General News
22 January, 2026
No Water - No Life: A History of the Mackenzie Creek (part two)
To mark the release of Waters of the Wimmera, we’re revisiting Bob McIlvena’s much-loved No Water – No Life series and the remarkable story of the Mackenzie Creek.
The Mackenzie watercourse originates from Grampians springs, initially flowing through a depression before cascading over a spectacular three-section waterfall.
Its flow was naturally rain-controlled, then tempered by a sand embankment.
After descending, it flows through a protected valley and then open plains, eventually joining the Wimmera River to the north-west.
Biography of relevant significant events (1909-1997):
1909: A news item in The Horsham Times mentioned that many rainbow trout were being caught in the upper reaches of the creek.
A Mr Humphries was reported as catching five fish up to two pounds in weight.
1910:The Horsham Times heralded a journey into the Wartook Valley of what was claimed to be the first motor vehicle to intrude into this pristine environment.
The make of the vehicle used was a Darracq, and was driven by Mr Walters.
The vehicle followed the Mackenzie as far as the bottom of the falls where the members of the party fished, camped and returned to Horsham the next day.
1911: The Mackenzie was again used as a route to convey water for Horsham’s new town supply, known as The Wonwondah Scheme.
It replaced Horsham’s original water supply which was from the Wimmera River.
Water from Lake Wartook was regulated from Distribution Heads down the Burnt Creek to a 5000 cubic yard, 3823 cubic metre, storage in Allotment 86, in the Parish of Wonwondah.
A 12-inch, 305-millimetre, diameter Oregon timber pipeline carried the water to Horsham.
1913: In December, Mr Catani, Victorian Public Works Department chief engineer inspected the waterfalls in the Mackenzie Creek.
In his report to Mr Hagelthorn, Minister for Public Works, Mr Catani noted the Following: Number 1 falls are named ‘Fish Falls’ approximately 60 feet, or 18 metres, high; Number 2 falls are named ‘Great Falls’ approximately 140 feet, 43 metres, high; Number 3 falls are named ‘Scattered Falls’ approximately 120 feet, 37 metres, high.
‘‘The special beauty of these falls is unlike all other falls in Victoria.’’
1914: A consignment of 1000 trout arrived at Horsham Railway Station in June.
The fish were released into Lake Wartook, 200, Burnt Creek, 450, and Mackenzie, 350. Victorian Fisheries Department officers were assisted in the release by Mr A. Langlands, Mr J. Langlands, and Mr P. Learmonth.
1916: On September 6, a notice appeared in the Government Gazette prohibiting all fishing in, or taking fish from the Mackenzie for a distance of 40 metres from the outlet of the Wartook Reservoir.
This law was to operate from the first day of April to the 30th day of November each year.
1919: At a special combined meeting of the Stawell and Ararat Borough councils in June, the electricity supply of both towns was under discussion.
A motion was carried to approach the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission to investigate the possibility of a hydro-electric scheme using water in the Mackenzie.
In August Mr W.T. Bridger A.M.I.E.E. was appointed to investigate and report on the proposed scheme, his costs were, £63, $126, with a limit of £20, $40, extra for expences.
In October, Mr Bridger delivered his report which was recorded as being of a voluminous nature.
It contained 58 pages of typewritten foolscap. It indicated that hydro-electricity supply was not a viable proposition, and that each of the towns should supply its own needs, preferably by using steam for power.
1922: Mr Walter Zumstein accepted employment as caretaker at Lake Wartook, this position for which he was paid £2/19shillings, $6 a week, included cutting fern from the reservoir embankment, and carting stone from the nearby quarry to fill gaps in the stones on the bank. Mr Zumstein held this job until 1928.
1927: At Christmas, Mr James Banks Cranage, a resident near the Mackenzie for years, opened four holiday homes at Mackenzie Falls; he had constructed them with the permission of the Forests Commission.
The four-room cottages featured electricity supply from a hydro-electric plant powered by the falls water and water supply to each residence.
Both the water supply system and the hydro-electric plant were designed, constructed and installed by Mr Cranage.
He also built and operated a kiosk at the falls.
1929: As a feature of the Back to Horsham celebrations the Horsham branch of the Royal Automobile Club held a motoring trip to Lake Wartook with lunch at Mackenzie Falls.
Vehicles left the fountain in Firebrace Street at 9am. Drivers were advised that one-way traffic would be observed and that no cars were allowed past Zumsteins after 1pm.
1930: A working bee in June completed the construction of a fish hatchery in the Mackenzie near Lake Wartook outlet pool.
Members of the Horsham Angling Club involved in the work were: Mr J .B. Cranage, Mr O. V. Fechler, Mr F. Langlands, Mr Pete Wilson, Mr A. E. Carthew, and Mr H. Main.
The hatchery structure was 22 feet, seven metres, long by eight feet, or 2.4 metres wide and contained four hatching boxes with a capacity of 30,000 ova.
Water for the breeding process was syphoned over the reservoir bank running over the ova, then back into the creek.
Special efforts by the builders ensured that the building was bird and rat proof.
A tributary was added to the Mackenzie when a channel connecting the waters of the Moora Reservoir in the Victoria Valley with Distribution Heads at Laharum was completed.
This additional water from the Glenelg River still provides a welcome boost to the Wimmera Mallee water-supply system.
1932: On December 3, the Minister for Water Supply Mr George Goudie turned the first sod for the commencement of work on Horsham’s third water-supply system.
This system involved the excavation of a channel from the Mackenzie to a reservoir near Mt Zero, and laying twin 12-inch, 305 millimetres, wooden pipelines to a pumping station at Horsham South.
The first water from this new system reached Horsham on February 4, 1934.
1933: Following seven inches of rain in six days on the Lake Wartook catchment area the lake filled and overflowed.
