Patterson River facts for kids
The Patterson River is a special waterway in south-eastern Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It's unique because it was partly built by people! This short river is only 5 kilometres long and helps drain water from the land into Port Phillip Bay. It was named after Sir James Patterson, an important politician who was a Minister and later the Premier of Victoria.
Quick facts for kids Patterson |
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Patterson River, near Patterson Lakes
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| Other name(s) | Carrum Creek |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Victoria |
| Region | South East Coastal Plain (IBRA), Greater Melbourne |
| Local government area | City of Kingston |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | Beaumaris Bay, Port Phillip at Carrum 0 m (0 ft) 38°4′26″S 145°7′6″E / 38.07389°S 145.11833°E |
| Length | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Port Phillip catchment |
Contents
Where is the Patterson River?
The Patterson River starts where two creeks, Dandenong Creek and Eumemmerring Creek, join together. This is southwest of Bangholme, about 35 kilometres south-east of Melbourne.
This river was built in 1878 to help drain the swampy land in the area, especially near Carrum. The river flows southwest and then empties into Beaumaris Bay, which is part of Port Phillip Bay.
Boating and Waterways
The Patterson River is a very popular spot for boats. It's one of the few safe places for boats to enter Port Phillip Bay from the city side. The river connects to many canals in areas like Patterson Lakes, Carrum, and Bonbeach.
There's a big marina called the Patterson Lakes Marina where boats can be stored. Plus, there are four public boat ramps, making it a busy place for people who love to go boating.
You can cross the river on two main roads: the Nepean Highway at Carrum and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Patterson Lakes.
History of the River
A long time ago, in 1866, the land around what is now the Patterson River was a big swamp called Carrum Carrum Swamp. People wanted to use this land, but the swamp made it difficult.
In 1876, they decided to dig a wide channel to Port Phillip Bay. This channel was called 'Patterson Cut'. It was named after Sir James Patterson, who was a very important person in the government at the time. He helped make decisions about public works.
The Patterson Cut and other drainage efforts in 1879 helped stop the Eumemmerring Creek from flooding the swamp. After the swamp was drained, the area that is now Patterson Lakes became farmland, mostly for dairy cows. By the late 1960s, farming stopped, and the area was popular for hunting foxes and rabbits.
In 1974, work began to develop Patterson Lakes into a residential area. They built houses and apartments overlooking the river and a new marina. They also created a system of canals, including the Tidal Canal and the Quiet Lakes, which connect to the Patterson River.
Plants and Animals
The Patterson River area is home to many different plants and animals.
Native Plants
You can find many native plants here, such as:
- Silver wattle
- Lightwood
- Blackwood
- Black she-oak
- River red gum
- Spike wattle
- Hedge wattle
- Scrub she-oak
- Jagged fireweed
- Silver top wallaby grass
- Australian salt grass
- Blue tussock grass
Introduced Plants
Some plants that are not native to the area have also grown here, including:
- Sheep's burr
- Angled onion
- Lesser joyweed
- Broom spurge
- Common swamp wallaby grass
- Pointed centrolepis
- Common spikerush
- Small spikerush
Animals of the River
The river and its surroundings are full of wildlife:
- Reptiles: You might see Bougainville's skink, grass skink, tree dragon, copperhead snake, and tiger snake.
- Water Animals: There are striped marsh frogs, water rats, and even platypus!
- Fish: The river is great for fishing. You can catch bream, flathead, tupong, Australian salmon, leatherjacket, yelloweye mullet, silver trevally, eels, and more. There are also black crabs, spider crabs, bass yabbies, mussels, and pippies.
- Birds: Many birds live here, like the nankeen night heron, white-faced heron, chestnut teal, straw-necked ibis, pacific black duck, and Australian pelican. You might also spot different types of gulls, cormorants, spoonbills, and terns.
People enjoy fishing in the Patterson River, especially for bream. Some companies even offer fishing trips from the river.
Things to Do
There are many fun things to do near the Patterson River:
- You can have a picnic under cover and use electric barbecues.
- There are bike trails that go to places like Mordialloc, Dandenong, Mount Eliza, Frankston, and Melbourne.
- It's a great place for fishing, and you can find tackle and bait nearby.
- You can walk along the boardwalks and visit an indoor/outdoor cafe.
- The Coast Guard is on duty during weekends to help keep everyone safe.
- You can also find charter vessels for hire.
- There are public boat ramps at Launching Way, which are used by about 50,000 boats each year!
Images for kids
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Photograph of Carrum Creek (Patterson River) in the early 1900s.
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Photograph of Carrum Creek (Patterson River) in the early 1900s.
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A postcard from 1908 of the mouth of Carrum Creek in Carrum.
