From “thunderbox” to sewerage
Historic Walhalla is a far cry from its gold rush days of the 19th century.
But there’s still a way to go for the town to catch up to the 21st century although there are strong hopes and some signs further progress is on the way.
From the thousands of gold seekers and their families dreaming of making their fortunes after gold was discovered in late 1862, but had almost all disappeared by early last century, Walhalla is now Baw Baw Shire’s most noted tourist attraction drawing 130,000 visitors a year pre-COVID.
Rather than a population of thousands today it is about 20.
Nothing much really happened in providing services in the town, for well over 100 years.
A road and bridges were built for motorised vehicles, a big step from the horse and cart track, but it was only two years before the close of last century that the first of the real “mod cons” arrived – electricity!
Then as recently as July 2019 Walhalla became connected to the world with a modern telecommunications system providing reliable telephone and internet connections.
Residents and tourists still depend on tank water; there’s no reticulated supply.
And sewerage! – well that’s a different matter altogether.
For almost a century it was dumped directly (from the can) into Stringers Creek that runs through Walhalla, or indirectly via run-off and seepage after being disposed of wherever people found it most convenient.
Septic tanks were an introduction for some properties but not until well into the second half of the 1900’s.
An old toilet at Walhalla – often referred to as a “thunderbox” – remains as a reminder of how things used to be in the historic gold mining town
According to Walhalla business owner and Baw Baw Shire deputy mayor Michael Leaney many of the septic tank systems met required standards when they were installed but doubts few would pass today’s standard.
The town’s major businesses and tourist attractions, as well as public toilets, store their wastewater in tanks before the expensive exercise of having them regularly pumped out and contents taken away on tanker trucks for proper disposal.
Cr Leaney said it cost the council alone $35,000 to $40,000 a year to get rid of the waste from the public toilets.
He’s hopeful studies being led by the Department of Environment,
Land, Water and Planning will lead to some form of sewerage treatment system being installed. An initial pre-feasibility study by DELWP about two years ago decided it was worth following up with modelling and a business case.
Baw Baw Shire, Gippsland Water, and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation are also involved in the project team.
Council’s public health officers are currently contacting property owners at Walhalla to discuss septic
and wastewater risk and has also engaged scientist Emily Scholes to undertake extensive water sampling in the town and watercourses upstream and downstream of Stringers Creek.
Cr Leaney said if a sewerage system eventuated for health and environmental reasons it would possibly make some small vacant blocks, currently unable to be utilised because they are not large enough to accommodate wastewater discharge, suitable for development.