Keswick Creek facts for kids

Keswick Creek and Glen Osmond Creek are two important waterways that flow through the city of Adelaide in South Australia. They are like natural channels that carry water, especially after it rains. These creeks are part of a bigger system called the Patawalonga River catchment, which means all the rain that falls in this area eventually flows into the Patawalonga River and then out to the sea.

Over time, people have changed these creeks a lot. This was done to help manage rainwater and prevent floods in the busy parts of Adelaide where many people live.

Where the Creeks Flow

Glen Osmond Creek's Journey

Glen Osmond Creek starts in the south-eastern suburb of Glen Osmond. This area is right next to the Adelaide Hills. It's hard to see the creek's original path now because many drains have been built along where it used to flow. These drains help control the water.

The creek's original path went through suburbs like Myrtle Bank, Fullarton, and Unley.

Parklands Creek Joins In

There's another stream called Parklands Creek. It flows through the southern part of the Adelaide Park Lands. This creek used to run almost side-by-side with Glen Osmond Creek. It also started in the hills, close to Glen Osmond Creek's source.

After a lot of work was done to manage water in the south-eastern suburbs, Parklands Creek can now only be seen in the parklands. It drains water from the nearby suburb of Glenside. These two streams, Glen Osmond Creek and Parklands Creek, meet up in the suburb of Wayville.

Keswick Creek's Path to the Sea

Once the two streams join at Wayville, the waterway becomes known as Keswick Creek. From Wayville, the water usually flows through a special drain that was built by people. This drain goes through several inner western suburbs, including Keswick, Mile End South, Richmond, Cowandilla, West Richmond, and Brooklyn Park.

After passing through these suburbs, Keswick Creek flows along the eastern edge of Adelaide Airport. It then joins Brown Hill Creek near Netley. Finally, the water from both creeks reaches the sea through drains that lead to the Patawalonga River.

To help manage large amounts of rainwater, some of the water from Keswick Creek can be sent into Brown Hill Creek even earlier, in the inner south suburb of Forestville. At this point, Brown Hill Creek also flows through a constructed drain.

Government records show that, just like Glen Osmond Creek, the full original path of Keswick Creek is not known. This is because so many drains have been built along where the creek used to be.