WYUNA SPRING

Wyuna Spring situated in the picturesque Hepburn Mineral Spring Reserve is at the end of a formed pathway which connects the famous Hepburn Bathhouse with the Hepburn Springs of Soda, Locarno, Sulphur and Wyuna before you embark on the 1.3km bush walk to Argyle Spring. Between Sulphur and Wyuna the valley of Welshmans Gully narrows and mineral water can be seen seeping out along the cracks in the pathway.

Wyuna, along with Sulphur and Soda Mineral springs were both discovered and then nearly lost during the gold rush. Their waters were used to wash gold and they almost disappeared under tons of mullock and mining waste. Fortunately individuals like Dr Rosetti, Mr B. Burner and others agitated and eventually secured protection for the springs with the Hepburn Mineral Spring Reserve formed in 1867. Nevertheless, the original Wyuna Spring (New Spring), also known as ‘New Domed Eye’ stopped flowing between 1910 and 1912 due to reef mining activities further south. Following the closure of the North Frenchman's mine in January 1912, flow gradually resumed, and water levels in the bedrock aquifer gradually recovered.

During 1912, mining activity impacted the flow of mineral water at Pavilion Spring, thus supplemental water was piped from the 'New Domed Eye' down the valley to the bottling cellar at Pavilion Spring. At the time, and later, Pavilion Spring was augmented with water from Locarno Spring.

Wyuna ‘spring' is actually a 'bore' that was initially drilled near the eye of original Wyuna Spring in the 1930s. Government geologist William Baragwanath reported that:

At Wyuna Spring - now making only a few gallons per hour – a bore was put down in the solid rock from the surface and at 8 feet [2.4 m] water was cut, which rises to within a foot [0.3 m] of the surface. This is gaseous and mineralised.

A new bore, 5-10 m from the eye was drilled in 2003 and is 27.5m deep.

A comparison of the levels of minerals in the springs can be found here.