Historical information

These photographs, taken by The Advocate in 1990, document the period when plans were announced to transform the two major quarry pits, McGrath Quarry and the former Boral Quarry, into a high‑end residential estate featuring up to six man‑made lakes.

For the initial two years of the proposal, the quarries were to receive clean fill so the ground levels could be stabilised and made safe for redevelopment. The bitumen plant on the site was also slated for demolition as part of the transition.

Repurposing quarry holes for residential development, rather than converting them into landfills, is significant because it transforms former extraction voids into enduring community assets with environmental, social, economic, and heritage value.

Significance

These photographs highlight the extensive rock‑extraction industry that once operated across Melbourne’s western suburbs, particularly the sheer scale of the quarry holes it left behind.

Physical description

Digital scans of black and white negatives

Inscriptions & markings

Quarry Berkshire and Duke St 434