Strange parts of Adelaide

[Waewick]

I Stumbled over this on Nearmap
- I know there is a thread dedicated to this somewhere - I just couldn't find it.

Ugly

untitled1.JPG (179.29 KiB) Viewed 2605 times

I am assuming that it is left for SA water, ETSA or the like but I would love confirmation from someone who lives around the area.

I have marked the red spots at the points the pathway hits a road.

It is located just near the intersection of Daws Road and South Road for those interested.

[Aidan]

I don't know why they've left it like that, but I can tell you what's under there.

It's a storm drain. It's pretty obviously the route of a former creek, fed by some creeks in Panorama. But according to atlas.sa.gov.au they now drain into a different storm drain (under English Avenue) leaving it to drain local roads. This might be the result of past flooding, but that's just a guess.

[Omicron]

You can see quite a few of those across Adelaide if you know where to look - old lanes, former open channels, reservations for shelved projects etc. Sometimes it's obvious, as in this case, but other times you have to look carefully for newer developments interrupting otherwise continuous parks or lanes, different architectural styles in odd, linear arrangements, or rely solely on old maps.

[AG]

There's another interesting corridor through Ottoway in the northern suburbs that's very obvious from the air. It used to be a rail corridor known as the Finsbury Line which ran from the Rosewater Line that still serves freight trains to the north through to Woodville Station at the south end. There's quite a few other former road and rail corridors where remnants can still be seen if you look closely.

[Omicron]

And yay, Nearmap has been updated to January 3!

[Waewick]

I have to say I didn't expect it to be a an old storm drain.

it is a very ugly piece of land - but I guess there isn't much else you can do with it other than make it a walking - rear access lane.

[Wayno]

Speaking of strange parts - does anyone know the location of the old train tunnel heading into the hills from upper-Torrens Park (or there-abouts)? apparently they are now privately owned an used for wine storage, among other things.

[Waewick]

In line with post-war encouragement, small business were established on the old blocks along Goodwood Road. One of the most unusual businesses in the district is the utilisation of the old railway tunnels for the commercial growing of mushrooms. The tunnels built in the 1880s were abandoned when the railway was altered during the upgrading of the system in the 1920s. During World War II they were used to store the State's treasures from the Art Gallery and Museum and Government papers. Since then various companies have managed mushroom farms in the dark tunnels.

http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/sit ... cfm?u=1410

i'll start looking through the records in the 1920's i guess

[Aidan]

Speaking of strange parts - does anyone know the location of the old train tunnel heading into the hills from upper-Torrens Park (or there-abouts)? apparently they are now privately owned an used for wine storage, among other things.

Yes, that's the old Sleeps Hill tunnel in Panorama. Unlike the current one, which runs N-S, it ran NE-SW.

http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-35.00615,13 ... d=20110103

[Wayno]

Aiden, is it this structure (i marked it on nearmap, not sure if you can see my ARROW - presumably a bricked tunnel entrance) about 50-70m SE of the red-roofed house with the swimming pool?

http://www.nearmap.com/?q=Tunnel%3F@-35 ... d=20110103

[Aidan]

Aiden, is it this structure (i marked it on nearmap, not sure if you can see my ARROW - presumably a bricked tunnel entrance) about 50-70m SE of the red-roofed house with the swimming pool?

http://www.nearmap.com/?q=Tunnel%3F@-35 ... d=20110103

Yes, that's the NE portal.

[Omicron]

And because I'm awesome, this is the other end:

http://www.nearmap.com/?q=Other%20tunne ... d=20110103

[Wayno]

awesome indeed!

[jk1237]

so there were 2 old tunnels, I didnt know that. You can clearly see a dirt road that used to be the route of the track that connected the 2 tunnels

[AG]

Stumbled across this unintentionally: http://www.thetunnels.com.au/

Indeed, the former rail tunnel at Panorama is used a wine storage facility. Photos are on the website.