Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve

Bushwalking at the Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve

You can enjoy scenic walks from the Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve into the Lerderderg State Park, including:

• Lake and lookout via Hard Hills, 1.6 km
• Lookout and lake via moonlight gully, 2 km

Visitor facilities at the Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve

Multiple large undercover areas provide plenty of space for picnics and barbecues, and a children's playground sits at the far end of the park. Toilets, taps and rubbish bins are available for visitor use. 

Information and history of the Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve

A few of the information signs at the Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve display the following text:

Mineral Springs

These waters have travelled deep underground for several kilometres. The mineral springs were described in 1887 by the Government Analyst as the equal of "Appolinaris", an expensive (2s6d a bottle) French import. With a significant reduction in chloride and sulphate concentrations over the last century, they have even improved with age. 

Tipperary Flat Diggings

In the spring of 1855 some 13,000 people were camped on mining fields such as Ballan Flat, Red Hill, Nuggety Gully, Yankee Reef, Long Gully, Breakneck and Kangaroo. The area downstream from here was called Tipperary Flats, probably after the Irishmen working the area. The whole of the river bed, a very rich source of alluvial gold, was riddled with mining where the tub and cradle method was used to extract gold. The sluicing method was favoured up on the flats. Eventually all alluvial mining was abandoned because of regular flooding. Old-timers say that "much gold was left behind". Keep a look out!