Torrens history

[Guest Daniel]

For some reason I have quiet a fondness for the torrens river I think maybe because it's our main metro river, I've always wondered what the fishing would have been like back before all the development and building of torrens lake in the city. From what I know the torrens used to flow down to the Henley area then split north and drain into the west lakes swamplands and also south and drain into the pat. Then 1950 they built breakout creek to stop the flooding that would occur and to develope the coastal areas, therefore forcing the torrens to drain out at west beach.I can't find much info or pics about what it was like before this time except the planing of torrens lake I think around 1890's... I think.if anyone has any ideas or input tell us what u think... Would there have been marauding callop or silver perch at all or dare I dream cod and the port may have fished a little different having a true freshwater source in flood times...Daniel

[afishyfish 4]

Interesting topic Daniel.This might be helpful http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1746&context=scipapers&sei-redir=1#search=%22River%20Torrens%20Cartography%22All I can add, and you may already know it, is that there appear to have been catfish in the year since way back when .................Heres a recent one

[Just Me 0]

Daniel, if you can, go to your local library and borrow the book "Campbelltown 150 years-From the river to the hills" if you can't find it i will dig up my copy. This book is filled with journals from old settlers etc, some great archival pic etc. From memory there is stories in there of fishing up the gorge around Athelstone, to Felixstow around Morialta falls etc.

[Savagelip 4]

Spot On Fishing Marks by Bruce Harris if you haven't already read it is a good book (personally not for the marks ), he gives a bit of description of how the Torrens River used to be all the way through to West Lakes & up into the Port and along the metro.

[Just Me 0]

Daniel, have you tried a Google search? Wikipedia has some good info etc. Having lived near Linear park for the last 20 odd years i too have an affinity for the "river". Thorndon Pk Reservoir was the first one to hold Adelaides' drinking water before more were built. If you seriously want to get good info on the river Campbelltown library and the state library are your best bet. I can tell you when i was a young fella we would go yabbying and fishing around the river but as the pollution got worse we "gave it away".We would catch carp, red fin, perch and Callop around the "river' where my old man would take us. I have some secret spots up around Gorge rd that produce but they are for me and my kids...

[brenton 637]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Torrens,interesting topic cheers brenton

[bent87 0]

I reckon the Torrens still houses some real suprises. I remember getting Mum to drop me and 3 mates off under the King William Street Bridge about 20 years ago with some dubious tackle and a loaf of Tip Top's White high fibre. When the dust settled a few hours later we had a pile of 123 Carp and a half dozen thumpimg feral gold fish.

[Jesster 0]

A SAFWAA member caught a 1.5kg callop in the torrens lake a couple of weeks ago.

[Savagelip 4]

[Savagelip 4]

A fishermans look back When Captain Charles Sturt built his home, "The Grange", on the banks of the River Torrens in the 1800's he must have marvelled at the fish life within easy reach of the beaches a short distance away, and in the river. Yes, it was the River Torrens in those days, not the southern end of the Port River.In the winter months, when rains swelled the river and high tides backed the water up from the northern end, floodwaters covered hundreds of hectares, from the Grange right up to where Torrensville is today. At such times the only way to the new city of Adelaide was by boat. The river was lined with tea-trees from "The Grange" for about 4km downstream, and near Port Adelaide (known as "Port Misery" at the time) mangrove trees flourished. Upstream from "The Grange" were big redgums.An abundance of wildlife - ducks, swans, pelicans - native game were within a stone's throw.In summer it would have been a real fisherman's paradise. Mullet, bream mulloway, blue crabs and sand whiting all followed the salt water up the river to spawn. Their young would have grown quickly in the nutrient-full waters. From the beach big King George whiting came within easy casting distance from the shore, and there was a constant flow of big yellow-eye and jumping mullet. At night thousands of tommy ruff and garfish came close inshore to feed. How things have changed! But at first the decline was gradual.Fishing began in South Australia not so much for pleasure, as for food. By the turn of the century it was becoming an important part of the food resources of the colony. Port Adelaide was the base, but as the jetties were built along the beaches the industry expanded. It was common to see ten boats tied up to the Brighton and Glenelg jetties. Henley and Grange had their share, and there were dozens tied up at Semaphore and Largs Bay. Whiting, snook, snapper, tommy ruff and garfish were the main catches, and most of these were caught along the "Blue Line", where the posidonia weed joined the sand along the shoreline. Bruce Harris

[MarsOne 137]

Thorndon Pk Reservoir was the first one to hold Adelaides' drinking water before more were built.

Interestingly enough, it was thought that Brownhill creek could be a suitable site for a metro reservoir back in the day.

[jimbojames 285]

It is awesome to reflect back on history . Imagining what it was like . If anyone digs up some old photos , please post them if you can . Great topic , cheers .

[smokeykebab 175]

after reading this topic I've been googling some stuff about the torrens and I came across this http://weekly-times-messenger.whereilive.com.au/news/story/torrens-fish-map-idea-has-a-catch/ thought it might interest some readers.

[brenton 637]

It is awesome to reflect back on history . Imagining what it was like . If anyone digs up some old photos ' date=' please post them if you can . Great topic , cheers .[/quote']this site has old photos of just about everywhere http://www.pictureaustralia.org/ cheers brenton

[Just Me 0]

It is awesome to reflect back on history . Imagining what it was like . If anyone digs up some old photos ' date=' please post them if you can . Great topic ' date=' cheers .[/quote'']this site has old photos of just about everywhere http://www.pictureaustralia.org/ cheers brenton

Cheers! Entered "River Torrens". Some great old pics.

[jimbojames 285]

Just flicking through that cracker site (cheers brenton) i found a photo of a bloke (slsa:mortlock pictorial collection b7671) circa 1900 saying "man cleaning his catch on the dock etc at goolwa . Now bugger me if its not about 2 dozen Mulloway on the dock ? Sorry its nothing to do with the Torrens but it still makes you wonder what the fishing would of been like back then in all areas .

[Guest Daniel]

great replies guys some good stuff there...if only i could go back in time with some modern spin gear and lures

[chuckemback 0]

Wow check out how high the sand dunes are at the mouth at Henley beach in 1937 when they are costucting the outlet.