My friend has two postcards (1) of waterfalls on the Sweetwater Creek in Frankston and they inspired me to do some research into the Creek, which I had never heard of before. This post looks at some historic accounts of the flora and fauna found in the Frankston area and along the Sweetwater Creek, which is now part of a nature reserve (2). Sweetwater Creek was so named because the water was fresh not salty. The mouth of the creek is at the base of Oliver's Hill. Oliver's Hill is the northern extremity of the Mount Eliza granitic outcrop. Granite is exposed in the bed of the Sweetwater creek at various points in its progress to the sea (3). Around 1852 fishermen and timber cutters formed a settlement at the mouth of the creek (4). James Oliver, who was a fisherman and the namesake of Oliver's Hill, had a cottage on the crest of the hill - Up till about 1863 the sand had not silted up the small bay below and he was able to haul his boat right into Sweetwater Creek and anchor it there (5).
This 1854 plan of the town allotments at Frankston shows the Sweet Water Creek and further south, the Salt Water Creek, which is the Kackeraboite Creek.
Click here to see the entire map at the State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/160463
Village of Frankston at Kananook Creek, Mount Eliza, Port Phillip Bay. Lithographed at the Surveyor General's Office, May 1st 1854, by James B Philp, Victoria Surveyor General's Office
In 1902, Clarice Wells wrote this delightful letter to the Mornington Standard about the Sweetwater Creek. Clarice, was the grand-daughter of Henry Cadby Wells, who had arrived in the area in 1859 (6).
There are a great number of pretty places in Frankston, but the one which most people like best is the gully, or Sweet-water creek. It has pretty rippling water-falls, which are very steep and high. There are also a number of pretty ferns, which are called maiden hair, lady-finger fern, and bird-nest or coral fern. In some places it is very hilly and in others quite flat. There is an old cabin in the gully where an old man has lived for a number of years. The creek runs for miles to the right and to the left out into the open sea. It is a lovely cool place to go for a picnic in summer. It is very nice to hear the birds singing in the green trees. There has also been native bread found in the creek, which was greatly used among the aboriginals in the early days. The gully would be a beautiful place for an artist to paint, either in summer or winter. The wild flowers which grow around the gully are also beautiful (7).
Falls, Sweetwater Creek, Frankston.
This postcard was sent in April 1909 (see Footnote 1).
Image: Isaac Hermann
On the afternoon of Saturday, September 30th, a considerable portion of the class in botany of the Melbourne College of Pharmacy visited Frankston for the purpose of a study of field botany. Twenty students, including four women students, formed the party. The country round Frankston is stated by botanical authorities to form the best collecting ground in the State. The party was met at the station by Dr Plowman, the Lecturer at the college. ..They first explored the healthy ground between Kars Street and the Hastings road, and afterwards the high ground beyond the extremity of Kars Street. From the highest eminence a magnificent view was obtained of the bay and surrounding country with Mount Macedon and the Dandenong ranges in the distance. It was greatly admired by the visitors, and the whole party was here photographed. A straight line across country to the head waters of Sweetwater creek was then made, and the gully was followed to the coast....the weather was delightful and the field excursion a great success. The main object, viz, the collection and study of wild plants actually in flower, their identification and their reference to their respective natural orders, was fully attained. The number of species was not actually taken, but they were very numerous and were representative of no less than 29 natural orders (11).
Another group of Botany Students visited Frankston in 1913 and visited the same places and followed the Sweetwater Creek from the head waters to the Bay - they were successful in obtaining many interesting specimens in the streets themselves before arrival at the real collecting grounds. Among them may be mentioned the curious trigger plant, a snow plant, an orchid, and many species of the Lily order, which were found in Wedge-street (12). The students then continued their work on the hill where the haul of specimens was a particularly good one, including a few special coastal flowers, but the orchids were not so numerous as on the previous occasion when eleven distinct species were obtained (13).
In 1930, The Age published an article, written under the pen-name of A.L.E., called Wild Life on the Peninsula - Echidna were very numerous, especially on the Mornington Peninsula and along the hillsides and on the moorlands in close proximity to Frankston..... The kangaroo was no longer abundant however its near relation, the wallaby, is not by any means rare, and even along the upper reaches of Sweetwater Creek, near the foot of Mount Eliza, there are some of the finest animals of this class to be found in Australia, but owing to the density of the scrub and bracken fern, it is difficult to obtain a full view of them for photographic purposes (14).
