BRIDGE STREET MALL, BALLARAT CULVERTS
BRIDGE STREET MALL, BALLARAT
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Statement of Significance
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BRIDGE STREET MALL, BALLARAT CULVERTS - History
The culvert contains the redirected alignment of the Yarrowee River (also referred to as Yarrowee Creek), which was diverted eastwards in the 1850s. The original alignment is depicted in the 1852 township survey plans by W.S. Urquhart. It formed a natural buffer between the chaotic diggings in the east and the planned town centre to the west. In 1852 a new channel had been cut to the west (as depicted in the Feature 553 Ballarat plan) to redirect water for mining. According to historian A.W. Strange the original course of the river had been significantly impacted during the gold rush years and had virtually been ‘obliterated’ by the impact of mining and flooding. The original alignment was originally under what was to become Grenville Street, but by 1859 it had been straightened and diverted eastwards as indicated in the 1859 Yuilles Swamp plan. This new alignment would become part of an extensive network of channels throughout Ballarat, constructed initially to manage sludge but also water especially during floods as the original natural pathways had been destroyed or clogged by sludge and debris. Featr665A, Ballaarat (sic.) First Survey, W.S. Urquhart 1852 PROV Feature 553 Ballaarat (sic.) Township Reserve, W.S. Urquhart 1852.with study area overlaid Yuilles Swamp, J.H. Taylor 1859 PROV) The alignment of this channel crosses Bridge Street in a roughly north to south direction with a bridge constructed over it to allow traffic to pass over. A bridge was in place over the river from possibly as early as 1854 and was replaced in 1858 with one built on the current site (The Star 26/07/1858) and is indicated on the 1859 Yuilles Swamp plan. The first significant engineering works to the Yarrowee occurred in 1861 when works were undertaken to form ‘sludge channels’ (Hansen Partnerships 2003: 173). Construction involved the excavation of a trench with timber piles driven along the sides and bases of the channel, joists and sheathing and lined with timber planks. Smaller branch channels were also constructed and are shown in the undated water channels plan below. The branch channel connecting to Bridge Street could be the ‘new cut’ depicted in the 1852 Feature 553 plan. Despite these works, flooding events in 1869 and 1870 demonstrated that the infrastructure was inadequate and further works were to follow (The Star 18/10/1869, Strange 1971:26). An 1871 cross-section plan shows the channel path through Ballarat and records that the channel was ‘brick’ from Alfred Hall on Market Street. The section from Curtis Street (originally Market Street) to Little Bridge Street and under the Bridge Street Mall is enclosed and appears to have been constructed in different phases with the base and lining in bluestone in 1895 and 1898 and the brick walls possibly earlier in 1867 (Hansen Partnerships 2003: 209-10). (WS35 Ballarat Water Channels undated PROV). In 1904 works by council in Bridge Street upgraded the usability and aesthetics of the Yarrowee channel by covering the alignment (in what is now Coliseum Walk) with timber decking (The Australasian 29 February 1908: 523, Hansen Partnerships 2003: 183). The Ballarat Heritage Study notes that the timber decking was replaced by a reinforced concrete deck, probably in the 1950s which could exist under the present surface treatments.BRIDGE STREET MALL, BALLARAT CULVERTS - Interpretation of Site
These two sections of culvert are alignments of a larger network of channel systems in Ballarat initially constructed as sludge channels from the 1850s. The larger culvert under Coliseum Walk is the redirected alignment of Yarrowee Creek and has been at this location since at least 1858 (Bradby no date 4). The smaller culvert is most likely a section of a cut from the river made in 1852 to redirect water for mining purposes. Major works to the channel system in East Ballarat commenced from 1861 but the channels were modified throughout the nineteenth century. The base and invert lining for this section of channel was thought to have been constructed in 1895 and 1898 and the brick walls thought to be around 1867. The culvert is 8m wide and 3.15 in height and it is completely covered within the Bridge Street Mall area.
Heritage Inventory Description
BRIDGE STREET MALL, BALLARAT CULVERTS - Heritage Inventory Description
This listing refers to the below ground channel /culvert in Coliseum Walk and Time Lane that is within the study area for the Bridge Street Mall, Bakery Hill redevelopment project (see Tucker 2023). It does not include the channels beyond this study area even though they are likely to exist. These two sections of culvert are alignments of a larger network of channel systems in Ballarat and are depicted in the undated plan WS35 Ballarat Water Channels (PROV). The minor channel could be the alignment of the ‘new cut’ depicted in an 1852 plan prior to it being repurposed as a drain and culvert. They were not inspected as part of this project, but the details of the culvert system are presented in The City of Ballarat Heritage Study (Hansen Partnerships 2003). The section from Curtis Street to Little Bridge Street and under the Bridge Street Mall was constructed of brick and possibly bluestone with a reinforced concrete roof (Hansen Partnerships 2003: 209-10). This section was part of a reserve for the Yarrowee established at least from 1862 with the date of construction for the base and invert lining of the channel 1895 and 1898 and the brick walls thought to be around 1867. The culvert is 8m wide and 3.15 in height and it is completely covered within the Bridge Street Mall area. This listing is comparable to the Grant Street to Steinfeld Street Precinct H7622-0446.
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