Historical information

Dight’s Falls in Studley Park is an artificial weir built on a natural rock bar across the Yarra. The weir was built in the 1840s to provide water to the ‘Ceres’ flour-mill, one of the first in Victoria. The falls were later to become known as Dight’s Falls after the owners of the mill. Later, a pumping station was built on the Kew side of the river, which pumped water uphill to a reservoir in Walmer Street that provided water to the Melbourne Botanical Gardens and to Albert Park Lake. The area around Dight’s Falls was and is frequently used for recreational activities.

Significance

One of a series of photographs, probably taken by Henry Christian of the Yarra River in Kew. An item from an outstanding and diverse photographic collection, assembled by members of the Christian and Washfold families of Kew.

Physical description

River Yarra at Dight’s Falls, Kew/Fairfield photographed from Kew bank.