Nyaania Creek
Encyclopedia
Nyaania was also a stopping place and locality name (31° 54′ S, 116° 06′ E) associated with the first route of the Eastern Railway between Bellevue
and Mundaring
in Western Australia
with a catchment that moves through a number of hills suburbs just east of the Darling Scarp
. Its source is in Mahogany Creek
, and it flows through Glen Forrest
, Darlington
, and Boya
before meeting the Helena River at Helena Valley
.
It was originally known as the Smiths Mill Brook on maps between 1902 and 1920. In the 1920's it became known as Nyaania Brook, and in 1945 it officially took the current name.
Its importance stems from the fact that it flows through private land for most of its length, linked to issues that affect watercourses in the Darling Scarp region:
It has significant areas of reserves either adjacent, or within 100 metres either side of its main creek bed. It runs in a number of places along what was rail reserve of the Eastern Railway - which is now the southern part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
.
The upper portion of the creek has the Strettle Road Reserve on its north side - which is at the west end of Mahogany Creek
which although completely a regenerated plot of land following extensive firing and logging in the last hundred years is a significant reserve.
Near the ex- Statham quarry in Glen Forrest it enters into its first reserve, the Thomas Park reserve.
In Glen Forrest
the Glen Forrest Super Block is on its south side just prior to the border with Darlington
and near Devil's Terror.
The locality earned the name in the Perth
newspapers of the 1880's as The Devil's Terror and they cite the example of workers sinking in mud.
That section of the raiway had to be resurveyed and was shifted 100 meters south along the bed of Nyaania creek. The creek above Glen Forrest was diverted into Chittawarra Brook while a dam was thrown across the creek just to the west of Glen Forrest to hold back the water while a man made channel was built to replace the original creek bed. On completion of the channel the dam wall was breached and Nyaania Creek was allowed to run into the new channel.
As a result of this construction the creek bed now runs along the top of the 3 to 5 meter deep cutting. In winter the water can be heard rushing just above ones head as they walk through the cutting.
For the duration of the Eastern Railway route usage (1880's to 1953) the Nyaania Creek/Eastern Railway/Devil's Terror location point of coincidence has had springs under or next to the railway line. The sleepers and rails were removed in the mid 1960's, and ever since they have subsisted even when the Nyaania Creek is dry in the middle of a drought. Many users of the subsequent Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
have had a particular attraction to their persistence.
Bellevue, Western Australia
Bellevue is an eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Swan and the Shire of Mundaring, and it is located at the foot of the slopes of Greenmount, a landmark on the Darling Scarp that is noted in the earliest of travel journals of the early Swan River...
and Mundaring
Mundaring, Western Australia
Mundaring is a suburb located 34 km east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. The suburb is located within the Shire of Mundaring.The Aboriginal name of the area 'Mindah-lung', said to mean 'a high place on a high place', was anglicised to become 'Mundaring'.The Mundaring area is also considered...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
Significance
Nyaania Creek (31º 55' S, 116º 03' E) is an important tributary seasonal creek that flows into the Helena RiverHelena River
The Helena River is a tributary of the Swan River in Western Australia. The river rises in country east of Mount Dale and moves to the north west to Mundaring Weir, where it is dammed...
with a catchment that moves through a number of hills suburbs just east of the Darling Scarp
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
. Its source is in Mahogany Creek
Mahogany Creek, Western Australia
Mahogany Creek is a suburb in the shire of Mundaring, Western Australia.Its name is derived from the historic Mahogany Creek Inn, constructed in about 1880, and situated on what was the York Road, now known as the Great Eastern Highway...
, and it flows through Glen Forrest
Glen Forrest, Western Australia
Glen Forrest is a suburb within the Shire of Mundaring, south of John Forrest National Park, west of Mahogany Creek, east of Darlington, and north of the Helena River...
, Darlington
Darlington, Western Australia
Darlington, Western Australia, is a locality in the Shire of Mundaring on the Darling Scarp, dissected by Nyaania Creek and north of the Helena River.- Location :...
