channels and on to local rivers and creeks which became open sewers. The first City Baths were opened in 1860.[21] The objective was to stop people bathing in the Yarra River, which by the 1850s had become quite polluted and the cause of an epidemic of typhoid fever, which hit the city resulting in many deaths.[22] However, people continued to swim and drink the water until Melbourne's fresh water was sourced from elsewhere.
The first permanent crossing over the river was
Victorian gold rush
The Gold Rush saw increased development in Melbourne and "tent cities" of new migrants lined the Yarra during the early years of the gold rush. In the 1840s a weir was built at
Industrialisation
Sections of the river mouth and the area around the former West Melbourne Swamp were widened in the late 19th century, to make way for docks, harbours, bridges and other infrastructure. The increasing industrialisation of the river and the growth of the shipping industry saw the need for major infrastructure works which dramatically changed the course of the river in its lower reaches. The creation of new shipping channels to cope with the growing use of the Yarra by cargo ships was first tabled in the 1870s.[citation needed]
The first major change came with the cutting of the
Initially known as "West Melbourne Dock", over 3 million cubic yards (2.3×10 6 m3) of material was excavated and a new dock was eventually opened in 1892, the material that was removed was subsequently used to fill in part of the West Melbourne Swamp, it took 6 days for water from the Yarra River to fill the dock. The dock was later renamed Victoria Dock. In 1910, the main channel was widened and deepened (81 to 131 m or 266 to 430 ft). In 1916, the central pier at Victoria Dock was completed which provided 6 additional shipping berths and cargo sheds and creating a distinctive landmark for Melbourne ports. By 1942, 650m of the old course of the Yarra River at Coode Island had been filled in, by the 1950s it had been completely filled and land parcels were allocated including a site for the new Fish Markets.
In 1957, the Upper Yarra Reservoir was constructed, primarily to alleviate flooding downstream. This reduced the river's flow to around 50%, where it sits today. Swanson Dock was constructed between 1966 and 1972 equipped for modern container shipping. Shipping activity at Victoria Dock during this time had gone into steep decline and it was almost disused by the mid-1970s. In February 1972, the CBD was flooded as the natural watercourse of Elizabeth Street became a raging torrent.[23] This was due mostly to previous storm water drainage works which utilised Elizabeth street as a watercourse during times of intense rain creating flash floods. Prior to settlements, the area now occupied by Elizabeth street was a gully off the river.
Recent history
By the 1960s there was a growing awareness of the neglect of the Yarra amongst some residents of Melbourne, spawning various community groups and "friends of..." organisations to protect the remnants of the river's ecology. Through the 1970s and 1980s, many desirable developments alongside the river began, such as the
Around 2000, the river became a focus of major government projects. Projects were proposed to connect
In 2008, dredging began to deepen the mouth of the Yarra to enable large container ships to reach the Port of Melbourne. The project was controversial and strict regulations were enacted. It was feared that dredging would disturb heavy metals and other toxic sediments mostly deposited during Melbourne's industrial era.[24][25] The project was completed in November 2009.
Pollution and environmental issues
The Yarra River was an important resource for the Wurundjeri people for around 40,000 years. The river's resources were utilised sustainably by the Wurundjeri until European settlement in the early-mid-19th century.[26] Early industry located along the river contributed great amounts of pollution such as dangerous chemicals, grease, oil and heavy metals. Through the mid-20th century, industry was slowly relocated away from the river and since then the major pollutants have come from storm water runoff, sewerage and lasting effects of previous pollution. Gold mining cleared small areas of land of vegetation and for periods of time, drained sections of the river; however, when compared to land clearing and industrial pollutants, the effects of gold mining on the river were quite low.
Heavy metals deposited into the river throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries settled to the bottom of the river bed, particularly in the lower reaches through the city and Port Melbourne, and due to the increased artificial depth of the river through here, heavy metals have not been carried further, although some have been deposited out into
Pollution
Levels of bacteria, particularly E. coli and substances like grease, oils and heavy metals in the Yarra River and its tributaries are a major problem.
High levels of E. coli, some up to 200 times the safe limit in its tributaries, are caused primarily by poorly maintained septic systems.[28]
Up to 350,000 cigarette butts enter the Yarra catchment storm water runoff every day,[29] these serve as just a small representation of the rubbish and litter that are disposed of in storm water runoff areas that eventually make their way into the river and consequently, the sea.
