Yarra Floods. 153 



uccess. These are, the permanent adoption of the site of 

 Prince's Bridge and that of the present Yarra mouth as 

 pornts of discharge for the waters of the Yarra, The onus 

 of proving the benefits that would result from diverting the 

 natural channel of the river above Prince's Bridge, necessa- 

 rily falls upon those who advocate the construction of works, 

 contemplating the discharge of the waters by some other 

 route. 



The advantages which I claim in favour of my plan over 

 others are — that the currents of the Bay are not interfered 

 with, and therefore that the existing piers and other works 

 of construction are not injured ; that the mouth of the 

 channel is in the position least liable of any to silt up from 

 many obvious reasons, and that it is so situated, being under 

 the lee of Williamstown and Gellibrand's Point, as to afford 

 an entrance for shipping thoroughly protected during all 

 weathers. In this proposition, also, the general question of 

 the future development of the harbour, as circumstances may 

 require, is dealt with. The benefit resulting from the 

 passing of the whole of the waters of the River Yarra, the 

 Saltwater River, and the Stoney Creek, through the one 

 outlet, ought not to be undervalued, as the accumulated 

 scour' of the three streams must certainly be more effective, 

 in preventing a deposit of silt from forming, than the 

 unaided upland waters of the Yarra discharging at a separate 

 outlet. The only conceivable objection that can be urged 

 against the scheme is, that the channel is lono-er than a 

 direct channel from Prince's Bridge to Sandridge. Even 

 from this point of view the route I have suggested has its 

 advantages. The flood-channel, on whatever line it may be 

 constructed, will eventually, at any rate, be made of sufficient 

 depth to accommodate shipping ; when this occurs the 

 channel itself will become a dock. The greater its length 

 the more dock accommodation for shipping it will afford and 

 the larger amount of wharfage frontage it will present. The 

 diagonal course which the channel takes through the low- 

 lands also divides the ground in a manner which will give 

 the greatest available access from the wharfs to the adjoining 

 lands. 



As already stated, the cutting must be of great width to 

 afford a safe channel of discharge for the Yarra waters during 

 periods of floods. This width is far greater than, in all 

 probability, will ever be required for the accommodation of 

 shipping. It would then be useless to make the channel, 



