The Basin

Good to know

Dogs allowed

No booking required

No fees payable

Historical interest

Walking

Suitable for 2WD vehicles

There is no rubbish collection service so please take your rubbish home.

Suitable for

Family friendly

Facilities available

About this site

The Basin Picnic Area offers a wonderful mixture of history, abundant wildlife and a rich diversity of wildflowers.

This site is just under 4 km from the township of St Arnaud along the Sunraysia Highway, and is the starting point for the Short Basin Walk, Pipeline Walk and Moolerr Nature Drive.

Historic innovations for water supply

St Arnaud was one of Victoria's first towns to have a town water supply in the early 1900s. Water was gravity-fed for 22.5 km from Teddington Reservoir along a wooden pipeline to ‘The Basin’. The pipeline was a tribute to the initiative of the early settlers of the area who would fit together lengths of tongued wood wrapped with wire and then cover with asphalt.

Voluntary community crews carried out repairs on the pipeline, hammering wooden spikes into the pipe to seal leaks. Over the years, sections of the pipeline were replaced with lead-joined metal pipes, and then later by concrete pipes.

Water supply was never assured from this system due to its high evaporation rate, leading to its abandonment as a main town supply during the 1960s. If you wander around the forest today, you may find evidence of the old pipeline, taps and inspection pits.