Yarra Falls was a waterfall on the

Yarra River The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stre ...

Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...

that was demolished in 1883 through the use of dynamite in order to prevent a repeat of the floods of 1863 and 1878. It formed a low barrier, separating the brackish tidal water found downstream from the fresh water found above it, and in doing so provided potable water for the young settlement.

Pre-settlement history

The Falls, called ''Yarra Yarra'' were important to the local Aboriginal tribes, the

Woiwurrung The Woiwurrung, also spelt Woi Wurrung, Woiwurrong, Woiworung, Wuywurung, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin people, Kulin alliance. The Woiwurrung people's territory in Central Victoria (Austral ...

and the

Boon wurrung The Boonwurrung people are an Aboriginal people of the Kulin nation, who are the traditional owners of the land from the Werribee River to Wilsons Promontory in the Australian state of Victoria. Their territory includes part of what is now the c ...

, who used it as a crossing point between their lands, in order to negotiate trade and marriages. The location was also used to meet the other three members of the

Kulin Tribe The Kulin nation is an alliance of five Aboriginal nations in south central Victoria, Australia. Their collective territory extends around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River vall ...

, in order to settle disputes, trade and hold

corroborees A corroboree is a generic word for a meeting of Australian Aboriginal peoples. It may be a sacred ceremony, a festive celebration, or of a warlike character. A word coined by the first British settlers in the Sydney area from a word in the l ...

European history

In June 1835

John Batman John Batman (21 January 18016 May 1839) was an Australian grazier, entrepreneur and explorer. He is best known for his role in the founding of Melbourne. Born and raised in the then-British colony of New South Wales, Batman settled in Van Die ...

arrived at Yarra Falls and immediately recognized it as the site of a new village, the only one of Australia's Capital Cities to have been identified as so before its founding. In 1839 a dam was built upon the falls using convict labour in order to secure the fresh water supply for the growing city, but did not last long, nor did its replacement. In 1845 a bridge was built at the site by a private company, but this was replaced by a government funded Prince's Bridge in 1850, which was to stand until the demolition of the Falls, despite an attempt by "some scoundrel" to sabotage it by sawing through several of its supporting columns. The only son of John Batman, Charles Batman, drowned in 1845 at the falls his father had discovered while fishing.{{cite web , title=Batman's tragic end , url=http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/colonial-melbourne/pioneers/batmans-tragic-end , website=ergo.slv.vic.gov.au , access-date=24 April 2019

Demolition

In 1879

Sir John Coode Sir John Coode (11 November 1816 – 2 March 1892), English civil engineer, known for harbour works. Life He was born at Bodmin on 11 November 1816. He was educated at Bodmin Grammar School and after leaving school entered his father's office ...

declared that the Falls must be demolished in order to prevent a repeat of previous floods by allowing free discharge of upstream water during heavy rains. After a delay of almost four years, this process was begun by the

Harbour Trust A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

by removing the previously constructed dam, but the removal of the natural obstructions through the use of

dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...

was delayed by another month due to the trust being unwilling to risk accidental damage to the Prince's Bridge without formal indemnification from the Department of Public Works. The plan was to clear the reef to a uniform depth of 15 feet 6 inches, at an estimate cost of £20,000, with the existing depth being varied, with the highest points touching the surface of the water and the lowest reaching down to 15 feet, and the demolition was complete by 1883, having been funded by a combination of the Victorian Government and the Harbour Trust.

References

Submerged waterfalls Melbourne Yarra River