Stony Creek -.:: GEOCITIES.Ws

Our Stony Creek Aboriginal history Exploration and settlement Stony Creek For thousands of years the Stony The basalt plain ends at the mouth For thousands of years the creek Creek has made its serpentine of Stony Creek, which earned its was the estate of two Kulin clans, In the summer of 1802, the murrnong or yam daisy, which journey from what is today St name from bluestone quarried the Marin Bulluk of the Woiwur- Cumberland sailed into Port Phillip had been a major food source Albans, through Sunshine and along its banks. rung, inland from Yarraville, and the Bay to seek a suitable site for a cultivated by people for thousands trail guide Yarraville to its destination at Stony Today, Stony Creek winds its way, Yalukit Willam of the Boonwurrung British colony. Botanist James of years. Creek Backwash by the Yarra River. partly underground and fed by along the coast. The traditional Fleming walked upstream along Until the 1930’s, the Stony Creek stormwater systems, through land of the Boonwurrung included Stony Creek, noting the waterside From ancient times the land has area remained somewhat isolated. parkland, industrial and urban Port Phillip Bay which was dry land gave way to ‘a level plain to the undergone many changes. As For many years the creek was estates and out to sea. It is this prior to climate change and rapid mountains’ and observing sti! little as 10,000 years ago, ancestors known as ‘Murderer’s Creek’ after journey of change that inspires sea level rises beginning around black earth bottoming on ‘white of the Boonwurrung and young Matthew Lucke’s body was us to love our Stony Creek. 10,000 years ago. clay and many large stones’. Woiwurrung people could have found near the Backwash in 1848. walked across a land bridge from The creek served as a source Thirty-three years later John In 1856, settlers by the creek were the Stony Creek area to Tasmania. of food and water, tools and Batman sailed up the Yarra River o$cially numbered at six. Volcanic eruptions eventually reeds for basketmaking. Midden and landed at Stony Creek. He set transformed the landscape into sites were recorded at the creek’s Chief Derah Mat (Derrimut) of Port Phillip, 1836 by Benjamin Duterrau – State Library of NSW out from there to #nd tribal ‘chiefs’ a vast basalt plain stretching to mouth, where clans feasted on to negotiate the ‘sale’ of Melbourne. the South Australian border. shell#sh. Evidence of activities in the area include stone tool sites, Batman’s land grab sparked a silcrete quarries, scar trees and stampede of settlers that quickly burial places. dispossessed the Boonwurrung and Woiwurrung of their lands Derrimut and Ningerranarro and saw Melbourne become (Benbow) were two heads of the the headquarters of a vast sheep Boonwurrung people at the time stocking program. The sheep had of settlement, as was Bungarin Geelong 1854 by Eugene von Guerard – State Library of NSW a devastating impact on the of the Marin Balluk clan. They Their names appear on landmarks provided leadership to their around Stony Creek, including people, and interacted with early Benbow Street in Spotswood and settlers such as John Pascoe Stony Creek at Hyde Street, Footscray, c.1970 Derrimut Street in Footscray West. Electricity sub-station, Yarraville Fawkner and John Batman. Bungarin’s name appears as one – Footscray Historical Society of the ‘chiefs’ on John Batman’s so-called deed of purchase. Industry Community Native !ora Restoring the creek Around 1853, William Many long term residents of the and fauna Friends of Stony Creek o$cially With the help of volunteers, Stone arrived from Stony Creek area are dedicated Signi#cant wildlife and formed in 1993 and have been Stony Creek can continue to grow Portland, England, and to restoration of the creek. They vegetation can be found working with Melbourne Water, into an environmental haven for built his home from recall changes and memories along the creek. Parks Victoria, Maribyrnong and wildlife and for future generations stone quarried in his of a di!erent way of life. Brimbank Councils to regenerate to enjoy. Hyde Street ‘backyard’. Native wildlife includes: the creek. The late Jack Noye remembers Ethel Waters remembers that For information, contact: He was one of the Australian white ibis the wildlife. ‘Stony Creek was from Bishop Street one could Along with public parklands Steve Wilson, President 9332 3889 #rst to supply basalt chestnut teal duck the ‘country’ – a treeless, urban see all the way to Spotswood. at Matthews Hill Reserve and [email protected] to ships as ballast. Paci#c black duck wilderness’. In spring it bloomed Between Somerville Road and white-faced heron Cruikshank Park, a path between Melbourne Water 131 722 By 1861, at least 20% of local By 1870, water supplies were so with yellow buttercups and Footscray Cemetery were the superb fairy wren Cala Street and Paramount www.melbournewater.com.au male workers were quarrymen. polluted that