, and Boya
Boya, Western Australia
Boya is a locality on the Darling Scarp, in the Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia. On the south side of Greenmount Hill, and just west of Darlington....
before meeting the Helena River at Helena Valley
Helena Valley, Western Australia
Helena Valley is the name of a river valley and a locality in the foothills of the Darling Scarp in Perth, Western Australia. It is located approximately 10 minutes from Midland.-Geology:...
.
It was originally known as the Smiths Mill Brook on maps between 1902 and 1920. In the 1920's it became known as Nyaania Brook, and in 1945 it officially took the current name.
Its importance stems from the fact that it flows through private land for most of its length, linked to issues that affect watercourses in the Darling Scarp region:
- usages of herbicides and other contaminants that can become waterborne
- excess nutrients from fertilisers used in domestic gardens
- inappropriate exotic weeds that flourish in difficult to access locations.
It has significant areas of reserves either adjacent, or within 100 metres either side of its main creek bed. It runs in a number of places along what was rail reserve of the Eastern Railway - which is now the southern part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
Railway Reserves Heritage Trail, also on some maps as Rail reserve heritage trail or Rail reserves historical trail - and frequently referred to locally as the 'Bridle Trail' or 'Bridle Track' , is within the Shire of Mundaring in Western Australia....
.
Upper Reaches
The creek is small in size and width and moves through numerous private properties.The upper portion of the creek has the Strettle Road Reserve on its north side - which is at the west end of Mahogany Creek
Mahogany Creek, Western Australia
Mahogany Creek is a suburb in the shire of Mundaring, Western Australia.Its name is derived from the historic Mahogany Creek Inn, constructed in about 1880, and situated on what was the York Road, now known as the Great Eastern Highway...
which although completely a regenerated plot of land following extensive firing and logging in the last hundred years is a significant reserve.
Near the ex- Statham quarry in Glen Forrest it enters into its first reserve, the Thomas Park reserve.
In Glen Forrest
Glen Forrest, Western Australia
Glen Forrest is a suburb within the Shire of Mundaring, south of John Forrest National Park, west of Mahogany Creek, east of Darlington, and north of the Helena River...
the Glen Forrest Super Block is on its south side just prior to the border with Darlington
Darlington, Western Australia
Darlington, Western Australia, is a locality in the Shire of Mundaring on the Darling Scarp, dissected by Nyaania Creek and north of the Helena River.- Location :...
and near Devil's Terror.
Devil's Terror Springs
Historically it achieved its significance in the construction of the Eastern Railway where a surveyed route of the railway encountered difficulties with the creek and creek bed. As a cutting was being constructed (near the bottom of Dalry Rd) clay was struck followed by an underground stream which flooded the clay and turned it into a bottomless bog.The locality earned the name in the Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
newspapers of the 1880's as The Devil's Terror and they cite the example of workers sinking in mud.
That section of the raiway had to be resurveyed and was shifted 100 meters south along the bed of Nyaania creek. The creek above Glen Forrest was diverted into Chittawarra Brook while a dam was thrown across the creek just to the west of Glen Forrest to hold back the water while a man made channel was built to replace the original creek bed. On completion of the channel the dam wall was breached and Nyaania Creek was allowed to run into the new channel.
As a result of this construction the creek bed now runs along the top of the 3 to 5 meter deep cutting. In winter the water can be heard rushing just above ones head as they walk through the cutting.
For the duration of the Eastern Railway route usage (1880's to 1953) the Nyaania Creek/Eastern Railway/Devil's Terror location point of coincidence has had springs under or next to the railway line. The sleepers and rails were removed in the mid 1960's, and ever since they have subsisted even when the Nyaania Creek is dry in the middle of a drought. Many users of the subsequent Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
Railway Reserve Heritage Trail
Railway Reserves Heritage Trail, also on some maps as Rail reserve heritage trail or Rail reserves historical trail - and frequently referred to locally as the 'Bridle Trail' or 'Bridle Track' , is within the Shire of Mundaring in Western Australia....
have had a particular attraction to their persistence.