Some industrial companies continue to use the Yarra as a dumping ground. For example, in recent years paper company Amcor has been fined several times by EPA Victoria for polluting the Yarra and environs. In 2007 it was fined A$5,000 for discharging paper pulp into the Yarra from its Alphington plant[30] and in 2008 the company was convicted for releasing oil into the Yarra from its Alphington plant and fined A$80,000.[31]
Several programs are being implemented to minimise beach and river pollution, mostly organised by community groups, EPA Victoria and local councils.[25][32]
In 2015, a facility for washing down cars and chemical containers illegally leaked toxic chemicals and herbicides into Yarra River, killing trees and endangering public safety. The facility was situated inside Warrandyte State Park, from where the spillover until June 2015 flowed into the river and downstream towards Melbourne.[33]
Between 2014 and 2017, 1.3 million cigarette butts and 179 tonnes of litter were pulled out from the River.[34]
Lack of flooding
Due to damming and the lack of natural flooding, much of the surrounding vegetation is lacking in the silt and soil deposits that would otherwise be provided by the floods. The construction of the Upper Yarra Reservoir in 1957 reduced the river's flow by around 50%. This has ultimately led to a lack of healthy understory and saplings, or a lack of saplings completely, which contributes to problems such as reduced habitat, erosion and salinity, issues that ironically affect surrounding agriculture.[citation needed]
Water colour
The Yarra River is colloquially known as "the upside down river", for its golden hue.[35] The muddy brown colour is caused by the easily eroded clay soils of its catchment area. The water was clear at the time of the first European settlements, but intensive land clearing and development since the mid-19th century has resulted in the presence of microscopic clay particles. The particles are kept suspended by the turbulence in some parts of the middle and lower sections of the river. When the river water combines with marine salts as it enters Port Phillip, the suspended particles clump together and sink. The presence of clay particles is not a major factor in the pollution of the river.
Environmental advocacy
The Yarra Riverkeeper Association is the largest of many advocacy groups dedicated to protecting the Yarra River and its environs for current and future generations.[36] They are part of the global Waterkeeper Alliance movement and have been involved in forums and discussions pushing for policies to ensure that "the voice" of the river is heard.[37][38] The Yarra Riverkeeper Association or YRKA for short view the Yarra River as Melbourne's greatest natural asset and educate that its preservation and restoration is vital in helping Melbourne become a sustainable city. Since its establishment in 2004, YRKA has delivered hundreds of presentations and lectures, been in over 200 media appearances and provide on-water inspection tours to over 200 community leaders, business leaders, and politicians.[39] It has had successful campaigns in pushing for great environmental flows and in 2010 the Riverkeeper Ian Penrose was awarded the 2010 Melbourne Award for contribution to the environment.[40]
Geography
The Yarra River has a detailed and complex geological history, see "Geology". It was utilised and managed
Tributaries and geographic features
The Yarra's major
Settlements
- Greater Melbourne– 4.64 million
- Melbourne City Centre – 20,500
- South Yarra – 18,000
- Richmond – 22,500
- Hawthorn – 20,000
- Fairfield – 5,000
- Heidelberg – 5,300
- Bulleen– 10,500
- Templestowe – 16,500
- Eltham – 17,600
- Warrandyte– 10,000
- Yarra Glen– 2,600
- Healesville– 6,500
- Woori Yallock – 2,800
- Launching Place – 2,600
- Yarra Junction– 1,700
- Warburton – 2,300
- McMahons Creek – 282
Marine ecology
The river is home to several species of fish. In the lower reaches of the Yarra mainly
Course
Upper reaches
The river's source is a series of swamps in the upper reaches of the Yarra Ranges National Park, directly to the west of the Mount Baw Baw plateau, a thickly forested subalpine park, which is entirely closed-off to all except the employees of Melbourne Water. The park features extensive stands of mountain ash, a very tall eucalypt, tree ferns, as well as patches of remnant rainforest.
The
Downstream of Warburton, the Yarra Valley gradually opens out and farms begin to appear, including beef and dairy farms, and by the town of
Middle reaches
The river enters Melbourne's suburbs proper at
Heidelberg formed the home of the Heidelberg School, widely considered the first European painters to accurately capture the Australian landscape and its distinctive features. The walking trail features placards displaying some of their paintings at the settings they were actually painted; some features depicted remain clearly recognisable today.
