The History of Breakout Creek at the River Torrens Outlet
- Steve Reynolds
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
According to Green Adelaide , “The River Torrens (Karrawirra Pari) used to flow through sprawling reed beds towards the Port River in the north and the Patawalonga Creek* in the south. When the western suburbs of Adelaide were being built, Breakout Creek (Purruna Pari) was dug out as a channel in the 1930s to stop flooding in the area.”
* (Patawalonga Creek/River/Lake)
Breakout Creek was redeveloped recently, and the project was completed in 2024.
According to https://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/development-and-infrastructure/major-projects/completed-projects/breakout-creek-redevelopment , “Breakout Creek / Purruna Pari along the River Torrens / Karrawirra Pari has now been transformed from an artificial channel into a naturalistic waterway environment which fauna, flora and the community can all enjoy.
“The project (was) a $18.7m partnership between Green Adelaide, the City of Charles Sturt, the City of West Torrens, the South Australian Attorney-General’s Department through the Planning and Development Fund, the Australian Government ($2m from the Environment Restoration Fund) and SA Water.”
The web page explains, “Breakout Creek along the River Torrens / Karrawirra Pari is steadily being transformed from an artificial channel into a more natural and healthy creek. The Stage 3 redevelopment is the longest stretch at 1.5 km and marks the end of 30-year makeover for this section of the River Torrens, which connects the river (fresh water) and the sea (salt water).”
The Marine Discovery Centre’s interpretive signage web page features a photo of an interpretive sign about the “River Torrens Outlet (Breakout Creek)”: -
According to https://adelaideaz.com/articles/breakout-creek-channel--opened-in-1937--gives-adelaide-s-river-torrens-an-outlet-to-the-sea-in-western-suburbs , “An artificial channel, Breakout Creek, completed in 1937, diverted the River Torrens to the sea, and opened western suburbs areas to housing, particularly after World War II.”
“In its younger geological life, the (River) Torrens at full flow entered the gulf via the Port (Adelaide) River. Over time, the Torrens’ deposits of sediment chocked (sic) its outflow and locked it behind coastal sand dunes and its alluvial fan formed swampy areas and reed beds. An area called The Reedbeds took in the present suburbs of Cowandilla, Fulham, Lockleys, Underdale and West Beach, including Adelaide Airport."
“The lack of an outflow for the Torrens meant regular flooding problems for the western suburbs of Adelaide. The South Australian parliament passed a flood mitigation bill in 1917 to combat this floods damage but also the public health risk due to the lack of mains sewage in the western suburbs.
“Popular opinion favoured diverting the Torrens flood waters into their “natural” outlets of the Port and Patawalonga rivers. The chief engineer of the works department favoured cutting through sand dunes near Henley Beach to create an outlet to Gulf St Vincent. He also advocated a reservoir at Kangaroo Creek to reduce floods and floods and provide summer irrigation water for market gardens. The state government and local councils were unwilling to fund the work then and again in 1923 when it was raised.
“The Millbrook reservoir, opened in 1918, was seen as an answer but major floods in 1931 and 1933 led to new government enquiries. In 1934, the parliamentary standing committee on public works recommended a sea outlet for the Torrens be created to accommodate flows for up to a one-in-60-years flood. The work was partly financed by the federal and state governments with western and eastern local councils and the Municipal Tramways Trust sharing interest costs.
“Breakout Creek channel to the sea, completed in 1937, involved diverting the Torrens at Lockleys (near the future Adelaide Airport), with the original channel blocked. The reedbeds and swamps were later drained and some of their area became the West Lakes suburb.
“Based on the 1925 report, work began in the 1960s on building Kangaroo Creek reservoir, opened in 1969 with 24.4 megalitres capacity, damming the Torrens in the Adelaide Hills.
“By 1980, more development along the riverbanks and removal of levées cut the Torrens outlet’s capacity to a one-in-35-years flood. A study showed a one-in-200-year flood would inundate 13,000 homes. Kangaroo Creek dam's level was raised, Breakout Creek’s capacity increased and some bridges reinforced.”
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