Kororoit Creek is a major waterway in Melbourne’s north-west region, and is approximately 80km in length. Its upper reaches begin near the township of Sunbury and in this rural setting the creek retains many of its iconic river red gums and important historic sites. As it traverses Melbourne’s Urban Growth Boundary and into new suburbs such as Caroline Springs and Cairnlea, good planning has meant the creek has retained many of its natural values and has also become a focus for these new communities. From here the creek meanders into the older suburbs of Sunshine and Deer Park established in the 1950’s and although the creek has been altered, it still remains a significant area of open space for the surrounding residents. Crossing over into Brooklyn and Altona, larger industry begins to dominate the creek landscape before the creek enters Port Philip Bay between Williamstown and Altona. Intensive work by many stakeholders over the last ten years has seen a vast improvement in the many natural and recreational values of the creek and a change in how the local communities value the Kororoit Creek Corridor.
the creek: name
The Creek was referred to as "Tee Tree Creek" by the settlers who arrived after Wedge in 1835. This name reflects the kind of shrubbery (leptospermum obvatum - wooly tea tree) which lined its banks in those days.
The Creek was also often confused with the Maribyrnong River, being sometimes referred to as "Salt Water River", the original name given to the Maribyrnong.
One possible derivation for the name "Kororoit" is thought to come from an Aboriginal word meaning "male kangaroo". A second possibility is that it was derived from the Aboriginal name for the district encompassing the now City of Hobsons Bay, "Koort Boork", meaning "She Oak".
