SEA EROSION

Evening Star, Issue 23322, 19 July 1939, Page 8

SEA EROSION

"LOVERS' LANE" WALK UNDERMINED CHANGES ALONG THE ST. GLAIR BEACH SAND DRIFTING TOWARDS ST. HILDA Remarkable changes, culminating last night in a serious washout of the walk popularly known as “ Lovers’ Lane,” have recently taken place along the beach in the vicinity of St. Clair, A continued succession of south-westerly weather bringing heavy seas has removed thousands of tons of sand from this beach, much of which has apparently been carried far out to sea, although a fair quantity has drifted back in the neighbourhood of St. Kilda. Heavy seas pounded the beach yesterday, the breakers rolling right across the sand and _ mining some of the sandhills close to the extension of the promenade at St. Clair, During the afternoon and night a further eight to to yards of beach were encroached upon, resulting In a removal, not only of tons of sand, but also of a length of some 50 yards of brushwood fences and posts, and undermining for a similar distance “ Lovers’ Lane.” This morning the pathway presented a sorry picture, huge sections having crumbled away, while in one part less that a foot In width remained between the fence preventing entrance into a reserve of veronica shrubs and a sheer drop of from 15 to 20ft to the sand below.

The strip' of pathway remaining was cracked badly, and it appeared likely that slips would occur during the day, especially if further rain fell. Persons wandering along this area at night time will now find that passageway along the sandhills between St. Clair and St. Kilda cannot be made.

Below the track during the summer picnic parties found privacy and a retreat from wind through the erection of enclosures, and.there were also lupin growths which could be converted into “ dressing sheds ” for bathers. These amenities exist no longer. All that remains are tangled masses of posts, wire, brushwood. and shrubbery, wildly lashed! together by the angry sea. This morning men were working erecting another brushwood fence at the foot of/the big slip, but this protection is not likely to be of much avail if the sea swirls up at high tide. However, although still running high, the surf was less disturbed than yesterday, and probably will not reach as far up the beach again for a few days at least. To restore the path the fence bordering the reserve of veronica shrub will have to be thrust further back. Another and! more costly, though doubtless a more greatly appreciated move, would be the extension of the promenade. Indeed, if the present drift of sand continues, it looks as if some such step will be imperative in the near future.

TREMENDOUS SCOUR APPARENTAt the present time the existing promenade is bearing traces of the extraordinary battering received! during the past three weeks. The concrete wall in parts is undermined, and the two sets of steps leading down to the beach are “ high and dry,” ending dismally in the air above a stretch of huge and rough boulders. There are more boulders along the St. Clair beach to-day than there have ever been, and consequently there is considerably less 7 sand l . The rows of piles are standing upright, gaunt and bare, while nearer the baths the tops of two other sets of bably Jong forgotten by most citizens, are beginning to appear. Not so many years ago sand stretched from the promenade to the jutting point beyond the baths, and boulders were unknown. To-day it is hard to find sand for boulders, while the point stands many feet above the surrounding levels.

Another effect of the heavy seas, which, incidentally, have been splashing on to the road in front of the band rotunda and pavilions, is to be seen in the great quantity of driftwood littering the beach. This scouring, which has been responsible for such an unattractive beach, has been a problem for many years, but never before has it become so serious. Speaking to a resident who was inspecting the slip this morning, the ‘ Star ’ was informed that one reason the sand came back in past years was because of flooding of the Molyneux. Not for some years has this river been even in minor flood, consequently little sand has come down from up-country to be carried by the currents to St. Clair. No doubt, with a change of wind and a long spell of more settled weather, a large percentage of the sand will return, but it is obvious to anyone that the process of coming back will be a lengthy one. A continuation of southerly swells will prevent this, and will further aggravate the situation. DRIFTING AT ST. KILDA.

Some of the sand undoubtedly is finding a new home at St. Kilda. Here big drifts have completely changed the appearance of the beach in a few months. Sand has drifted over the tops of the sandhills, burying the tall marram grasses which had been showing rapid development. The brushwood breakwinds and shelters which were constructed near the surf club’s .pavilion have been completely covered by the sand, and the fence protecting the driveway leading to the beach has also been covered to the top wire. The asphalt path leading up the sandhills is buried under a foot or two of sand. From the water’s edge to the top of the sandhills the beach has now taken on a very steep appearance, the sand having drifted against the sandhills in vast quantities. Layers of sand cover most of the beach end of the drive, and the grass growing on Hancock Park and on the areas on which the children’s playing devices are situated has also been covered with a snow-like mantle of drifting sand.