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These beautiful old stone and brick tunnels are part of the towns' underground drainage systems. These were originally waterways which were lined and covered over with amazing stone and brick work.
Take a look through this page to discover some of the remarkable hidden tunnels beneath Ballarat, Maryborough and St Arnaud.
Please note that these photos are for interest only, for your own safety do not enter storm drain systems.
Hidden tunnels beneath Ballarat
These twin tunnels along the Yarrowee River run beneath the railway line in Ballarat. There was an eel named Barry trapped in this tunnel through the summer of 2021/2022!
Don't worry, he escaped once the rains came.
The Yarrowee River runs underground beneath the middle of Ballarat, and is home to a remarkable graffiti gallery which is featured along its dark walls.
A huge array of incredible artwork covers a large portion of the tunnel.
This interesting brick egg-shaped tunnel is constructed in a way that makes it self-cleaning. This particular tunnel runs into the Yarrowee tunnel beneath the Bakery Hill area.
There are several tunnels featuring this egg-shaped design located throughout Ballarat's historical storm drain system.
Gnarr Creek was a waterway in Ballarat which ran alongside Creswick Road and met with the Yarrowee River down near the railway station. Where has it gone today? Underground, of course!
This beautiful bluestone tunnel runs deep underground beneath the Lydiard Street hill.
Black Hill Creek runs beneath the suburb of Black Hill, and runs into an open section of the Yarrowee drain. This tunnel has a section of brick-lined egg-shaped tunnel as well!
Hidden tunnels beneath Marborough
This beautiful brick lined tunnel runs beneath the Railway Station car park in Maryborough. It is fed by pipes and connects with the main drain down towards Coles.
Four Mile Creek once ran through the middle of Maryborough, but it now lies hidden beneath our feet! This interesting old stone tunnel forms part of the town's underground drainage system.
This tunnel features an interesting mix of bluestone, brick and sandstone.
Hidden tunnels beneath St Arnaud
The brick drains in St Arnaud run underground beneath several blocks alongside the centre of town.
Brick drains erode much faster than stone ones, you can see the effect the water has had on the bricks down the middle of this drain.
More to explore in the Victorian Goldfields
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