A.L.E's observations on phalangers were published in The Herald in 1934 - Good news for nature lovers is contained in a letter from A.L.E. (Frankston): flying phalangers, or "squirrels" as they generally are termed, are still to be seen on Mornington Peninsula. "The Dandenongs are not to have it all their own way. During the last seven years I have been interested in the presence of some flying phalangers along that haven for our native fauna, the Sweetwater Creek. Ringtail possums share this locality with the 'fliers.' But, the other day, I was disgusted to find that the house-cat had been visiting trees along the creek, and taking toll of the 'fliers; presumably to let me know that 1 am not the only creature aware of their existence there. For puss placed the pretty little animal - her victim - on the back doormat! "These phalangers were long ago thought to be extinct on the Peninsula. Actually, at present, some of them are making an inspection of the trees in my grounds: no doubt with a view to taking up permanent residence." (15).
A. L.E was I believe Alfred Leslie Earl, listed in the 1934 Electoral Roll at 'Tower Hill', Frankston. His occupation was Nurseryman. In 1934, under his real name he wrote the following interesting letter to the The Argus - It was stated on Saturday that it was not often that opossums and bees were found in a common lodging place. In the wild country of Sweetwater Creek upper reaches at Frankston it is usual to find above a wild bees hive the nest of the ring-tail opossum and invariably at the groundline or below the hive an ants' nest. Both ants and opossums are passionately fond of honey, but they never attack it while bees remain in possession (16).
A year later, Mr Earl wrote to The Age about snakes and butcher birds on the Mornington Peninsula - I was much interested in the paragraph referring to copperhead snakes here. That is the type most common along the moorland sandhills. However, there are tiger snakes along the tea-tree, especially in the grey and heavy land. I saw a large one on Davey's Bay-road last summer. Along the high parts of the Overport-road at Mount Eliza some large tigers abound, also on the slopes of Sweetwater Creek. Mention of snakes brings to my mind that I noticed eight Derwent jackasses, or butcher birds, worrying a huge copperhead snake on the Three Chain-road, and ultimately the "butchers" won. They not only killed the snake, but completely severed the head from the trunk (17).
Marathon Falls, Frankston.
I presume that these falls are one of the pretty rippling water-falls, which are very steep and high (as Clarice Wells wrote in 1902) on the Sweetwater Creek, but I cannot find any information about them.
This postcard was sent in March 1911 (see Footnote 1)
Image: Isaac Hermann
Water supply for Frankston was an on-going problem until the town was supplied with water from the Beaconsfield Reservoir in 1922 as part of the scheme to supply water to the Flinders Naval base, which had opened in 1920 (18). In 1912 water from the various creeks was sampled and Sweetwater Creek was reported to be very satisfactory, excepting for a slight trace of vegetable matter, which could be accounted for by the water being taken from a pool which had been standing some time (19).
I mentioned at the start of this post that the mouth of the Creek silted up. This seemed to have been a continual problem and was 'solved' on occasions by allowing the removal of sand from the mouth. Thus in January 1928 it was reported that sand was being taken from the mouth of Sweetwater Creek and that the councillors were pleased to have it removed to open the creek up (20). This created its own problems and three months later in April it was reported from a Council meeting that those who were supposed to secure sand from there were taking it from further along the beach. On the motion of Crs. Bradbury and Montague it was decided to notify contractors that no more sand must be removed from the beach (21).
By February 1931 the same issue was reported Cr. Keast said at last meeting of the shire council that he had received several complaints from ratepayers of the removal of sand from the foreshore at the foot of Oliver's Hill. He asked if it was removed with the permission of the engineer. Mr. Ham said permits were issued for the removal of sand from the mouth of Sweetwater Creek. A royalty of 1/ a load was paid. Cr. Keast said he was afraid that those removing sand did not confine themselves to the area defined by the council. The foreshore was being stripped until rocks only remained (22). The next month it was reported that the Shire Engineer had inspected the mouth of the Sweetwater Creek and it was badly blocked so he advised that the removal of sand should continue (23). This issue resolved itself a few days later in a dramatic manner when there was a rain and wind storm and local flooding. The most severe damage was done on Mornington road, where Sweetwater Creek flows beneath the road to the sea. Debris carried down the creek by the flood waters choked the large culverts, causing the water to back up the creek and rise to such a height that a landslide was caused. Hundreds of cubic feet of earth slid into the creek. When the pressure of water became so great that it broke through the force of the flow carried some of the huge concrete pipes of which the culvert was constructed and large sections of concrete kerbing and channelling from the roadway out into the sea. So much of the roadway collapsed that only sufficient room for two cars to pass was left (24).
