W Creek

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'W' (or West) Creek is a watercourse running through central and northern Boroondara. It is now almost entirely an underground creek, having been redirected through drains as residential development of the area took place.

Etymology

The Creek was possibly known to local Wurundjeri people as 'Wandin' Creek. Later in its history, some sources refer to the watercourse as 'West Creek', assuming that the 'W' stood for a cardinal point.[1]

History

Back Creek provided irrigation water for the farms around Hartwell, Camberwell and Burwood. However, regular flooding caused transport to be halted and many culverts, bridges and other items to be damaged or destroyed. As a result, the first agenda item of the newly-formed Boroondara District Road Board was to built a bridge over the Creek on Camberwell Road (then Ballyshanassy Road) in Hartwell.[1]

As development intensified and the population increased during the early 20th century, increasing amounts of stormwater and runoff were flowing into local creeks. Several cases of diphtheria and typhoid were reported to Camberwell Council in the late 1910s.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wehner, Volkhard. Old Hartwell - the life and times of the village that lost its name. 2012: Glen Iris.