The State Rivers and Water Supply Commission caretaker Mr R.
Griffin in his report of the event, noted it was the greatest volume of water to flow over the spillway since its construction.
Mr Griffin, in his diary after the event wrote: ‘‘While working from the catwalk on the overflow weir attempting to stabilise the drop boards, the water was up to my knees and I was almost washed away several times.’’
Stone beaching was washed out, exposing the reservoir embankment at the end of the spillway, and it was only the efforts of Mr Griffin and Mr Sanderson, a worker from the nearby sawmill, that saved the structure by placing sandbags in the washout.
The Mackenzie was at major flood levels, Zumsteins was unrecognisable as it was completely submerged, the fish hatchery at Wartook was seriously damaged, and 5000 young trout were washed away.
At the time excavation and construction work was under way on the channel to carry water from the Mackenzie to the newly constructed Mt Zero Reservoir.
The workers’ camp which was located near the creek was inundated with its floodwaters.
Following this event the Western Wimmera Irrigation and Water Supply Trust Commissioners presented Mr Griffin with a chiming clock.
1934: Since construction of the Wartook Reservoir there had been continual flow in the Mackenzie until this year, due to the extremely dry season all flow ceased in May.
There were reports from locals of thousands of fish dead and dying in the remaining pools, and many fox tracks along the creek.
1955: The inaugural meeting of the newly formed Mackenzie Creek committee of management was held in February.
The Mayor of Horsham Cr W. J. Morson represented the city, and Cr C. Warrick, Wimmera Shire.
A public meeting in Horsham elected Mr J. D. Beynon and Mr A.D.Sutherland as its representatives, several government departments also had members on the committee.
1963: Following a long illness, Mr Walter Zumstein died on October 17 at Wimmera Base Hospital.
He was cremated at Ballarat and his ashes scattered on the hill at the rear of his cottage.
A granite plaque mounted on sandstone from the Mt Difficult quarry was placed in 1967 at Zumsteins to honour him.
Mrs Zumstein donated their cottage to the RSL for use as a holiday home.
1964: Mr K.S. Carter, of Rosebrook, a grazing property near the Grampians, proposed the construction of an embankment across the Mackenzie one mile, 1.6 kilometres, upstream of Zumsteins in order to store additional water.
Mr Carter was the grandson of Samuel Carter who was instrumental in the adoption of the site for construction of Lake Wartook.
1972: Wimmera Shire employment relief workers constructed a new bridge across the creek at Zumsteins.
The work was part of a $13,000 project to double the capacity of the camping area. Mr Jock Winter was the shire engineer in charge of the work.
1984: The Mackenzie Creek Committee of Management ceased to function in July this year, the committee which was established in 1955 disbanded when the National Parks Service assumed control of the Grampians.
1985: One of the Wimmera’s oldest bridges was declared unsafe and dismantled to be replaced with a more modern structure.
Located on the Grahams Bridge-Brimpaen Road, the bridge was unique as it contained no bolts, its timbers had been cut using broad axe and adze and were joined by augered holes and dowels.
The bridge was located on the boundary of the Arapiles and Wimmera shires.
1986: Experimental trials of environmental flows in the Wimmera River and the Mackenzie were carried out.
Under the control of Dr John Anderson from Kaiela Research Station at Shepparton, this pilot run of water was to provide a pattern for future flows in the Mackenzie and other Victorian watercourse environmental flows.
1987: A new bridge was constructed on the Henty Highway over the Mackenzie by the Road Construction Authority.
The new 37.5-metre span structure was completed at a cost of $260,000.
Water was released from Taylors Lake to the Wimmera River to assess the potential benefits of environmental flows.
Following this special release by the Rural Water Commission under the control of the Water, Materials and Environmental Branch, a recommendation was made that a portion of future releases be allocated to the Mackenzie.
1991: The waters of the Mackenzie were given a reprieve from further diversion when a proposed $25-million Grampians Country Club tourist resort plan was put on hold due to a downturn in the economy.
The venture was to feature a high-class hotel with 89 rooms, eight executive suites and a presidential suite, 60 condominiums, a conference centre, a golf course, and a country sports club.
1992: Campers were disappointed when the Department of Conservation and Environment announced that it intended to close Zumsteins for camping in May.
Facilities at the area were declared to be inadequate and not meeting standards.
The Department of Conservation and Environment chose to close the park rather than spend money to improve its outdated facilities.
Camping at the park was banned from May 8, 1992, ending 75 years of people being able to camp there.
The Department of Conservation and Environment commenced work on a new development plan to restyle Zumsteins as a day picnic and information base, and also proposed to appoint a resident ranger.
To honour Mr Zumstein the plan included a water garden to replace the hand-dug swimming pool, and a plaque added to the existing monument to commemorate Mr and Mrs Zumstein.
1995: The Conservation and Natural Resources Department commenced an investigation into a major tourist development for Mackenzie Falls.
The following proposals were under consideration—demolition of the old kiosk at Broken Falls, Cranages, and the removal of several holiday cottages, also the construction of a bus-turning area.
In September, the Conservation and Natural Resources Department announced approval for removal of the holiday shacks and tourist industry development at both Cranages and Zumsteins to proceed.
A proposed restaurant at Cranages was not included in the final plans.
When the Grampians became a national park in 1984, the government had given notice that the existence of the shacks would be reviewed in 10 years.
1996: In April, Conservation and Environment Minister Mark Birrell unveiled a plaque at a new viewing platform overlooking Broken Falls, known as Cranages.
The plaque commemorated the completion of stage one of a $360,000 works program of improvements at Mackenzie Falls and Zumsteins.
1997: As part of the Lake Wartook rehabilitation project, work commenced in January on a $1-million outlet structure which when completed would control flow releases from the reservoir into the Mackenzie Creek.