Yarra River
The Yarra River is a river in the south of the Australian state of Victoria . The city of Melbourne was founded on him in 1835 . Its original name Birrarung was given to it by the Wurundjeri , an Aboriginal tribe.
geography
The Yarra River rises in the Yarra Ranges , flows west into the plains through the city of Melbourne and after 150 miles it pours into Port Phillip Bay .
The main tributaries are the Plenty River , Merri Creek , Darebin Creek , Gardiners Creek , Moonee Ponds Creek, and Maribyrnong River .
The Upper Yarra Reservoir supplies Melbourne and its eastern suburbs with drinking water.
bridges
The most important historical bridges over the Yarra River are:
- West Gate Bridge (1978)
- Bolte Bridge (1999)
- Sandridge Bridge (1853, 1859, 1888)
- Princes Bridge (1844, 1850, 1888)
- Morell Bridge (1899)
- Johnston Street Bridge (1858)
- Warrandyte Bridge (1861, 1952)
Settlements
- Greater Melbourne - 4 million
- Melbourne Center - 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
Important parks
The largest parks on the river are (ordered upstream):
- Royal Botanic Gardens
- Birrarung Marr
- Yarra Bend Park (in Fairfield )
- Westerfolds Park
- Warrandyte State Park
- Yarra Ranges National Park
history
Already in prehistoric times the river was an important source of food and a meeting place for the Aborigines . Shortly after the arrival of the European settlers, the land grab pushed the remaining Wurundjeri to neighboring territories off the river. The native people called the river "Birrarung"; the English name comes from the mistranslation of another Wurundjeri expression, "Yarra-Yarra".
The early European settlers mainly used the river for agriculture. Since 1835, the landscape around the Yarra River has changed dramatically. Its course was increasingly interrupted and the river widened in some places. The Princes Bridge was the first major transition. Starting with the time of the Victorian gold rush , the river was tunneled under. Examples are the Pound Bend Tunnel in Warrandyte , the Big Peninsula Tunnel, and the Little Peninsula Tunnel in Warburton . Reservoirs and dams, such as the Upper Yarra Reservoir , prevented flood disasters in Melbourne. The upper part of the catchment area in the Yarra Ranges was also changed by logging. Finally, industrialization led to the destruction of the Maschland at the mouth of the Maribyrnong River in the Yarra River and around Coode Island in west Melbourne.
Today the mouth of the river, including Swanston Dock and Appleton Dock , is used as a container transshipment point by Melbourne Harbor, Australia's top-selling port. The section of the river in the city center, which large ships cannot navigate, is used for ferry traffic, kayaking, canoeing and rowing, and for swimming. In recent years, however, pollution has increasingly restricted recreational use in the lower reaches. The upper course is still relatively little polluted.
Environmental protection and pollution
For 40,000 years, the Yarra River was an important resource for the Wurundjeri. They used the river extensively until the European settlers settled on it in the early to mid-19th century. Early industrial settlements caused high levels of pollution such as dangerous chemicals, oils, fats and heavy metals. Around the middle of the 20th century the industry gradually shifted away from the river and so today the rainwater runoff, sewage and the consequences of previous pollution cause the greatest environmental problems. Gold mining temporarily caused the vegetation to disappear in certain places and also intervened in the course of the river, but compared to agriculture and industry, the influence of the gold rush on the river remained rather small.
The heavy metals that were brought into the river from the late 19th to the middle of the 20th centuries deposited in the river bed, particularly in the lower reaches through downtown Melbourne and Port Melbourne . Most of the heavy metals remain there as a result of the dredging in the port area; only a few were washed into Port Phillip Bay . Today, oils and fats are mainly found in the lower reaches of tributaries such as Merri Creek or Moonee Ponds Creek .
environmental pollution
Faecal bacteria, especially E. coli , and substances such as fats, oils and heavy metals are still a major problem in the Yarra River and its tributaries today.
The high content of faecal germs - in some tributaries up to 200 times the limit value - is mainly caused by poorly maintained septic tanks.
Up to 350,000 cigarette butts are washed into the river every day by surface water, which is only intended to serve as a small example of the dirt that ends up in the rainwater collectors every day and from there into the river and into the sea.
Some industrial companies still use the Yarra River as a garbage dump today. So was z. B. the Amcor paper mill fined several times for polluting the river and its surroundings. In 2007 they had to pay AU $ 5,000 to drain paper pulp from their Alpington facility and in 2008 the company was fined AU $ 80,000 for dumping oil into the river from the same facility.
A number of programs to reduce pollution of the river and its banks have been put in place, notably by Community Groups, EPA Victoria and local councils.
Logging
Logging is a problem on the upper reaches of the Yarra River. In the river it has an influence on the water quality and the amount of water.
