Thomson River Diversion Tunnel

The Thomson River Diversion Tunnel, also known as the Horseshoe Bend Tunnel or the Chinese Tunnel, is located on the Thomson River near the junction with Coopers Creek (and the locality of Platina), approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south-west of Walhalla, Victoria, Australia. The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and covered by a Heritage Overlay.[1]

Thomson River Diversion Tunnel
Victoria
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Thomson River Diversion Tunnel
Nearest town or cityWalhalla
Coordinates37°58′20″S 146°25′29″E
See alsoProtected areas of Victoria

Location and features

The river flows around Stockriders Spur in a horseshoe bend. The tunnel was driven through the spur diverting the river and allowing the exposed river bed to be sluiced for alluvial gold.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

The Thomson River Alluvial Gold and Tailings Recovery Company began construction of the tunnel in August 1911 and the tunnel was completed circa October 1912. The total length of the tunnel is about 220 metres (720 ft). The tunnel is one of around thirteen river diversions surviving from the Victorian gold rush.

The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority believe that the tunnel may have interrupted the migration path of threatened native fish such as the Australian grayling. They are considering diverting the river back to its original course.[7] This proposal is meeting some opposition.[3]

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References
  1. "Thomson River Diversion Tunnel, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H1990, Heritage Overlay Number HO261". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  2. "Historic Gold Mining Sites in Gippsland Mining Division, Gazetteer: State & Regional Significant Sites" (PDF). Victorian Goldfields Project. Department of Natural Resources and Environment. February 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2011.
  3. "Friends of the Horseshoe Bend Tunnel". Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  4. "The Horseshoe Bend Tunnel" (PDF). Latrobe City Link. Morwell: Latrobe City Council. December 2005. p. 6. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  5. Rucki, Alexander (2007). Walhalla Gold. Haymarket: Little Red Apple Publishing. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-875329-96-0.
  6. Kaufman, Rob (2010), Historic Heritage Survey: Horseshoe Bend Gold Mining Area, Thomson River, Vic (PDF), prepared by LRGM – Services for West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
  7. Ker, Peter (26 October 2010). "Diversion of views from a bend in the river". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 7 February 2011.


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