2-982-460 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Bunyarrambite Waterfalls, near Melbourne, 1858. 'These falls are 300 feet in height, and are situated on the Yarram creek of the River Goulburn, rather more than eighty miles from Melbourne, on the station of John Aitkin, Esq. This creek, after following seven or eight miles, joins the Goulburn River. Mr. Ramsay, in his recent visit, says of this river, "The banks were lined with fern-trees, musk-plants, mimosas, lemon-plants, and others too numerous to mention, but whose blossom and flower diffused the finest fragrance. The wild vine crept from tree to tree, and hung the branches with fair festoons, while wild raspberries, with abundance of delicious fruit, proved useful as well as ornamental in our journey." As he nears the falls Mr. Ramsay tells us, "the body of water dashed over ledges of granite, and fell from crag to crag with thundering sound till it reached the depth below: high mountains rose from side to side, frowning over the scene." As he ascends towards the summit of the falls the vegetation gets even more luxuriant, fern-tree leaves being not less than seven or eight feet in length; specimens of the lyre-bird are often seen at the spot'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858.