Lower reaches
Below
The lower reaches feature a number of boat cruises, using especially low-roof boats to go under the many bridges across this section of the Yarra. Herring Island is a small island at South Yarra which has a punt which takes people on to the park. The area in front of old Customs House is a former turning basin for ships. It is the point which was once known as "Freshwater Place" and once had a set of cascades which prevented both salt water and larger ships from going further upstream. This series of rocks, originally used to cross the river, and referred to as the "Yarra Falls" was removed using explosives and divers in 1883.
The final section passes through the
Crossings
Since the first permanent crossing was built over the river in 1844, there are now over 60 places where pedestrians, cars and other vehicles can cross the river. As the river is never wider than around 350m and is on average only around 50m wide, most of the crossings are located in the suburbs of
- West Gate Bridge – 1978
- Bolte Bridge – 1999
- Sandridge Bridge – 1888
- Princes Bridge– 1844, 1850, 1888
- CityLink Tunnels – 1997
- Morell Bridge – 1899
- Johnston Street Bridge – 1858
- Warrandyte Bridge– 1861, 1952
Parklands
Several reserves have been set aside adjoining the Yarra, mostly to preserve the natural environment or for recreation, many of these are managed and operated by
Major parks
Some of the larger parklands adjoining the river include, from downstream to upstream:
- Birrarung Marr
- Royal Botanic Gardens
- Yarra Bend Park
- Westerfolds Park
- Warrandyte State Park
- Yarra Ranges National Park
Golf courses
There are 14 golf courses adjoining the river, these include, from downstream to upstream:
- Burnley Golf Course (9)
- Studley Park Golf Course (9)
- Yarra Bend Public Golf Course (18)
- Latrobe Golf Course (18)
- Green Acres Golf Club (18)
- Kew Golf Club (18)
- Ivanhoe Public Golf Course (18)
- Freeway Public Golf Course (18)
- Yarra Valley Country Club (9)
- Bulleen Driving Range
- Rosanna Golf Club (18)
- The Heritage Golf and Country Club
- Henly Course (18)
- St. John Course (18)
- Warburton Golf Club (18)
Popular culture
The Yarra is considered an important part of Melbourne's culture and a symbol of the city, and as a result, it has been the source of artistic and cultural expression.
- The Yarra has been captured in many famous paintings including some by the Heidelberg School.
- The annual Moomba festival celebrates the Yarra River's increasing cultural significance to Melbourne.
- The river has featured in songs by the Whirling Furphies, titled "My Brown Yarra", and the Coodabeen Champions, titled "By the Banks of the Yarra".
- A poem entitled "Yara Yara" was written by Greek poet Nikos Kavvadias in 1951.
- A song entitled The Yarra Song was written by Billy Bragg and included on the Australian edition of his 2002 album, England, Half English.
Recreational use
Throughout its length, the waters of the Yarra River and its banks are used for; boating, rowing, water skiing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming,[46] fishing, cycling, running and walking, amongst other things. In the rivers upper reaches, fishing is most popular. Upstream of Launching Place the river becomes quite narrow and recreational use is limited. In the middle reaches, canoeing and kayaking is popular, there are a few rapids of easy to medium difficulty depending on the water level.
Swimming is also popular in the middle reaches throughout winter, particularly around
In the lower reaches, the river is mostly used for
The river is also popular for boating, in the residential suburb of
The river can be used by any member of the public provided they abide by the rules of Parks Victoria who administer the river upstream of Bolte Bridge and the Port of Melbourne Corporation who administer the area downstream of Bolte Bridge. There is a maximum speed limit of 5 knots (9.3 km/h) for all boats operating on the river upstream from Bolte Bridge.[48] Sections of the river are occasionally closed for public events such as Moomba, New Year's Eve and Rowing events.[45]
The river is navigable by most boats from its entrance in Hobsons Bay to Dights Falls, a stretch of 22 km (14 mi), and is subject to tidal variations and submerged objects. There are four bridges on the Yarra River with limited height clearances at high tide:[45]
- Charles Grimes Bridge – 3.2 m (10 ft)
- Spencer Street Bridge – 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) (can be less than 2 m or 6 ft 7 in at extreme high tides – once a month)
- Kings Bridge – 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
- Queens Bridge – 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
See also
References
- ^ Government of Victoria. 2 May 1966. Archived from the originalon 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ ISBN 1-876334-00-2.
- ^ a b "East Coastal Watersheds".
