Wales Quarry
Wales Quarry at the eastern end of Albert Street near Kirkdale Street was opened by the Wales family in the 1860s and operated for about 100 years. After the First World War it was the largest Victorian producer of road stone. Although most of the district’s quarry sites have now been filled, the Wales quarry (later Whelan the Wrecker’s depot) is the only remaining Brunswick quarry where a section of the rock face remains exposed.
Wales Quarry, Brunswick, 1866. Photo: Picture from State Library of Victoria
Formation Of Merri Creek
Merri Creek is confined in a narrow, incised "inner" valley bordered by flat, undulating or irregular plains which are crossed by only a few small and weakly incised tributary streams. A variety of rocks of Palaeozoic, Tertiary and Quaternary age occur in this area although the surface geology and the landforms are dominated by basalt lava flows of Pleistocene age which is from around 2.6 Million years ago to 11,000 years ago. Stream valleys cut into this lava surface comprise the main elements of relief and terrain variation and provide exposure of the basalt and in places older sedimentary rocks.
History Of Quarrying in Brunswick
From the early years of post-colonial settlement in Victoria, bluestone rock, or basalt, was a sought after building material particularly during the gold rush of the 1850s. It came to define much of Melbourne’s architectural character, a style which was different to other cities in Australia. It was also important for its use as ballast in ships returning to Europe, and which could then be used as a building material there. The abundance found in Brunswick and Coburg made these areas amongst the most significant supply centres in Victoria. Initially the stone was used in the form of uncut bluestone boulders, which were easily collected without the need for quarrying.
For higher-quality building, the stone needed shaping and cutting, and a number of pits were opened at sites along Merri Creek where it was easier to quarry at the edge of the basalt flow. Smaller cut bluestone was used for kerbs, gutters and laneways, many examples of which are still prevalent in Moreland, and the crushed variety used for road making.
Barkly Street started as a track to the stone quarries in the late 1840s and the Council constructed the road in 1859. Most of Brunswick’s accessible quarries were in this area, but the bluestone could be found all along the Merri Creek.
Bluestone was an ideal material for road construction because it is strong and durable, resists weathering and wear, has good skid resistance, was readily available, and had a low cost.
Fleming Park was the first Brunswick park opened on a quarry and was named after councillor John Fleming. Many of Brunswick’s parks are former clay pits or bluestone quarries and their spaces indicate the concentration and pattern of this former land
Source: City of Moreland - Thematic History, Merri Creek management Committe
Logging Requirements:
Please send the follow answers within 7 days of logging the cache or answers will be deleted.
1. What type of stone is referred to here as Bluestone?
2. Look around and then describe the look and feel of the Bluestone.
3. How was this type of rock formed here and how old would you estimate it to be?
4. Why do you think they would want to mine this stone and what do you think it's main use was?
5. Take a photo of yourself, your GPS or your name at this location and attach to your log.
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