Lack of flooding
Because of the damming of the river and the resulting natural flooding of the river valley, the vegetation lacks the mud and soil that these floods would carry with them. The construction of the Upper Yarra Reservoir in 1957 reduced the flow of the river by half. This has ultimately led to a lack of healthy undergrowth and young trees, or a complete lack of young trees, which in turn leads to problems such as restricted living space for animals and plants, erosion and salinisation of the soil. Ironically, this also applies to agriculture in the area.
Color of water
The Yarra River was demonstratively referred to as a river that "turns the bottom to the top", which is due to its high turbulence. The dirty brown color is caused by the easily soluble clay soils in its catchment area. When the first European settlers arrived, the river water was clear, but intensive cultivation and development since the mid-19th century resulted in a permanent entry of microscopic clay particles. Due to the turbulence in the middle and lower reaches, these particles remain in suspension. As soon as the river water mixes with the sea water in Port Phillip Bay, the particles clump together and sink to the bottom. However, the suspended solids are not considered pollution.
Fish stocks
Various types of fish can be found in the river. In the lower reaches these are mainly the sea bream Acanthopagrus butcheri (English southern black bream) and jellyfish and in the upper reaches smaller amounts of perch , the codfish Macquaria australasica (Macquarie perch) and Maccullochella peelii (Murray cod), brown trout and freshwater catfish . However, almost all fish are contaminated by heavy metals (including arsenic ) and are therefore not suitable for consumption. Dolphins have already been observed upstream as far as South Yarra and are considered evidence of increased salinization in the lower reaches.
River course
Upper course
The sources of the river are a series of swamps in the higher areas of the Yarra Ranges National Park , immediately west of the Baw Baw Plateau , a densely forested subalpine park that is entirely open to everyone, with the exception of Melbourne Water employees is locked. The park has large populations of mountain ash , a particularly high species of eucalyptus , tree ferns, and patches of remains of rainforest .
The Upper Yarra Dam , one in a row in the Yarra River basin that supplies a large portion of Melbourne's drinking water needs, is the furthest upstream point where the public can access the river (but the dam itself is blocked). The first settlement the fledgling river passes is the small town of Reefton , but most of it runs between hills covered with temperate rainforest as far as central Warburton . In this area, Woods Point Road follows the river.
Downstream from Warburton, the Yarra Valley opens up slowly and on the riverbanks there are farms, mainly cattle and dairy farms. At Woori Yallock , where the river turns north, ever larger areas are covered with vineyards that form the Yarra Valley wine region . At Healesville , the river turns west again and the river bed is increasingly covered with silt, which affects the clarity of the water. At Yarra Glen , the river takes on the brownish color it is known for in the middle and lower reaches.
Middle course
At Chirnside Park , the Yarra River enters the suburbs of Melbourne, but almost the entire course of the river there is lined with parks that have largely retained or replanted with the original vegetation. A combined foot and bike path called the Main Yarra Trail starts in Warrandyte , then becomes the Yarra River Trail and later, in the lower reaches, the Capital City Trail . The river is used extensively by kayakers at Templestowe and boats can often be seen on the river throughout the city. The water there is not particularly clear, but the quality is sufficient for food fish. A few small part-time farms are located in the floodplain of the river, surprisingly close to Melbourne city center and almost entirely surrounded by suburbs.
The Heidelberg School is located in Heidelberg and is generally regarded as the refuge of the first European painters who accurately depicted the Australian landscape in every detail. There are boards along the hiking trail showing some of their pictures in the places where they were originally painted. Some places are still recognizable as such today.
Lower course
Below Dights Falls at Yarra Bend Park in central Melbourne, the river is increasingly tidal and flows south of the city center. This section is where the Moomba Festival takes place every year , which also includes a water ski competition that attracts a large crowd. The lowest stretch of the river from Docklands to the Melbourne Cricket Ground was part of the Queen's Baton Relay of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Many private schools in Melbourne that are located near the river train their rowing teams there.
There are many boat trips on the lower reaches of the river, which use boats with extra low structures to get under the many bridges of the Yarra River. Herring Island is a small island off South Yarra that has a punt that brings visitors to the park. The section from the old Customs House is a former sweep basin for ships. This place was once called Freshwater Place and had a series of cascades that prevented salt water and ocean-going vessels from moving further upstream. Originally used to cross the river, this series of rocks called Yarra Falls were blown away in 1883.
In the last section, the river flows through Melbourne Harbor, Bolte Bridge and West Gate Bridge . The current course dates back to 1886 when a canal designed by British engineer John Coode was built from west of Flinders Street to below the mouth of the Maribyrnong River. The resulting island between the new and old bed was called Coode Island , but is no longer an island today, as the old river bed in the north was filled in. The Yarra River flows into Port Phillip Bay , with the mouth undergoing major changes as part of the port - Australia's top-selling seaport.
