Glenlyon Mineral Spring
As early as 1869, when the town of Glenlyon depended on gold mining and boasted four hotels, a brewery and many stores, a group of residents requested that a large area of land surrounding the Glenlyon Mineral Spring be reserved.
A temporary reserve was granted later in 1869, but in 1885 the reserve was made available for grazing purposes and the mineral spring subsequently remained undeveloped until 1913.
The land has been used for many years as a racecourse and picnic ground.
Facilities
On the carpark side of the creek you will find a modern sandstone and brick structure with seats and an electric pump for delivery of the water. On the other bank is the traditional semi-rotary pump on a standpipe enclosed in an open rotunda complete with table and seats plus BBQs.
Facilities include car parking, tables and seats, toilets and BBQ at a nearby sports ground.
How To Get There
From Daylesford, take the Midland Highway towards Castlemaine. Turn right at the Glenlyon/Malmsbury turn-off. After approximately 8km, just before entering Glenlyon main street (which curves to the left), take the minor road straight ahead. Cross the bridge over the Loddon and turn left at the T-junction. After crossing a small bridge, park next to the racecourse and mineral springs reserve.
Access for Dogs:
Dogs are permitted on leash.
Glenlyon Racecourse & Recreation Reserve
In 1869, this reserve of 20.7 hectares in area, with two mineral springs, was set aside. The reserve was gazetted as a public park in 1880; by 1907 the uses were to include racing and general recreation.
By March 1913, Mr Glenn of the Glenlyon Progress Association had sunk two holes - one he equipped with a kerosine tin pump to develop the spring.
Commercial use of the mineral water began in 1980 when Taurina Spa sunk a bore to 83m. Taurina was licensed to extract 15 ML of mineral water per year. Several tanks were set up to store the water which was trucked to Melbourne for bottling. The venture did not last long - finishing in 1982.
Glenlyon’s mineral water
Glenlyon has one of the highest levels of soluble salts of the Central Highlands mineral springs and is a rich source of potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium.
In the early 1980s, concern had been expressed about the radioactivity of the water from the spring. (Radioactivity was a fashionable, if little understood, phenomenon in the 1920s.) The water lost its appeal in the market place, forcing the closure of the commercial venture. Recent testing of the spring water shows it to be perfectly safe to drink.
For more information about mineral springs in Victoria, see "From The Spa Country, A Field Guide to 65 Mineral Springs of the Central Highlands, Victoria", published by Edward and Maura Wishart
Photos:
Location
Suttons Lane, Glenlyon 3461 View Map
