Ithaca Creek, Bardon, Queensland, Australia – 15 Carwoola Street

Ithaca Creek is a waterway in the Enoggera Creek catchment, in the western suburbs of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It arises in the Taylor Range at the Mount Coot-tha forest with two streams, one arising at J C Slaughter Falls, the other and stronger source being

Simpson Falls The Simpson Falls, a cascade waterfall on the West Ithaca Creek, is located within the Mount Coot-tha Forest, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Location and features The Mount Coot-tha Forest is approximately of open eucalypt forest forming ...

, the western branch. Ithaca Creek runs through the suburbs of Bardon, Ashgrove and Red Hill, where it joins Enoggera Creek. Ithaca Intact, a creek restoration project by Save Our Waterways Now went into its third year mid 2010, backed by Queensland parliamentarians Kate Jones, Member for Ashgrove and then Minister for the Environment, Andrew Fraser, Member for Mount Coot-tha and Queensland Treasurer, as well as local government councillors Geraldine Knapp and David Hinchliffe. On 9 August 2020, it was discovered that

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panorama, interactive panoramic views of streets (Google Street View, Street View ...

accidentally changed the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the G ...

name to Ithaca Creek after a complaint for the original Ithaca Creek being named Brisbane River.

History

According to Queensland State Library, Ithaca Creek was named after the birthplace of Lady Diamantina Roma Bowen, wife of Sir George Ferguson Bowen, British colonial administrator, the 1st Governor of

(in office 1859 - 1868). This appears to be in error as, according to the Australian Dictionary of Biography Diamantina was borne on Zante, another of the Ionian Islands. The Ionian Islands, now part of

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

, was a British protectorate at the time and likely referred to collectively rather than individually. Ithaca in Greece has one of the world's largest natural harbours and is famous in legend as

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...

's Ithaca, the home of Ulysses, whose delayed return to the island is one of the plot elements of the

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...

's novel Ulysses sets the story of the wandering Ulysses on one day in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

in the early 20th century. Ithaca Creek was briefly considered as a potential main water supply for

but overlooked in favour of Enoggera Creek, upon which Enoggera Dam was constructed.

Nathan Avenue

Land on Ithaca Creek at present day Nathan Avenue, named after Queensland Governor Sir Matthew Nathan, was owned at one time by Charles James Graham (Under Secretary for Public Instruction until 1878). The land was subdivided in the late 1920s. It once joined Bruce Esplanade, named after Australia’s Prime Minister

Stanley Bruce Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, (15 April 1883 – 25 August 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Australia from 1923 to 1929, as leader of the Nationalist Party. Bor ...

. During the Great Depression in the 1930s and World War 2 from 1939 to 1945, the land was owned by the Gramenz family. After 1947 it became part of a technical college known as the Ithaca campus of TAFE. In 2016 the 8000sqm creekside property was sold to

TriCare Limited Tricare (styled TRICARE) is a health care program of the United States Department of Defense Military Health System. Tricare provides civilian health benefits for U.S Armed Forces military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents, in ...

for $5.4 million for redevelopment as an aged-care facility.

Ithaca Intact

Ithaca Intact is a project by Save Our Waterways Now to restore the whole creek from Mount Coot-tha to Red Hill by building partnerships with business and government, informing and involving the community, reducing key weed species on private and public land, improving water quality, increasing flora and fauna and providing a peaceful and safe environment for enjoyment and relaxation.Ithaca Intact
Save Our Waterways Now. In 2008, Ithaca Intact and the Ithaca Creek State School in Lugg Street Bardon developed an education unit based on sustainability and natural and built environments, using Ithaca Creek as the local learning context. The topics which were discussed included water quality, biodiversity, sustainability, fauna movement corridors, invasive species and the role of native species within Enoggera Catchment. Activities included habitat sampling and macro-invertebrate sampling highlighted through Channel 7’s The Great South East. Class 4/3 D ran activities throughout Science Week for the entire school. The students and teachers from Ithaca Creek State School formally adopted Ithaca Creek, taking responsibility for on-going care of the creek including monitoring litter, water quality and engaging with the local bushcare group regarding working bees and tree plantings.Ithaca Creek State School
Save Our Waterways Now.

References

{{Rivers of Queensland Queensland articles missing geocoordinate data Tributaries of the Brisbane River Geography of Brisbane Ithaca, Queensland

History

Nathan Avenue

Ithaca Intact

See also

References