Sawyers to Mount Helena
Mount Helena, or Lion Mill as it used to be known, has a small claim to fame where the goldfields scheme is concerned. Sand from Lion Mill was used in the wall at Mundaring Weir. And of course the storage reservoir was built on the Helena River. [more]
Two pieces of railway history are commemorated in signs in this section, one relating to the branching to the weir and the second to the rerouting of the Eastern Railway. There is little evidence of an important junction today, but Mount Helena was once one. [more] Settlements From one sawmill settlement to another. As you walk along the railway reserve you may see sleepers that came from one of them. This stretch is semi-rural and you’ll probably notice evidence of past woodcutting activities as well as fruit growing and farming. [more]
Mount Helena, or Lion Mill as it used to be known, has a small claim to fame where the goldfields scheme is concerned. Sand from Lion Mill was used in the wall at Mundaring Weir. And of course the storage reservoir was built on the Helena River.
Fine-grained quartz sand was railed from Mount Helena to the junction at what was to become Mundaring and from there via the weir branch line to the site for the goldfields water supply reservoir. Here it was screened and washed before mixing - with cement imported from England and Germany and granite aggregate quarried on site - to make the concrete for the dam wall.
Same Name The dam for the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme is on the Helena River named after the sister of the first European to explore the area, Ensign Robert Dale, in 1829. Mount Helena was only named as such in 1924, being in about the centre of the old Helena Land District.
Two pieces of railway history are commemorated in signs in this section, one relating to the branch line to the weir and the second to the rerouting of the Eastern Railway. There is little evidence of an important junction today, but Mount Helena was once one. Cut off Sawyers Valley became something of backwater thanks to decisions made by the railways department. Originally the line to the weir was to branch off the Eastern Railway from Sawyers Valley but a better route was found further west at what was to become Mundaring. Then a new route was constructed to meet the demands of railway traffic to the Goldfields which went further north via Mount Helena.
Mt Helena started life as White’s Mill that produced railway sleepers for the Eastern Railway. Known next as Lion Mill, it became an important railway junction after1896 when a new route over the Darling Scarp, instigated by CY O’Connor, was opened. So important was the junction that locals joke every house listed for sale in Mount Helena is advertised a stationmaster’s house or railway cottage. Crane Line The train line you are traveling on here went out of use in 1955. But the 5 km section between Great Eastern Highway and Mount Helena was reopened briefly in 1960 so a 60-ton crane could be propelled down it to Great Eastern Highway in order to remove the disused railway bridge across the highway.
South of Mt Helena Tavern, Kep Track goes through an impressive cutting. It is even more impressive when you remember much of the Eastern Railway was built by horse and hand. Luckily Alfred Nobel’s new discovery of dynamite was available and it attracted the public’s attention. Guided tours up the line to view progress and the results of the blasting were popular.
From one sawmill settlement to another. As you walk along the railway reserve you may see sleepers that came from one of them. This stretch is semi-rural and you’ll probably notice evidence of past woodcutting activities as well as fruit growing and farming.
This settlement started life as a sawmill but became a permanent dot on the map when CY O’Connor’s new line, constructed in 1896 to meet the demands of railway traffic to the Goldfields, crossed the old line here. The tavern is just off Kep Track and there are parking bays at the nearby bus stop. A shop that opens on Sundays is opposite, across the railyard precinct, now a park.
You don’t have to deviate far from Kep Track to take a breather at Sawyers Valley. The hotel and various stores are visible from the trail. If you are using a vehicle to access Kep Track, it is worthwhile remembering that you can obtain fuel here. Taverns, shops, schools and pool Both the above settlements have a number of facilities to cater for the surrounding communities. They both date back more than a hundred years and some of the original buildings still exist. So pedal slowly past so you don’t miss them. |
