With the upgrading and extension of the O’Keefe Rail Trail has come fourteen (14) new trail bridges, making a total of seventeen (17) bridges crossing various waterways along the 50km trail. When the railway line was originally built in 1887-1888, there were initially 50 bridges constructed by Andrew O’Keefe’s company! Upon recent investigations, a number of these waterways crossed by the now 17 bridges appear not to be officially named in 2015.
The O’Keefe Rail Trail bridge over Mt Ida Creek. Photo: Garry Long
So why not put a recognised name to these waterways? Such would not only assist the trail manager, City of Greater Bendigo Council, to easily identify bridge assets or help with trail maintenance; naming could also assist emergency services and would also be a point of interest for trail users.
Could this be ‘Racecourse Flat Creek’ at Knowsley? Photo: Garry Long
The Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail have taken up this waterway naming challenge as a new project. Not only to seek out possible names that could related to historical links or natural environment-phenomena, yet also investigate a means to fund the manufacture and installation of naming signs at each waterway. Such donations may come from family connections, comapnies or individual donors. Suggested names will be submitted to the appropriate official land management authority for approval.
The waterways crossed by the following trail bridges (with trail locations), have these ‘suggested’ names –
Bridge #3 – Somerset Park Rd – Bennetts Rd: ‘Homebush Creek’
Bridge #4 – Somerset Park Rd – Bennetts Rd: ‘Carex Creek’
Bridge #7 – Bowles Rd – Giris Rd: ‘Sawpit Gully Creek’ or ‘Melaleuca Creek’
Bridge #8 – Bowles Rd – Giris Rd: ‘Blind Gully Creek’
Bridge #11 – Moorabbee Rd – Moorabbee Foreshore Rd: ‘Racecourse Flat Creek’
Bridge #12– Moorabbee Rd – Moorabbee Foreshore Rd: ‘Sims Creek’
Bridge #13– Moorabbee Foreshore Rd – Derrinal Station Ln: ‘Glacier Creek’ or ‘Jenkins Creek’
Bridge #15– Old Bendigo Rd – Hills Rd: ‘Wallace Creek’
Bridge #16– Hills Rd – Mia Mia-Derrinal Rd: ‘Evans Gully Creek’
Bridge #17– Mia Mia-Derrinal Rd – Speed St: ‘Parsons Gully Creek’ or ‘Wattle Gully Creek’
Contributions, that included related information, are sort for the naming of these waterways. Such can be emailed to [email protected] or PO Box 578 Bendigo 3552, before 31 August 2015.
