The township of Alexandra was built around Ultima Thule (UT) Creek.
In Latin, Ultima Thule translates to something like ‘the very limit of civilisation’.
Our history books tell us that it was named as such by local pastoralist William Leyden Ker in the 1800s because that is what the creek symbolised for him.
Today, UT Creek is bounded on either side by houses, recreational tracks and park space. Though it typically only runs after a heavy rainfall, the creek is a key feature of the town’s landscape.
Following the heavy rainfall event late last year, UT Creek was inundated with woody debris, sediment and gravel.
UT Creek is particularly vulnerable to sediment build-up today because of gold mining and sluicing which happened during the gold rush, as well as the subsequent land clearing and the development of the catchment.
Redgate Ward Councillor Margaret Rae said Council is really pleased to have completed repair works on the bed and banks of UT Creek near Jack Shiel’s garden this week.
“These works couldn’t have happened without generous support from the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP). We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA) for their advice and guidance on the project,” Cr Rae said.
“The works included repairing the rock wall gabion adjacent to the historic miner’s cottage and removing the excess gravel and debris between the Jack Shiel’s footbridge and the Grant Street bridge. We also cleared some weed species and saplings which were growing in the creek bed. While the creek bed looks a bit bare at the moment, vegetation will naturally re-establish itself in due course.
“To care for UT Creek into the future, we need to work together to reduce weeds and rubbish getting into the creek through our storm water system. Putting rubbish in the bin rather than littering, managing our garden waste and making sure that we do not wash detergents or other chemicals into the stormwater system is a great start,” Rae said.