Location of Sweetwater Creek, Frankston. The map is from the 1950s.
Today's map of Frankston, Seaford, Mt. Eliza, Carrum Downs, Baxter, Karringal.
Published by the Regional Publicity Service.
State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/114788
Not only was the Sweetwater Creek rich in flora and fauna but it also possibly contained other riches. In 1949 the Frankston Standard was discussing local gold finds and they reported that Mr. W. P. Mason, well known and experienced pioneer of Frankston and the Peninsula told this paper this week, that he is certain there is a large gold reef that will be discovered eventually on the Peninsula near Frankston, and that there is little doubt that it will be a rich one. "Tubba Rubba may be the most likely spot, said Mr. Mason, but good gold colours were obtained very close to Frankston in the Sweetwater Creek, and gullies near the sea front (25). The Tubba Rubba Diggings were near Dromana.
Is there gold in Sweetwater Creek? I don't know but there are riches to be found in the natural beauty and ecology of Sweetwater Creek Nature Reserve (26).
Trove List
I have created a list of newspaper articles on Trove relating to Sweetwater Creek, access it here.
Footnotes
(1) Thanks to Isaac Hermann for the images of the postcards. The postcards were sent in 1909 and 1911
The letter on the back of the Falls, Sweetwater Creek postcard
Postmarked Frankston, dated April 16, 1909, sent to Mrs J. Fordyce, 191 Kerford Road, Albert Park. Dear Dearie (?), We are just off for a picnic. It is a glorious day. We will be home Monday evening. Love from A.G. How wonderful is this? Did they go to Sweetwater Creek Falls for their picnic? The 1909 Electoral Rolls show Joseph and Elizabeth Fordyce living at 191 Kerford Road. Joseph was an Accountant.
The letter on the back of the Marathon Falls postcard
Postmarked Auburn, March 9, 1911, sent to Mr W. A. Crook, Citizens Chambers, 285 Collins Street, City. Dear Gus, Just a line to tell you we won't be home tonight. Will you ring up and see if Aunt R could have you and Stan tonight, as we can't go Sat. If she can, will you let Stan know. Hope it won't rain. A.F. Walter Augustus Crook is listed in the 1909 Electoral Roll at 249 Auburn Road, Auburn, occupation Estate Agent. At the same address was a Mary Alice Forster and a William Mark Forster. I believe that it was Alice Forster who wrote this card.
(3) Steel, Gwenyth Frankston: an outline of the district's early history (1977), p. 13.
(4) Steel, op. cit., p. 28
(5) Steel, op. cit., p. 16
(6) Edith Emily Susan Clarice Wells was born in 1889 to Octavius and Mary Ann (nee Davey) Wells. She married George Alfred Oakley in 1912 and she died in 1950. You can read her father's obituary in the Frankston & Somerville Standard of July 12, 1935, here. You can read the obituary of her grandfather, Henry Cadby Wells, in the Mornington & Dromana Standard of December 12, 1908, here.
(7) Mornington Standard, November 8, 1902, see here.
(8) Mark Young - read about him here on the Kingston Local History website https://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/articles/224
(9) Mornington Standard, December 15, 1906, see here.
(10) Mornington Standard, December 15, 1906, see here.
(11) Mornington Standard, October 7, 1911, see here.
(12) Mornington Standard, November 8, 1913, see here.
(13) Mornington Standard, November 8, 1913, see here.
(14) The Age November 8, 1930, see here.
(15) The Herald, July 3, 1934, see here.
(16) The Argus, January 17, 1934, see here. The Age has his name listed as A. E. Earl, but I believe this is a mistake and it is Alfred Leslie Earl.
(17) The Age, February 19, 1935, see here.
(19) Mornington Standard, July 27, 1912, see here.
(20) Frankston & Somerville Standard, January 13, 1928, see here.
(21) Frankston & Somerville Standard, April 20, 1928, see here.
(22) Frankston & Somerville Standard, February 21, 1931, see here.
(23) Frankston & Somerville Standard, March 21, 1931, see here.
(24) Frankston & Somerville Standard, March 28, 1931, see here.
(25) Frankston Standard, October 13, 1949, see here.
