Taradale Mineral Spring
Taradale Mineral Spring is located in the Taradale Recreation Reserve. The spring is close to the edge of Back Creek and is fitted with a cast-iron deep well hand-pump. The mineral water is pumped from a spring located at the centre of the creek and covered by a concrete dome.
Taradale Spring got off to a slower start than many of the other Victorian mineral springs. Its location was noted on a 1918 Department of Mines land map, but it wasn't until 1927 that the Taradale Progress Association wrote to the Mines Department requesting help with the development of the spring.
In 1928, an area of 0.4 Ha (one acre) was reserved on the north side of the stream for the protection of the mineral spring.
In 1930, Baragwanath of the Geological Survey recommended sealing the gas vents across the creek. He also noted that a shaft of the Taradale Gold Mine had struck mineral water north of the creek. A bore was drilled in the creek bed at the site of the spring. However, this has since been plugged with concrete.
The reserve has an Australian Bicentennial time capsule which was placed there on 6th March 1988 as a tribute to the pioneers of Taradale. It will be opened in 2038.
There is a "World Champion Shearers" sculpture by Richard Yates.
The sculpture acknowledges the many achievements of Mark and John Conlan of Taradale as Australian and World Champion shearers. The image recognises the World Two-stand Sheep Shearing Record set by the Conlan brothers on 14 December, 1979 by shearing 426 sheep each in seven hours and fifteen minutes. The Conlan brothers were allowed eight hours to set the record, but they exceeded the previous record to such an extent that they ran out of sheep with 45 minutes to go and were forced to stop. The record was set using old style narrow shearing combs, not the wine combs in use today.
Facilities
Facilities include a playground, toilets, water tap, tables and seats, shelter and BBQs.
How To Get There
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
How mineral springs are formed
The water in our mineral springs starts out as rain. Much of the rain water evaporates again fairly quickly or runs off into streams to be eventually carried back to the sea. Some of the water, however, seeps into the ground to enter an aquifer - consisting of fractured rock which holds water - where it is stored. This groundwater in the aquifer flows very slowly; percolating throughout all the cracks and holes in the rock to eventually come out at a natural spring.
Minerals and carbon dioxide
So why is the natural mineral water around the Central Highlands different to other drinkable groundwater?
Essentially, it is the right balance of the minerals and the gas, carbon dioxide, that make it so special.
The aquifer is made of tiny grains of different minerals; the groundwater naturally reacts with some of these. The wrong balance of minerals makes the water brackish; the right balance makes it excellent drinking.
Carbon dioxide is a natural component of ground-waters. When it mixes with water in large quantities, the water becomes pleasantly effervescent (fizzy).
The lack of air underground also means the water contains no harmful aerobic bacteria.
Location
Cnr Murchison Street and Jackson Street, Taradale 3447 Map
