A direct route via the Yarra River and the Great Divide was discovered by Reick in September 1862 and became known as the Yarra Track. Early in 1863, the Victorian Government decided to construct a 193-kilometre (120 mi) road along the route. Its original width varied between 4 and 6 metres (12 and 20 ft), and was designed to accommodate horse-drawn vehicles. This Track involved the climbing of the Black Spur, descent into the Acheron Valley, and then through Marysville to the Cumberland where it followed the existing route. The old route through Paradise Plains subsequently dropped out of vogue.
In 1865, the first drays and wagons reached Woods Point via the Yarra Track, but they could only get through during the summer months. The Yarra Track shortened the trip to Woods Point from Melbourne to a little over 161 kilometres (100 mi), compared with 354 kilometres (220 mi) via Jamieson.
Clement Wilks, an engineer with the Victorian Department of Roads and Bridges, was a member of the Yarra Track Committee responsible for building this coach and dray road, designing a number or small bridges and culverts including the Wilks Creek Bridge,[1][2] on the Marysville Road, and the Big Culvert.[3][4]
Two main construction camps were established in new localities on the Yarra Track at Healesville and Marysville. These were surveyed as towns to serve as base camps for construction teams and as staging towns when the coach route was completed. Marysville was founded and surveyed in August, 1864. Healesville was surveyed in September 1864, which resulted in the deviation of the settlement at New Chum. Healesville was at the furthest point coaches could travel along the route from Melbourne. From there, a packhorse track climbed through the mountains to the diggings. Shanties were built every five or six miles from New Chum to the diggings. Accommodation houses and stores were strung along the rest of the road.
The Black Spur section became a popular tourist destination and sought after location for notable early photographers in Victoria, such as Nicholas Caire and J. W. Lindt. In 1916 a bus service was introduced, taking travellers over the route in two twelve-seater Buick charabancs. The journey from Melbourne took four and a half hours.
"Cambarville Trails". Marysville Tourism. Marysville Triangle Business and Tourism Inc. 2020.
October 16, 2023
yarra, track, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, july, 2023, l. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Yarra Track news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields in Victoria Australia Yarra TrackVictoriaA monument marking the site of The Oaks a former shanty on the Yarra TrackYarra ValleyWest endEast endCoordinates37 39 22 S 145 30 50 E 37 65611 S 145 51389 E 37 65611 145 51389 West end 37 34 11 S 146 15 15 E 37 56972 S 146 25417 E 37 56972 146 25417 East end General informationTypeTrackLength193 km 120 mi OpenedSeptember 1862 1862 09 Major junctionsWest endHealesvilleEast endWoods PointLocation s LGA s Yarra Ranges ShireviaFernshaw and MarysvilleYarra Ranges National ParkHighway systemHighways in Australia National Highway Freeways in Australia Highways in Victoria Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 3 1 Bibliography 4 External linksHistory EditA direct route via the Yarra River and the Great Divide was discovered by Reick in September 1862 and became known as the Yarra Track Early in 1863 the Victorian Government decided to construct a 193 kilometre 120 mi road along the route Its original width varied between 4 and 6 metres 12 and 20 ft and was designed to accommodate horse drawn vehicles This Track involved the climbing of the Black Spur descent into the Acheron Valley and then through Marysville to the Cumberland where it followed the existing route The old route through Paradise Plains subsequently dropped out of vogue In 1865 the first drays and wagons reached Woods Point via the Yarra Track but they could only get through during the summer months The Yarra Track shortened the trip to Woods Point from Melbourne to a little over 161 kilometres 100 mi compared with 354 kilometres 220 mi via Jamieson Clement Wilks an engineer with the Victorian Department of Roads and Bridges was a member of the Yarra Track Committee responsible for building this coach and dray road designing a number or small bridges and culverts including the Wilks Creek Bridge 1 2 on the Marysville Road and the Big Culvert 3 4 Two main construction camps were established in new localities on the Yarra Track at Healesville and Marysville These were surveyed as towns to serve as base camps for construction teams and as staging towns when the coach route was completed Marysville was founded and surveyed in August 1864 Healesville was surveyed in September 1864 which resulted in the deviation of the settlement at New Chum Healesville was at the furthest point coaches could travel along the route from Melbourne From there a packhorse track climbed through the mountains to the diggings Shanties were built every five or six miles from New Chum to the diggings Accommodation houses and stores were strung along the rest of the road The Black Spur section became a popular tourist destination and sought after location for notable early photographers in Victoria such as Nicholas Caire and J W Lindt In 1916 a bus service was introduced taking travellers over the route in two twelve seater Buick charabancs The journey from Melbourne took four and a half hours See also Edit nbsp Australian roads portal Roads in VictoriaReferences Edit National Trust of Australia Victoria Register B6439 Wilks Creek Bridge Triangle Rd Marysville VIC Australia Place ID 102643 Australian Heritage Database Australian Government Retrieved 20 March 2020 National Trust of Australia Victoria Register B5804 The Big Culvert Marysville Woods Point Rd Cambarville via Marysville VIC Australia Place ID 5720 Australian Heritage Database Australian Government Retrieved 20 March 2020 This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations March 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Bibliography Edit Thomas Ann The last of the Yarra Track stopping place Marysville 1983 Thomas Ann Wilks Creek Bridge at Marysville Victoria 1993 External links EditPadula OAM Robert J April 2011 The Yarra Track Maroondah Reservoir Pictorial Heritage 1862 to 2011 Yarra Track Yarra Glen Healesville section Yarra Range Heritage Database Yarra Ranges Council n d Yarra Ranges National Park Management Plan PDF Parks Victoria June 2002 ISBN 0 7311 3134 7 Cambarville Trails Marysville Tourism Marysville Triangle Business and Tourism Inc 2020 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yarra Track amp oldid 1168095082, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
