Kyneton Mineral Spring and Reserve
The Kyneton (Boggy Creek) Mineral Springs Reserve has two springs; the Kyneton North Spring and the Kyneton South Spring.
History
A mineral spring in this area was known before 1887. It was used by residents and travellers. In 1912 the mineral spring was located on the right bank of the Campaspe River, and consisted of an iron pipe driven down into the fissure of the rock. By 1914 the present rotunda had been erected over the spring, and a hand pump had been installed. In the late 1960's, the South Kyneton Mineral Springs were refurbished with new hand pump. The water was also piped under the road to the bottling plant opposite.
Facilities
North Kyneton Mineral Spring is located in a classical rotunda (built 1913) with a tiled floor and domed roof. South Kyneton Mineral Spring is near the highway and closer to Kyneton. It is fitted with a hand pump and multiple outlets.
A long grassy reserve beside Burton Road with lots of shady trees. There is a playground, lots of shaded tables, BBQs and a mineral pump under a period rotunda where you can pump the famed mineral water for free. Be patient when using the pump because it can take a while for the water to come out.
There are toilets at the far end of the reserve.
Note: Water from natural mineral springs is untreated. Water in mineral springs is tested regularly but its quality and safety cannot be guaranteed.
Location
Kyneton (Boggy Creek) Mineral Springs
WATER, FROM THE ROCKS
Mineral springs flow throughout central Victoria: from Ballan in the south to Vaughan in the north, and from Kyneton in the east to Daylesford in the west.
Kyneton's mineral springs lie on the western bank of the Campaspe River. Like many springs in the region, they boast not only an ancient history but also a famous reputation.
The health-giving benefits of drinking mineral water are many and well documented. The bicarbonate balances the pH In your bloodstream. Calcium and Silica arc good for your bones, Magnesium helps keep your kidneys healthy and Sodium is good for your stomach.
While you're here restoring your wellbeing, enjoy a picnic in the shade of the trees in the reserve - washed down with mineral water, of course. All you need is a container and a thirst. Our mineral water, like the air you breathe, is free.
KYNETONS FINEST VINTAGE
The mineral springs In Kyneton not only go down a long way, they go back a long way, too. Here the water bubbles to the surface from Ordovician bedrock through a veneer of Quaternary basaltic lavas. The older spring (the one beneath the rotunda) ascends through a layer of basalt 37 metres thick.
The quality and composition of Kyneton's mineral springs have varied since records began in 1912. The first reports showed that the water contained 18 mg/L Phosphorus and 1 mg/L Lithium. Tests in 1940, however, indicated that the chemical composition of the water had changed considerably since the first analysts. While Sodium and Calcium Bicarbonate concentrations remained the same, Sodium Chloride and Magnesium Bicarbonate had increased markedly.
THE FLOW CHART
1889: The first bore was drilled on the reserve (it's the main spring, beneath the Victorian-style rotunda). Water flowed with the aid of natural pressure. It wasn't until years later that a pump was required. (Two other bores in the south of the reserve were sunk in the 1940s.)
1890: The Shire of Kyneton fenced off the springs and established a public park, the Kyneton Mineral Springs Reserve.
1912: The chief analyst of Victoria's Geological Survey Laboratory reported that water sampled from Kyneton's spring was 'clean and sparkling with a pleasant mineral taste. It is strongly impregnated with gas'.
1913: The reserve's popular rotunda was built and the main spring, coincidentally, suddenly stopped flowing. A drilling expert called in to fix the problem found that by retracting the bore more than 20 metres to a depth of 14.6 metres, water would begin to flow again.
1926: The reserve authorities decided to use pumps to obtain water, rather than rely on natural pressure.
1940s: Two bores were sunk in the southern area of the reserve, where telltale signs indicated the presence of mineral springs, quantities of gas in the riverbed accompanied by iron deposits. A hand-pump stands over one bore, the electric pump over the other services the bottling plant across the road.
1992: Repairs to the bores and beautification of the reserve began. Further work in 2000-01 provided the elegant hand-pumps and attractive landscape that visitors to the reserve enjoy today.
Photos:
Location
200 Burton Avenue, Kyneton 3444 Map