- ^ Government of Victoria. 2 May 1966. Archived from the originalon 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Map of Yarra River, VIC". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "BYGONE DAYS". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 15 July 1939. p. 13. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ISBN 0-85575-306-4.
- ^ Dunstan, Joseph (20 March 2019). "In four years, 179 tonnes of garbage was pulled out of the Yarra". ABC News. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Yarra Strategic Plan (Burndap Birrarung burndap umarkoo) | Melbourne Water". www.melbournewater.com.au. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Maunder, Patricia (11 January 2008). "Melbourne dreamtime a reality". The Age. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ a b "First Peoples and the Yarra". Old Treasury Building. Museums Victoria. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ Norris, Jack (2021). "The Naming Of The Yarra River As An Act Of Colonialism". Melbourne: Agora: 60–63.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Eidelson, Meyer. The Melbourne Dreaming. p. 6.
- ^ "First Peoples and the Yarra". Old Treasury Building. The Age. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ Bonwick, James (1868). "John Batman the Founder of Victoria" (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Fergusson and Moore: 48.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Bowler, J.M. "Port Phillip Survey 1957-1963: The Geology & Geomorphology" (PDF). MEMOIRS of the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF VICTORIA MELBOURNE, No. 27 Issued, 1966. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF VICTORIA. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ Gary, Stuart (14 April 2011). "Port Phillip Bay once high and dry". news in Science. Australian Broadcasting Commission. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ Parliament papers Government of Victoria
- ^ Batman, John. "Journal, 10 May-11 June 1835". State Library of Victoria. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ "Governor Bourke's Proclamation 1835 (UK)". Documenting Democracy. Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ School of Historical Studies, Department of History. "Baths and Bathing - Entry - eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online". www.emelbourne.net.au. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ^ "Our history". City of Melbourne. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ "Melbourne flood — Elizabeth Street, February 1972, Neville Bowler". www.bom.gov.au. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
- ^ "Garrett approves Port Phillip Bay dredging". ABC News. Australia. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
- ^ Government of Victoria. Archived from the original(PDF) on 1 October 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
- ^ History of the Yarra Archived 18 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine, City River Cruises
- ^ "Port Phillip and Westernport Regional River Health Strategy - Yarra catchment" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
- ^ Gardiner, Ashley (31 May 2008). "E coli running riot in Yarra River". Herald Sun. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
- ^ "AIUS Indicators". Environmental indicators for Metropolitan Melbourne. Australian Institute of Urban Studies and City of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
- ^ Victorian Government (Victoria Online) Archived 8 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Victorian Government (Victoria Online) Archived 13 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Victoria's Litter reduction Strategy" (PDF). litter.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
- ^ AAP. "Chemicals in Melbourne's Yarra River created a health risk, says report", The Guardian, London, 10 January 2016. Retrieved on 16 February 2019.
- ^ Preiss, Adam Carey, Benjamin (20 March 2019). "Tonnes of litter fished from Yarra every year as native species suffer". The Age. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Rivers, wetlands, bays Port Phillip and Westernport Archived 5 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Melbourne Water. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- ^ Yarra Riverkeepers Association. Environment Victoria. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- ^ Mr Ian Penrose, Yarra Riverkeepers Association, Sustainable Cities Round Table/ Future Melbourne forum Archived 3 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Sustainable Melbourne (2008-10-21). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- ^ Waterkeeper Alliance. Waterkeeper.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-12. Archived 21 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine Archived
- ^ Yarra Riverkeeper Association Inc. goodcompany. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- ^ Congratulations Yarra Riverkeeper: Ian Penrose!. Environment Victoria. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- ^ Victorian Government (Victoria Online) Archived 31 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ News.com.au
- ^ Dolphins in the Yarra, By Mex Cooper, June 29, 2009, The Age, Melbourne, Australia]
- ^ "History of the port". Port of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
- ^ a b c d Melway Edition 36, 2009
- ^ Neal, Brad (7 May 2023). "The Best Swims in the Yarra River". Swimming Hole Heaven. Brad Neal. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Neal, Brad (7 May 2023). "Yarra River at Pound Bend". Swimming Hole Heaven. Brad Neal. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Guide to vessel operating and zoning rules sched. 3
Further reading
- Media related to Yarra River at Wikimedia Commons
- Otto, Kristin (2005). Yarra. Melbourne: Text Publishing. ISBN 1-920885-78-1.