The Yarra River in Art, Music and Literature
The Yarra River is considered an important part of Melbourne's culture and a symbol of the city. It also became an object of artistic and cultural expression.
- The Yarra River can be seen on many well-known paintings - including some from the Heidelberg School.
- The annual Moomba Festival celebrates the river's growing cultural importance for Melbourne.
- The river appears in songs by the Wurling Furphies (My Brown Yarra) and the Coodabeen Champions (By the Banks of the Yarra) .
- A poem called Yara Yara was written by the Greek poet Nikos Kavvadias in 1951.
freetime and recreation
Along its length, the floods and banks of the Yarra River and a. used for motor boating, rowing, water skiing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, fishing, cycling, jogging and hiking. Fishing is very popular in the upper reaches. Above Launching Place , the river is very narrow and its use for leisure activities is therefore restricted. Canoeing and kayaking are popular in the middle reaches; there are a few rapids of low to medium difficulty depending on the water level.
Swimming in the middle reaches is also very popular in summer, especially around Warrandyte. It should be noted, however, that there are flooded mine tunnels in this area, which can create dangerous undercurrents that result in swimmers being sucked down into these tunnels. In 2004–2008, three people died this way in Warrandyte alone. Swimming is safer further downstream, but is no longer recommended below Dights Falls due to significant water pollution.
In the lower reaches the river is mainly used for rowing; on the stretch of river through Melbourne there are many boathouses for rowing boats east of Princes Bridge, and many private schools have rowing clubs with boathouses and jetties on the river. At certain times of the year, especially during the Moomba Festival, this section of the river is occupied by water skiing courses and diving. On the banks of the Yarra River, people enjoy cycling, jogging, or hiking; most of the paths are paved and in good condition. Two major combined bike and hiking trails, the Yarra River Trail and the Capital City Trail , follow the course of the river through the city. The Bayside Trail is also connected to the river.
Motor boating is also popular. In the residential suburb of Toorak , some of the larger properties have their own jetties and there are marinas in the Docklands, e.g. B. Pier 31 at Fisherman's Bend and Newport and Williamstown on the estuary. Motor boating becomes difficult above Hawthorn and impossible above Dights Falls . These vessels are mainly found in Melbourne city center, where there are boat trips up and down the river as well as ferries across the river.
Private motorboat traffic
Anyone can navigate the river, provided they abide by the rules of Parks Victoria , which manage the river above Bolte Bridge , and those of the Port of Melbourne Corporation , which manage it below this point. The speed limit for all boats on the river is 9 km / h (5 knots). Parts of the river course are occasionally closed for public events such as the Moomba Festival, New Year's Eve celebrations and rowing regattas.
Most motorboats can navigate the river from its confluence with Hobsons Bay to Dights Falls (a distance of 14 miles). The estuary is subject to changes in the tides and there are underwater obstacles throughout the river. There are four bridges with limited headroom at high tide:
- Charles Grimes Bridge - 3.2 m
- Spencer Street Bridge - 2.3 m; at very high tide - approx. 1 × per month - less than 2 m
- Kings Bridge - 2.4 m
- Queens Bridge - 2.4 m
See also
source
- Kristin Otto: Yarra . Text publishing. Melbourne 2005, ISBN 1-920885-78-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Meyer Eidelson: The Melbourne Dreaming. A Guide to the Aboriginal Places of Melbourne . Aboriginal Studies Press. Canberra 1997 (reissue 2000), ISBN 0-85575-306-4 , pp. 14-17.
- ↑ a b c Melway , Issue 36 (2009)
- ^ Ashley Gardiner: E. coli Running Riot in Yarra River . Herald Sun (May 31, 2008)
- ↑ Aius Indicators - Environmental Indicators for Metropolitan Melbourne . Australian Institute of Urban Studies and City of Melbourne ( Memento of November 13, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ AMCOR FINED MORE THAN $ 5000 AFTER PAPER PULP SPILL ( Memento from July 26, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- ↑ http://epanote2.epa.vic.gov.au/EPA/publications.nsf/2f1c2625731746aa4a256ce90001cbb5/58f1a95bb5f860a4ca2574fc007c64bb/$FILE/1253.pdf (link not available)
- ↑ http://www.litter.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/Victoria's_Litter_Strategy_Sep95.pdf|format=PDF (link not available)
- ↑ Local News, Sport, Events, Gig Guide, Groups, Blogs, Classifieds . WhereILive ( Memento from February 18, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Melbourne Water Catchment Network
- ^ Yarra Flow may be too low: Experts . The Age
- ↑ Rivers and Creeks ( Memento from December 31, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- ^ Victorian Government (Victoria Online) ( Memento from May 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Government advice on fish toxicity
- ^ The Age. Business, World & Breaking News. Melbourne
- ^ History of the Port . Port of Melbourne ( Memento from September 7, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )