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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
W Creek was rerouted into underground drains throughout the early 20th century. A section on Kingston Road between Chatham Road and Junction Road formerly ran parallel to the nearby railway line between Chatham and Surrey Hills railway stations but was moved into a brick underground drain in 1912. This was to make way for a residential subdivision.[2]
As water infrastructure became increasingly important in the post-First World War development of Melbourne, improved standards for underground drains were implemented by the Melbourne Town Planning Commission (MTPC). W Creek was one of the first watercourses in Melbourne to be moved underground using these new wider, brick drains throughout the 1920s and 1930s.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ Wehner, Volkhard. Old Hartwell - the life and times of the village that lost its name. 2012: Glen Iris.
- ↑ Surrey Hills Historical Society Newsletter June/July 2022. https://surreyhillshistoricalsociety.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/SHHS-newsletter-June-2022.pdf Accessed: 18 February 2025.
- ↑ Lancaster, Marcus Leslie, An urban environmental history of Melbourne’s watercourses. May 2018. University of Melbourne. https://www.mooneepondscreek.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/M-Lancaster_351078_PhD-Final-Thesis_February_2019-.pdf, accessed: 18 February 2025.