Historical information

An account of the life of George Theodore Rieck.

Significance

An account of the life of George Theodore Rieck.
The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields, in Victoria, Australia.
A direct route via the Yarra River and the Great Divide was discovered by Rieck in September 1862 and became known as the Yarra Track. Early in 1863, the Victorian Government decided to construct a 193 kilometre (120 mile) road along the route. Its original width varied between 4 and 6 metres (12 and 20 feet), and was designed to accommodate horse-drawn vehicles. The Track involved the climbing of the Black Spur, descent into the Acheron Valley, and then through Marysville to the Cumberland where it followed the existing route.