Pound Bend Tunnel is in the State Park of Warrandyte and is an historical landmark. It was dug in February 1870 by the Evelyn Mining Company and was built to change the course of the river. After it was completed, it left 5km of the river bed exposed for gold dredging. They dammed the River with 11,000 sand bags. The Company planned to recover a great deal of Gold. After the Tunnel was built a big crowd went to witness the Twelve month operation of the division of the river through the Tunnel. In 1909 the water in the River was rising very rapidly and the mines were forced to close. Pound Bend Tunnel flooded ending Warrandyte's days of Gold mining and panning.
Now it attracts lots of tourists and wildlife and is a great spot for swimming, canoeing and picnics.

How long it took to make- They expected it would take12 months to complete, but as it turned out it only took 3 and a half months

The cost of the tunnel- The estimation of costs was 2,100 pounds ($4,200) but only cost 1,000 pounds ($2,000) which was a great saving for the Evelyn Mining Company.

Size of the Tunnel - the tunnel is approximately 195 meters long, 5 meters wide, and 4-3 meters high.

Pound Bend Tunnel is a large narrow necked loop over the river. In the early years they used the Tunnel area for a cattle enclosure. This section of land was badly burnt in the February 1991 bush fire and new plants are growing and being planted all the time thanks to the friends of Warrandyte State Park.