HomeFourth Creek History

Fourth Creek Project History

The Fourth Creek site was the ram paddock of an Angora Goat stud in 1911 and it was the parcel of land sold to the State Government by John Smith Reid in 1913. He had purchased the land to prospect for gold, however none was to be found. Reid made a deal with the Government whereby they purchased the ram paddock from him and accepted as a gift the less saleable land above it which included both First and Second falls. The offer was conditional on the provision of a tramway extension by government to Morialta which opened in 1915.

This area is now the Morialta Recreation area and it includes the nature play space and the Morialta Resource centre. The location was a popular place for staff and family picnics with the tram bringing people from the city on weekends.

The Fourth Creek project started out as a project of the Morialta Rotary group supported by Friends members in 1993. The Friends group took it over as their own project in 1996. This area of the park is the most modified and the most visited due to its history and accessibility.

slender knotweed
(Persicaria decipens)

white fanflower
(Scaevola albida)

chocolate lily
(Arthropodium strictum)

Christmas bush
(Bursaria spinosa)

Section 1 - Park Entrance and playground

1993 Commencement of weed removal and planting by Morialta Rotary with support from Friends members.
1995 Friend of Black Hill and Morialta members commenced weed control in this area
1996-2022 Friends of Black Hill & Morialta members continue to patrol for returning woody weeds.

Before image - June 2013 nasturtiums and plantings

After image - June2022

Section 2 - Stradbroke Road car park and creek

June 1991 Morialta Rotary club project commenced with 270 plants planted with Friends members support.
1992-1993 continuation of planting and weed removal by Morialta Rotary club with Friends members support.
1995 Friend of Black Hill and Morialta members commenced weed control in this area.
1996 - 2022 This area is primarily maintained by the Department, though Friends members will remove weeds from along the creekline when needed and patrol for olives.

Section 3 - North west section of Fourth creek

1993 Commencement of weed removal and planting by Morialta Rotary with support from Friends members.
1994 Continued support of Morialta Rotary project by planting local natives.
1998 Morialta Residents Association adopted this area under the "Our Patch" program.
1998-2005 Morialta Residents Association planted nearly 3500 seedlings and controlled invasive plants.
2011 Friends of Black Hill and Morialta made aware of the end of the Our Patch program. Weed control works commenced. Area added to the planting program.
2013 Mature, seeding palm tree removed by Departmental staff.
2012-2022 Control of invasive weeds in particular nasturtiums and palm seedlings continue.

Before image - July 2012 mature date palm and seedlings

After image - June 2022

Section 4 - Native raspberry patch

1992 commencement of the removal of non indigenous plants by Morialta Rotary club.
1993-94 continued weed removal and plantings in support of Morialta Rotary project.
1996-2022 Friends of Black Hill & Morialta members continue to patrol for returning woody weeds. Olive removal works extended up Wandilla Track.

Before image - January 2018 Lot 23 olive basal works commenced

After image - November 2019

Section 5 - Goodenia ovata patch

1992 commencement of the removal of non indigenous plants by Morialta Rotary club
1993-94 continued weed removal and plantings in support of Morialta Rotary project.
1996-2022 Friends of Black Hill & Morialta members continue to patrol for returning woody weeds. Significant works performed to remove watsonia from this area.

Before image - April 2015

After image - June 2022

Section 6 - Picnic shelters to Falls car park

1992 commencement of the removal of non indigenous plants by Morialta Rotary club.
2010 Works to remove willow and bamboo.
2014 Pembroke Community care program weeding and planting.
2021-22 Patrol for returning broom, olive and boneseed.

Section 7 - Grassy woodland block

1992 commencement of the removal of non indigenous plants along the creekline by Morialta Rotary club.
1993-94 continued weed removal and plantings in support of Morialta Rotary project.
1996-2022 Friends of Black Hill & Morialta members continue to patrol for returning woody weeds along the creekline.
June 2011 Blitz day held to re-plant fenced off area beside the Morialta Resource Centre.
2012 Commenced working through the grassy woodland area.
2016 Extensive removal of non-local eucalypts, mostly sugar gums, spotted gums and lemon scented gums in the grassy woodland restoring this area as a SA blue gum and river red gum grassy woodland.
2013-2022 Friends of Black Hill & Morialta members extended works up into Olive Hill ridgeline, all olives removed from below the fenceline above the road. Significant planting 2015-2016. A focus on encouraging the return of native grasses and the removal of soursobs and scabious from this area.

Before image - July 2012 Fenced off area plantings

After image - June 2022

Fourth Creek

2010 Lot 23 added to Morialta Reserve. Park boundry is now marked by Wandilla Track significantly increasing the area of works for Sections 4 and 5.
2016 Major flood event.
2016 all willows in creekline removed.
2016 all Ash in creekline treated, monitoring for seedlings continues.
2020 all bamboo between the Falls car park and Stradbroke Road treated and all accessible introduced wattles species removed from the creekline.

eastern rosella
Fourth Creek, July 2020

golden orb weavers
Section 6, March 2021

flower-feeding March fly
Section 6, December 2020