Powelltown
Historically significant timber town.
Powelltown is a small settlement of around 200 people located 82 km east of Melbourne and 16 km south-east of Yarra Junction amidst the Yarra State Forest.

Timber was the reason this town came into being and many of its occupants were employed in relation to that industry. It was named after the Powell Wood Processing Company which harvested mountain ash which was then cut into railway sleepers and treated.

The forests of the Upper Yarra Valley were first milled in the 1890s. The logs were transported from the forests to the sawmills by tram and from there to the railheads at Yarra Junction and Warburton.

Things to see:  

Walking Tracks
The old tram tracks, which were built to convey timber from the forests to the sawmills, have now been converted into outstanding forest walks which radiate outwards from the town into the forests of mountain ash (the second-largest tree species in the world).

The tramways often followed rivers as the gradient tended to be more even there. Intricate trestle bridges associated with the tramways remain at river crossings, as do some tunnels which were blasted through hills when the gradient was too steep.

Horsepower was the mode of haulage until steam-powered locomotives arrived in 1913 and motor locomotives in the 1930s. A major forest fire in 1939 destroyed a good deal of the track system and many sawmills but by that time road transport was in the ascendancy and the tramway were not used beyond the 1940s.

The sleepers and rails were made of local timber although steel rails were used on the busier sections and eventually on all lines where locomotives were introduced. The trees were cut with axes and cross-cut saws. The logs were prepared then relayed to the landings beside the tramway by big steam winches beside the track. Placed on carriages they were taken to bush sawmills then along the tramway to the main rail lines at Powelltown or Warburton.

The Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 devastated the area, particularly at High Lead and The Bump.

The walks are detailed in 'Walks Around Warburton' brochures, available from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment office in the main road of Powelltown, tel: (03) 5966 7203.

Reid's Tramline Loop
Reid's Tramline Loop (6 km) commences at the picnic area opposite the office of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment on the main road at the western edge of town. It heads north-east, pursuing tramlines through forests of mountain ash, fording the Little Yarra River and taking in the site of Reids sawmill (you can see the original workers' cottages above the present mill). It then heads south to the Powelltown-Noojee Rd at the eastern edge of town, following Big Bertha Track back to the picnic area.

The Seven-Acre Rock Walk
To access the start of the Seven-Acre Rock Walk head west of town along the main road for 1 km then turn left into Learmonth Creek Rd. Follow it past Kobiolke Rd to the T-intersection with Bunyip Rd turn left and it is 500 m to the start of the track (1.2 km return), opposite the picnic area. It leads to the rock outcrop which is an excellent viewing platform affording views of Westernport Bay, Bunyip Valley and, on a clear day, Port Phillip Bay.

Spion Kopje
Turn left off Learmonth Creek Rd into Kobiolke Rd before reaching the T-intersection with Bunyip Rd. Follow it eastwards then turn right into Pioneer Creek Rd and left into Limberlost Rd. Along this road is the signposted start of the short but challenging walk to Spion Kopje (1 km return) which offers fine views across the Tarago Forest and LaTrobe Valley. The walk starts about 15 km from Learmonth Creek Rd.

The Walk Into History and Optional Extras
This 33-km, two-day walk starts opposite the office of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. A map of the area is essential and there are some creek crossings. The first section, to The Bump, is often pursued as a 12.6-km return walk. The Bump is a ridge which separates the LaTrobe River Valley from the Little Yarra River Valley. As the gradient was so steep a winch was originally placed atop the ridge to haul the log bogies up and down the highest point. In 1925 a 313-metre tunnel was blasted through The Bump. It was sealed for safety in World War II though the entrances are still visible.

The next section is a 4.2-km walk to the High Lead carpark on the Powelltown-Noojee Rd. The sawdust heap is the only remnant of the community of Nayook West which consisted of 150 people in the 1920s.

