Deep Blue Warrnambool Hot Springs

pH 6.2

Carbonated mineral spring

The history and development of the Ballan springs are intertwined in the Gunsser family's production of cordials, soft drinks, and aerated waters. Gunsser Spring was used by the Gunssers to produce soda water at their factory. This was between 1870-1810. The Gunssers also used Ballan Shaws Spring, where carbon dioxide was extracted. This water was then used to charge soft drinks. A small amount of mineral water was also preserved.
Three brothers, Albert, Edwin, established the Ballan cordial factory in 1909. Inglis Street was the location of the business. It reached its peak in 1920s, but it was eventually shut down by the strong competition from Ballarat's bottling businesses.
Gunssers were able to collect more carbon dioxide from the spring than water due to the low flow rate of Ballan Spring. Gunsser drinks were provided in lightning stoppers as well as Codd and Lamont patents. Crown Seal'skittles" were a flat-bottomed, torpedo-style bottle that was likely also used.
After some years of arguing with landowners, a small area of about two acres (1 ha), which included the Ballan Mineral Spring was made available to the public in December 1935. Ludol Bottlers, Allan & John Gilbert, extracted mineral water from a bore north of the Ballan Spring in the 1980s. The last extraction was in 1987.
There are two timber pavilions located 40 m and 60 m north respectively of Shaws Road, on the west bank that runs alongside the spring. The Ballan Spring Eye is located on the eastern banks of the stream, and is surrounded by low brick and concrete-rendered structures. The small sump contains a pipe at the base, from which mineral water flows.
The river is crossed by a gravel path that runs low to the ground between the rotundas. Further rotundas were built on top of a bore that was once fitted out with a standpipe, hand pump, and a pipe. In 2008, the pump was removed and the standpipe was capped. The reserve was completely redeveloped after a new bore was drilled on its east bank. This bore is only a few meters from the original spring eyes in 2008.
You will find gas bubbling in several areas of the stream bed. There is also a ferruginous precipitate iridescent film at the surface of the water.
Location:
The spring can be found approximately 5km west of the Ballan Post Office at the Bostock Reservoir picnic site. The spring can be found in the southeast corner of CAD 25, Section II, Gorong. The springs' developed eye is located 50m north of Shaws Road on the eastern bank of East Branch Moorabool River.
Geology
Foster (1937) detailed the geology around the spring in the Moorabool West Parish geological maps and Foster (1931), on the Gorong parish geoological map. The springs originate from Castlemanian to middle Ordovician Ordovician Darriwillian rocks. The spring is on the eastern side of an anticline, where the beds are 360-degrees and 70E respectively.
800 m to south, a meridional striking dam was located. Ordovician rock includes black shales, coarse felspathic and grits. Permian glacial untilites are visible on the hill just west of the spring. A few small mine shafts were found in the Ordovician strata, near the spring. This includes the "Navies Venture" shaft.