Dandenong Creek

The Dandenong Creek (Aboriginal Bunwurrung: Narra Narrawong[1] or Dandinnong[2]) is an urban creek[3] of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the eastern and south-eastern Greater Melbourne region of the Australian state of Victoria.

For other uses of the name Dandenong, see Dandenong (disambiguation).

Dandenong Dand-y-non, Tanjenong[1]
Dandenong Creek channeled as an urban stream in Dandenong
Location of the Dandenong Creek mouth in Victoria
Etymology	Aboriginal Bunwurrung: "high" or "lofty"[1]
Native name	Narra Narrawong,[1] Dandinnong[2]
Location
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
Region	South East Coastal Plain (IBRA), Greater Melbourne
Local government area	City of Monash
Physical characteristics
Source	Dandenong Ranges
2nd source	Bungalook Creek
• location	near Heathmont
• coordinates	37°50′8″S 145°15′25″E
• elevation	556 m (1,824 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Eumemmerring Creek to form the Patterson River
• location	southwest of Bangholme
• coordinates	38°2′37″S 145°10′29″E
• elevation	6 m (20 ft)
Length	53 km (33 mi)
Basin features
River system	Port Phillip catchment
Tributaries
• left	Corhanwarrabul Creek, Blind Creek, Old Joes Creek, Dobsons Creek
• right	Mordialloc Creek, Mile Creek, Heatherdale Creek, Bungalook Creek, Little Bungalook Creek
[3][4]

Location and features

Dandenong Creek has its headwaters in the Dandenong Ranges near Olinda, within the Dandenong Ranges National Park and is sourced by downstream flows from the Bungalook Creek. The creek flows generally south by southwest, joined by the Corhanwarrabul Creek, before reaching its confluence with the Eumemmerring Creek to form the man-made Patterson River southwest of Bangholme. The creek descends approximately 550 metres (1,800 ft) over its course of 53 kilometres (33 mi).[1]

The health of the creek in these urban areas ranges from moderate to very poor and has been the focus of a number of clean-up campaigns in recent years.[5]

The creek is also the home of one of the largest remaining populations of Yarra Gum.[6]

A bike path known as the Dandenong Creek Trail runs alongside for a significant distance.

An industrial wastewater stream known as Old Joes Creek flows into Dandenong Creek, with its confluence in Bayswater.[7] This drain runs underground for much of its course, running in a westerly direction and servicing several industrial estates in the catchment of Dandenong Creek.[8] The tributary is commonly polluted with heavy metals, and authorities have made several attempts to prevent pollution which spreads downstream into Dandenong Creek.[9][10]

Etymology

The traditional custodians of the land surrounding what is now known as the Dandenong Creek were the indigenous Bunurong people of the Kulin nation who referred to the creek as Narra Narrawong; while others gave the creek the name Dandenong, sometimes spelled as Dand-y-non or Tanjenong by early settlers, believed to mean "high" or "lofty".[1]

History

The first European to see the creek near its source was in 1839 and is believed to be Daniel Bunce, a botanist.[1]

Creek crossings

The list below notes current bridges that cross over the Dandenong Creek. Some are road and rail bridges, whilst others are pedestrian and equestrian crossings.

Patterson River to Dandenong Valley Parklands

Crossing	Image	Coordinates	Built	Suburb	Description
Old Perry Road				Bangholme	Ruins of old Perry Road bridge over Dandenong Creek
Perry Road
EastLink			2008	Dandenong South	EastLink
Greens Road
Dandenong Bypass			2008
EastLink Trail			2008	Dandenong
Hammond Road
Gippsland Railway bridge					Bridge carrying the Gippsland line over the creek
Lonsdale Street pedestrian bridge					Footbridge over the creek along Lonsdale Street
Lonsdale Street					The crossing of the Princes Highway, locally named Lonsdale Street
Dandenong Creek Trail
Dandenong Park footbridge
McCrae Street
Dandenong Workers Social Club footbridge					Footbridge between the Dandenong Workers Social Club and their golf course
Kidds Road
Heatherton Road				Dandenong North
Monash Freeway
Brady Road
Stud Road
Police Road Retarding Basin				Mulgrave	There is a path along the basin wall, enabling pedestrian crossing of the creek
EastLink			2008
Wellington Road				Rowville

Dandenong Valley Parklands

Crossing	Image	Coordinates	Built	Suburb	Description
Dandenong Valley wetland trail			2010	Scoresby	Shared path over the creek
Ferntree Gully Road
EastLink Trail			2008
Dandenong Creek Trail
Patterson's Bridge				Wantirna South	Part of Dandenong Creek Trail
High Street Road footbridge					Footbridge linking Napier Park with Nortons Park
High Street
Burwood Highway				Vermont South
Dandenong Creek Trail

Dandenong Valley Parklands to Mount Dandenong

Crossing	Image	Coordinates	Built	Suburb	Description
Boronia Road				Vermont
EastLink Trail					Section of the EastLink Trail linking Winton Wetlands with Campbells Croft Reserve
EastLink			2008	Ringwood
Wantirna Road
Marlborough Road footbridge				Heathmont	Footbridge at the end of Marlborough Road
H.E. Parker Reserve footbridge					Footbridge connecting the Dandenong Creek Trail with H.E. Parker Reserve
Belgrave railway line				Bayswater North
Tarralla Creek Trail
Bayswater Road
Dorset Road
Colchester Road				Kilsyth South
Liverpool Road Retarding Basin wall				Boronia	Path along basin wall provides crossing over the creek
Liverpool Road Retarding Basin footbridge					Footbridge inside the retarding basin provides crossing over the creek
Liverpool Road				The Basin
Dobson Lane					Dobson Lane
Pavitt Lane				Kilsyth
Sheffield Road
Edgar Track				Mount Dandenong
Doongalla Forest access road
Dandenong Creek Track				Olinda

See also

• List of rivers of Victoria

References

1. "Snapshot of Dandenong Creek" (PDF). Fact sheet. Melbourne Water. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
2. "Dandenong Creek: 13888: Historical information". Vicnames. Government of Victoria. 12 August 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
3. "Dandenong Creek: 13888". Vicnames. Government of Victoria. 2 May 1966. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
4. "Map of Dandenong Creek, VIC". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
5. "Dandenong Creek". Rivers and Creeks. Melbourne Water. Archived from the original on 5 September 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
6. "Flora and Fauna: Significant Plant Species". Archived from the original on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
7. "Old Joes Creek gets a makeover". BehaviourWorks Australia. Monash Sustainable Development Institute. 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
8. Frame, Joanna; Coleman, Rhys; Moore, Trivess (August 2005). "Waterway assessment in the Dandenong Valley Catchment: Water quality in Upper Dandenong Creek and associated tributaries". Melbourne Water Corporation. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
9. "EPA fines Bayswater company over $7500". Environment Protection Authority Victoria. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
10. "Pollution Detection and Prevention". Melbourne Water. Retrieved 19 July 2019.

External links

• Returning Dandenong Creek project
• First Friends of Dandenong Creek website
• "Info sourced on place names in the area". Knox Historical Society. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012.