318. Williamstown-Altona 11.9km

 U3A Hike No 318





Hike Report By Mark Hawley


This was a walk full of history plus the ambience of a seaside stroll.  

A train to Footscray then a line change to the walk start at Williamstown saw 17 of us first get to admire the Williamstown Timeball Tower. Built in 1840 as a lighthouse, from 1861 to 1926 it signaled 1pm every day to nearby ships by lowering a ball down a pole.  

 

Heading west along the coast we passed Fort Gellibrand then the old quarry where convicts and prisoners – including Ned Kelly – had the pleasure of working. Prisoners were held in old ship hulks anchored nearby and some of the bluestone they extracted was used as ballast for ships returning to UK then used in buildings there. 

 

Morning tea near the cricket ground then onwards towards the beach, passing the Botanic Gardens where Andrew and Ingrid’s wedding photos happened!  

Later we walked along the edge of the oddly named Jawbone Nature Conservation Area. Much of this area was the old Rifle Range, much used by the military and closed 1987. Its most famous moment was being the shooting venue for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Large parts are now housing developments. 

 

Further round the coast we passed an eclectic collection of beach shacks that somehow evaded planning rules. Along the Kororoit Creek we saw some of the southern-most mangroves in Australia. (the southernmost can be found at Corner Inlet) They must be excellent survivors because the other side of the path is dominated by the oil refinery (a fuel import terminal since 2021) and other industry. 

 

Speaking of Kororoit Creek, in the distance we could see the concrete ford we about to cross entirely covered with water and cars splashing through axle-high levels. Fortunately, it turned out the footpath side of the road was higher, and the shoes were only slightly dampened. 

 

This led to the site of the former Williamstown Racecourse (actually in Altona) which was closed in 1940. These days it is still open grassland with some infrastructure rubble where we took lunch. Phar Lap trod this area! 

The rest of the walk was along the Bay Trail past an upwardly mobile Altona to Altona Pier then the local railway back to Footscray. 

 

Excellent walk thanks Gordon. A great blend of history, conservation areas, beaches with views of ships at anchor in the bay, and the suburbs and industry nearby. 


Photos By Andrew Parker




















THE PAINTING 'GANNETS DIVING' BY JOHN PERCIVAL DEPICTS THIS LOCATION














































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