Jubilee Lake, Railway, Tramway and Wombat Dam

 

SCANDALOUS BEHAVIOUR - PUBLIC SWIMMING!

JUBILEE LAKE BATHERS. 

Daylesford Advocate, Yandoit, Glenlyon and Eganstown Chronicle (Vic.: 1914 - 1918), Thursday 15 January 1914, page 3 

R. Nelms, caretaker of Jubilee Lake, wrote to Monday night's meeting of the Borough Council that the windmill, created by the Council last year, was not sufficient to keep the garden properly watered. He had only a tank of 600 gals, and with a good wind it took the mill two hours to fill it. The water could be ran off on the garden in three hours, consequently many parts of the garden had had no water for the season, with the resale that it was not anything like what it had been, other seasons, at this time of the year. Perhaps the Council would erect a tank that would hold sufficient water to give satisfactory results. Bathing in the lake on Sundays and other afternoons when the greatest number of people were about prevented many from using the boats during the most enjoyable part of the day Last Sunday afternoon at least 40 boys and young men were bathing in various parts of the lake, Many people would not go in the boats while the bathers were in the water, consequently he (the caretaker) was made to suffer. There was no regulation or bye-law to regulate the time or place for bathing, and the police and himself were powerless to interfere, unless bathers were in a nude state. This had not happened this season, a fact due no doubt to the attention paid to the neighbourhood by Sergeant Myers and his staff!  

He would be pleased if the council would pass a regulation so as to enable the police or himself to take action. 

Mr Horsfall told the council that there must be something radically wrong with the pump. He, however, was confident that he could at once put his finger on the defect, 

Crs. King and Howe moved that the matter stand over for a fortnight in order to allow the Engineer time to examine and report re the pump. 

O Brown moved that the Council provide Mr Nelms with another tank, say of 1000 gallons but his amendment lapsed for want of a seconder. 

Regarding Mr Nelma' complaint as to bathing, several councillors were of opinion that a regulation on the matter existed, and on Crs King and Martin's motion the matter was deferred for a fortnight, the Town Clerk meanwhile to obtain information on the subject and report. 

Cr Walton: As long as bathers are properly dressed there can be no objection. One can see thousands in Melbourne bathing in the open. 

Cr Densem: Perhaps that's why so many people come ap here. (Laugher) 

BALLARAT TO DAYLESFORD RAILWAY

After numerous schemes to connect a railway was finally opened on the 19th of January 

 1887 between North Creswick on the Ballarat to Maryborough line and Rocky Lead (later 

 renamed Rocklyn), an extension to Daylesford was opened on the 1st of June 1887. 

 Stations on this line were located at: North Creswick (Junction), Broomfield, Allendale, 

Kingston, Newlyn, Rocky Lead, Wombat, Leonard's Hill (later renamed Leonard), 

Ballan road (later renamed Sailors Falls), Woodburn and Daylesford. 

The Daylesford to North Creswick railway was closed in July 1953 when it's once a 

fortnight mixed passenger/ goods train was withdrawn. 

WOMBAT CREEK TIMBER TRAMWAY

The former Wombat Creek timber tramway in the heart of spa country makes for interesting walking. 
Robert Henderson established a sawmill at Wombat Creek in 1879, and constructed a horse-drawn, timber railed tramways towards the town a few months later. The tramway was probably of 3-foot (0.91m) gauge. When the lease area was logged out, the tramway and sawmill, utilitarian as always, were abandoned, in 1891. But half a century later, there was a brief revival. The Orr brothers set up a sawmill on the same location in 1942 and rebuilt the tramway, but again, it only lasted a short time before the area was reserved for the Wombat Creek reservoir. 
For the walker today, this walk starts a short distance north of the Wombat Creek picnic area. The track follows the course of the creek, but at a higher level. Of interest are several well-preserved log landings, and the cuttings visible either side of gullies on side creeks. 
The tramway originally ran to the Daylesford - Creswick railway, opened in 1887, but locked gate bars access to private property a short distance south of Jubilee Lake, formed by the rail embankment and named for Queen Victoria's jubilee. Return to the start point is via the same route

WOMBAT CREEK DAM

DAYLESFORD.     Herald (Melbourne, Vic.: 1861 - 1954), Friday 19 July 1861, page 6 

Bursting of the Government Reservoir.

 

This reservoir situated at the. head of Wombat Creek, about two miles from the township, and just completed, gave way at the embankment on Sunday night. It appears that a large quantity of dead timber had been allowed to remain in the reservoir, which, on the reservoir becoming full, floated into the by-wash and formed a dam against the overflow of water. The water consequently rose rapidly to the level of the top of the embankment and flowed over, carrying with it the whole of the earthwork, and throwing a body of water covering thirteen acres and in some parts thirty feet deep in one volume down the creek. The consequence may be imagined, everything was carried before it, and on reaching the township, three bridges, lately erected by the Municipal Council at a cost of about 500 ponds, were completely destroyed, and not a vestige of them remains. Further down the creek, and beyond the junction of it with Sailors' Creek, a crushing-machine, with buildings, etc, were swept away, at a loss of fully 600 pounds. On reaching the lower portion of Sailors and Jim Crow Creeks, two bridges, nearly completed by the Yandoit and Franklin Road Board ul a cost of 500 pounds, were also carried away; added to which all, the minors' claims on the creek have been destroyed, together with races, dams, sluice-boxes, and other mining property. A report has reached the township, that five Chinamen have lost their lives, the rush of water haying been so sudden as to render their escape impossible. The total loss cannot be estimated at less than 10,000 pounds; besides the loss that hundreds of miners will suffer, by being thus rendered penniless, and thrown for a time out of employment. Mining operations ii general are being vigorously carried on, and it is generally believed that more gold has been got this winter in the district than any previous winter, since the ground first was opened. 

Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 - 1957), Monday 19 April 1926, page 12 

 
WOMAN LOST IN BUSH. All-night Search Rewarded. 

DAYLESFORD, Sunday. - Miss Peggy Gresswell, aged 35 years, of 14 Gordon Grove, Malvern, was lost in the bush south of Jubilee Lake last night, and was not found until nearly 11 o'clock this morning. Miss Gresswell, who is staying at Bonnie Brae Farm, left for the mineral spring at Jubilee Lake early in the afternoon. Her failure to return by evening caused alarm. Senior-constable Kiernan was notified, and search parties were organised. Equipped with torches from the brigade station, three parties scoured the bush in the vicinity of Jubilee Lake without avail. At midnight half of the searchers returned to Daylesford, while the others continued searching throughout the night. At 7 o'clock this morning no trace of the missing woman could be found, and fears were entertained for her safety on account of the dangerous nature of the country. The night had been bitterly cold. The fire-bell was rung, and more than 50 men responded to the call for volunteers. Parties on foot were organised by Constables Connelly and Dale while a mounted party was led by Constable Williams. They searched the bush in all directions. A party led by Mr. E. Boase, an expert bush-man, discovered prints of a woman's shoe along an old track used by wood-carters. This was followed for several miles, and Mr. S. Reynolds, who was on horseback, went ahead of the party, and discovered the woman about seven miles south of Jubilee Lake. 

Miss Gresswell stated that she became confused in discovering so many old tracks, and lost her way. She wandered about until coming to a road and seeing hoof marks she thought that it would lead her towards a house. The tracks, however, went farther into the bush, and when it became dark, she wisely decided to sit down on a log and wait for daylight. In the morning she went on walking until found. 

Despite her exposure to the cold, Miss Gresswell appeared none the worse for her experience