Section Three (4.6 km) follows the LaTrobe River for 1 km then crosses it. An option here is to watch for the sign which indicates the start of the LaTrobe River Walk (8 km return) which follows a tramway along the LaTrobe River east to the LaTrobe River Camping Area where an overnight stay is a possibility.

If you wish to continue along the main walk follow Big Creek (note the myrtle beeches) north-west for 1.4 km to the start of the High Lead incline which is the most difficult part of the track, ascending 415 m in altitude over 1600 m to the another winch site atop Doweys Spur. It is then a short walk down to Doweys Spur Rd. The mountain ash is regrowth which has sprung up since the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 devastated the area around High Lead and The Bump.

The next section is 8.8 km. The track drops straight down to the Ada River and, immediately on the other side, is the Ada No.2 sawmill where a few remnants such as the boiler remain. It was destroyed by the 1939 bushfires. A little further there is a track junction presenting three choices: (a) head north to the New Ada Mill (2.8 km return) (b) head east to the Federal Mill (4.3 km return) or on to the Ada Tree Circuit (c) follow the Walk Into History north-west up the Ada River Valley, past numerous trestle bridge ruins to the picnic area and campground at Starlings Gap, the divide between the LaTrobe and Yarra River Valleys (740 m above sea-level). Starlings Gap is a good place to rest or camp overnight (there are fireplaces, toilets and tables).

The next section (9 km) follows the Federal tramway, built in 1933, to Big Pats Recreation Area near East Warburton. The bush workers used to walk this section on Sunday evenings so as to be ready for work at Starlings Gap on Monday morning. Some ran back to Big Pats Creek on a Saturday for the football match. The two sawdust heaps along the route mark the sites of two sawmills. Shortly after crossing Burns Rd the line meets Big Pats Creek and follows it down to Big Pats Recreation Area (see entry on Warburton).

The Ada Tree Walk and Drive
The highlight of this stroll through myrtle beech rainforest is the Ada Tree (an ancient mountain ash) which is one of the largest known flowering trees in the world. Thought to be over 300 years old it is 76 m tall with a circumference of 15 m. There are two ways to approach this track. If you have taken the detour off the Walk Into History (see previous entry) to the Federal Mill, you need only continue eastwards along Federal Rd where the Ada Tree walk heads off to the left.

Alternatively, you can follow the Powelltown-Noojee Rd for 15 km then turn left onto the Ada River Rd and 12 km will bring you to the carpark and picnic area to the left. From the carpark follow Island Creek to the tree and loop back to the carpark via Federal Rd (3.6 km return).

If you wish to continue driving, head north on the Ada River Rd to the T-intersection. Turn left onto Big Creek Rd, past Starlings Gap camping and picnic area and back to the Powelltown-Noojee Rd.

Powelltown Forest Drive
The Powelltown Forest Drive (42 km) follows the Noojee Rd east for 4 km before turning right at Turner Rd. At the Learmonth Creek Rd intersection turn left onto the latter then left at the T-intersection into Bunyip Rd. It is 500 m to the start of the Seven-Acre Rock Walk. Return along Bunyip Rd and Learmonth Creek Rd then turn right into Kobiolke Rd. Follow it eastwards then turn right into Pioneer Creek Rd and left into Limberlost Rd. Along this road is the signposted start of the short but challenging walk to Spion Kopje. Follow Limberlost Rd back to the Powelltown-Noojee Rd and turn left back to Powelltown.

Tours
Yarra Valley Winery Tours can be reached on (03) 5962 3870. The area's natural attractions are explored by Eco Adventure Tours, tel: (03) 5962 5115. Ballooning over the valley is conducted by Go Wild Ballooning (tel: 03 9890 0339) and Balloon Aloft, tel: 1800 028 568.

	Cottages & Cabins
	Millview Cottage 23 Yarra St Powelltown VIC 3797 Telephone: (03) 5966 7280 Facsimile: (03) 5966 7280 Rating: ****