Skeleton Creek
Skeleton Creek originates as a series of often dry watercourses in a rural area near Mt Atkinson (a low lava cone), west of Ravenhall, and runs through Truganina, Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing, Point Cook, Seabrook, and Altona Meadows.
The entire creek and its tributaries, including Tarneit Creek, will become critical as a remaining habitat corridor once all the open country is built over; stormwater treatment wetlands will provide additional habitat for a range of fauna species. Skeleton Creek, which drops around 60m over its 15km length, eventually flows into the Cheetham Wetlands (also known as Altona Bay Wetlands), a site of international significance for migratory birds, then into Port Phillip Bay.
*Drone footage produced by Bruce Boddington.
The Story of Skeleton Creek
By John Stirk
Skeleton Creek got its name because the seasonal waterholes, formed by volcanic rock, looked like the vertebrae of a spine, earning it the original name "Skeleton Water Holes Creek".
The name was already in use by the early 1800s. James Flemming, a member of Governor Philip King’s 1803 survey party, recorded crossing the waterway and referred to it as Skeleton Water Holes. More charmingly, it has also been referred to as the “Chain of Ponds”.
The creek starts from a series of basalt rock springs located near Mount Cottrell, south of Rockbank, in the outer west of Melbourne. From these springs, the creek flows intermittently through suburbs like Tarneit and Truganina before emptying into the Cheetham Wetlands and then Port Phillip Bay.
The area is rich in flora and fauna, attracting Indigenous people historically, and is now a focus for environmental restoration by groups like the Friends of Skeleton Creek.
The original tribes that inhabited the area around Skeleton Creek are the Bunurong (also spelled Boon Wurrung) and the Woiwurrung (also spelled Wurundjeri) people. These groups are part of the Kulin Nation, an alliance of five Indigenous Australian tribes in south-central Victoria.
These groups were known as coastal dwellers, living in the area from as early as 3,000 B.C.. They utilized the creek and surrounding swamps for resources, including fish, eels, water birds, and the murnong (yam daisy).Significance: The area is part of the territory that was traditionally managed by these tribes, with clans often moving between the coast and inland waterways based on seasonal availability.
The arrival of the “newcomers” - Key events following the British colonisation and early survey of the creek include:
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Initial Sighting (1802-1803): While Matthew Flinders observed the surrounding plains in May 1802, the first detailed survey of the Port Phillip coastline that includes the creek area was conducted by Charles Grimes and his party in early 1803.
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Early Settlement (1830s): Following John Batman's arrival in 1835, the land around the creek was quickly leased for pastoral use. One of the first settlers was Alfred Langhorne, who obtained a pastoral lease (known as "Laverton" or "Truganina") in 1836.
The Creek became more prominent in later years, particularly with the construction of the Main Outfall Sewer in the 1890s and its aqueduct (an understatement of its purpose). This removed waste from Melbourne to the Werribee Treatment Plant. And, bringing us up to date: Modern development in the Hobsons Bay and Wyndham area surged from the late 20th century, with rapid suburban expansion, especially from the 1980s onwards, transforming former industrial/rural lands, while Wyndham experienced explosive growth from the 2000s becoming the nation's fastest-growing LGA, with intense development in areas like Point Cook and Tarneit, impacting significantly on Skeleton Creek which now carries more water than ever before.
Protecting
Once each month, on the fourth Sunday, we have a two hour working bee that, depending on the time of year, conducts a variety of tasks. From May to September we are busy planting indigenous plants, preparing the ground with jute matting and protecting them with stakes and guards. As it gets hotter over the summer months our priority concentrates on watering but throughout the year we spread mulch, lay jute matting, remove weeds, collect rubbish and complete maintenance. At the conclusion of each event there is a well-earned afternoon tea provided, giving us all the opportunity to have a bite and a cuppa and to enjoy a chat.
Monthly attendance isn’t obligatory; our members attend when they can. We are a family-friendly lot who are far from being ageist; having welcomed some in their 80s along with youngsters in strollers. Similarly, there is no pressure on how hard you work; you do what you are happiest doing. Some will enjoy working themselves by energetically filling and wheelbarrowing mulch and others are happier weeding. There is a task for everyone (toddler’s in strollers excepted). It all needs to be done! If you need any more information, then the group’s contact details will be found on our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/friendsofskeletoncreek/ or email – friendsofskeletoncrk@gmail.com.
School Visits and Nature Walks
One of the most rewarding projects we do is to introduce our youngsters to nature, the environment, conservation and planting. We also consider habitats, the food chains and the impact of littering. The aim is to open children’s eyes to the joy of the outdoors and to instil an involvement in our local environment. School visits where students come to the Creek, analyse the quality of the water, count the variety of micro bugs living in it, observe the flora and fauna, do some weeding and planting and, maybe for the first time, dig their hands in the dirt!