Footscray recorded daisies, and swamps "ourished Angliss paddocks, across which red wattlebird Road, West Footscray has been In Cruikshank Park area alone there one of the highest death rates with reeds, watercress and other neighbours would walk on Sunday sulphur crested cockatoo transformed into a small urban were eleven quarries. Bluestone marsh plants. There were hawks, mornings to exchange news. bush habitat. A track winds from typhoid in Australia. rainbow lorikeet Native plant from Stony Creek went as far as skylarks, cockatoos, grey cranes, through Hyde Street Reserve night heron species include: Yet, even into the 1950s, children Walter Erm remembers the "oods. Paris and London, and supplied white egrets, gold #nches, wagtails black cormorant among native trees and grasses. swam in deserted quarry holes In heavy rain, Somerville Road drooping she-oak Melbourne’s earliest public and crows, and many frogs, eastern froglet #lled with rubbish, dead animals and Francis Street would become black wattle Melbourne Water is the caretaker buildings, such as Pentridge yabbies and #sh. spotted marsh frog and hazardous chemicals like impassable. As a young boy, he silver wattle of almost 9,000 kilometres of rivers and St Paul’s cathedral. pobblebonk (Banjo) frog asbestos. Today, industry run-o! Val Noye remembers Jack’s found the bodies of Alfred Luizzi, yam daisy and creeks across the metropolitan bluetongue lizard When manufacturing arrived, continues to threaten the health mother, Beryl (or Ma), the #rst a milkman, and his horse, who kangaroo grass area and beyond. the creek was viewed as a drain uno$cial ‘Friend of Stony Creek’ drowned in the "oods of 1919. longneck turtle photo John Chapman of the creek. O!enders are subject Kangaroo apple Melbourne Water works with #t only for tipping and to carry who was often seen at the site tiger snake to prosecution and penalty funds bullrush or cumbungi councils and community groups away industry by-products from now called Cruikshank Park, short #nned eel are channelled into community mangrove to improve waterways and smaller wool mills, meat preserving works, hoeing thistles and moving rocks and restorative projects. pigface or noon "ower suburban creeks such as Stony tanneries and glue factories. to make a playground for the Creek. children. Ballasting, c.1870 – Footscray Historical Society Follow the Stony Creek trail 7 8 Industrial precinct Matthews Hill Beyond Paramount Road, the creek 5 Reserve winds between restricted industrial sites. Cruikshank Park SUNSHINE The creek is hidden through dense Cruikshank Park was transformed 1 scrub, and has been a haven to from a moonscape of quarries and Sunshine Road lizards, tiger snakes, frogs, dragon"y tips to a tree-lined haven for walkers, Stony Creek nymphs and other pond life. On the joggers, children and dogs. There is Backwash Park north bank, over two dozen species a BMX track, public tennis court and Stony Creek Backwash is a site of of native grasses and herbs were playground. It is also a habitat for birds 2 8 industrial change along the creek. recorded, before the land was cleared such as honey eaters and herons, and Hyde Street Reserve Below the Westgate Bridge is a Matthew’s Hill Reserve for industrial use. frogs like the pobblebonk. Hyde Street Reserve was created memorial to workers who died in the Matthew’s Hill Reserve was created A key future aim of Friends of Stony Here, a number of stormwater drains from land#ll in the 1990s. A walking 1970 bridge collapse. From earlier from an old land#ll site. It includes an Creek is to create continuous access carry rainwater and run-o! into the TOTTENHAM track winds through growing stands times, the remains of a historic barge important remnant grassland – a rare along the waterway for the public. creek. The health of the region’s rivers of native trees, and regenerating can be seen, used to carry shellgrit snapshot of ecology occurring prior to and creeks has improved signi#cantly grasslands, leading to a spectacular to nearby bottle works. Similar grazing livestock and development. in recent years. Wildlife relies on From here, Stony view of the backwash and city beyond vessels also carried bluestone to healthy rivers, creeks and wetlands for The reserve attracts a variety of birds, Creek makes its the Westgate Bridge. A tidal area of ships anchored in the bay. including sulphur crested cockatoos, survival. mangrove and saltmarsh, where fresh way further inland The Backwash is an important site galahs, rainbow lorikeets, wattlebirds, Everyone can help improve local rivers water meets salt, provides important to St Albans, 7 for a variety of waterbirds, and has ibis, white-faced heron and ducks. and creeks by reducing stormwater habitat for birds, #sh and other smaller primarily as concrete a rare stand of mangroves and Many of these come to nest during Cala Street pollution – simple things like placing creatures.

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