Cheviot Tunnel - Ceiling

The Cheviot tunnel is a historic 660 foot long brick lined under-ground railway built in 1889. It is located in “The Valley of a Thousand Hills” where images of spectacular rolling lush green terrains.

It was constructed to enable passengers and timber logging to be transported from Yea to Molesworth, a distance of some 20kms.

Sadly the tunnel was closed in 1937 when road trucks could haul the timber. The tunnel now stands as a historical piece of engineering in its era. To gain access to the tunnel now, I had to obtain consent of the land-owner who graciously gave me permission to photograph the tunnel on the condition I opened then shut his farming gates in order to keep his cattle and sheep from escaping.

As I traveled several kilometres along his grazing property I was in awe when I finally saw this stunning tunnel in the distance and excited when I got there.

The tunnel took 2 years to build and 2,000 employees involved in making the bricks on site from a clay deposit found nearby.

Whilst walking through the tunnel there were no signs of a rail track ever existing but the colours of the bricks and curved features felt like I was stepping back in time! Also, there were many inserted safety enclaves for workers to escape when a train entered the tunnel; these too are so neatly made with beautiful framing curved by the clay bricks.

This is truly a historical masterpiece persevered by the quality of workmanship and very little invasion by tourists.

Yea, Victoria, Australia


*Canon EOS “KISS” 2 D-SLR Camera

*Canon 330 EZ External Flash

1-200, 18mm, F-9, ISO 100

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