AN Adelaide man plans to go to extraordinary lengths to protect a tunnel built south of the city more than 130 years ago — if he is allowed to, that is.

He wants to build a house next to the heritage-listed tunnel, just to deter vandals from it.

And then he wants to store his wine in it.

Tunnels Wine Storage owner David Munro has lodged an application with the Development Assessment Commission to build a house near the southern Sleeps Hill Tunnel, arguing this will help preserve the historical site.

The 290m tunnel, which is one of two on his property, looks abandoned, attracting vandals who have tagged, stolen copper wiring and set fire bombs off in the area, causing $100,000 damage over the years.

media_camera Two boys on the lines in front of the Sleeps Hill tunnel in 1973. media_camera Construction of the Sleep’s Hill tunnel, circa 1918.

Mr Munro says building a home next to it would show the area was not deserted and protect the state-heritage asset.

“They (the vandals) come up through Shepherds Hill Recreation Park and O’Deas Reserve to get to the second tunnel,” Mr Munro said.

“As it stands, it gets broken into all the time, which is the reason (I want to build) the caretakers cottage.

“By doing this, we can preserve the tunnel … and make use of a state heritage asset.”

Mr Munro has already built a house next to the other tunnel he owns, and says the move has proven successful in deterring vandals from that underground facility.

media_camera A range of photos of the Sleep’s Hill tunnel, all from 1919. 1: The view of the railway line from the mouth of the old tunnel near the viaduct. 2: Blasting out the road for the deviation. 3: The viaduct, showing the Melbourne express crossing the structure. 4: This hill was blasted away to make the junction for the old and the new lines. 5: Sleep's Hill tunnel, before it could accommodate a double set of rails.

Panorama community groups have welcomed the application, agreeing it will reduce crime in the area and preserve the tunnel important to Adelaide Hill’s history.

Panorama One Neighbourhood Watch area co-ordinator Tullio Carboncini said preserving the isolated tunnel, important to Mitcham history, warranted the home’s approval.

“The house will most importantly show ownership and that the tunnel is not abandoned,” Mr Carboncini said.

Mitcham Historical Society chairperson Julie Hogan said a watch-house would preserve the state heritage-listed structure.

“The proposal may aid in the graffiti and current vandalism problem as well,” she said.

Panorama Clapham Community Group spokesman Neil Baron said as long as there was no impact on community access to surrounding land, he supported the proposal.

The land was formerly owned by TransAdelaide and sold to Mr Munro in November 2002.

The community consultation phase has now ended.

media_camera Panorama resident Tullio Carboncini supports a bid to build a house next to this tunnel at Panorama. Picture: Emma Brasier

The story of a historic tunnel

FROM a secret storage space for South Australia’s most valuable treasures to becoming one of the state’s most successful mushroom farms — the Sleeps Hill Tunnels are an important part of Mitcham’s history.

However, over the past 15 years, they have been a hotspot for vandalism and made the area an eyesore.

One tunnel, at Eden Hills, the other 600m away in Panorama, the tunnels were dug in Sleep Hill in 1883 for trains on the Adelaide to Aldgate line.

RX90 steam trains, similar to Goolwa’s cockle train, used the track until 1919 when the Adelaide to Belair section was duplicated with a dual-track system further east.

When the line was abandoned, the tunnels became an exploration area for locals until the Japanese entered World War II and Adelaide feared air raids.

The 150m tunnel in Eden Hills stored the State Library’s most valuable documents, artefacts and records, while the 290m tunnel in Panorama stored ammunition.

In the 1960s, the tunnels became mushroom farms and about 2000 boxes would be exported each week.

media_camera Construction of Sleep’s Hill tunnel, circa 1918.

The tunnels were State Heritage-listed in 1993.

In 2002, David Munro, who owns Tunnels Wine Storage, bought the land from TransAdelaide to use as part of his wine storage business and hoped he could deter vandals from the area.

Previously, vandals had destroyed electricity meters, smashed lights and windows and set off fire bombs in the area, all which caused more than $100,000 damage.

Mr Munro, a Mitcham councillor, built a home near the Eden Hills tunnel to store wine and, because he could supervise the tunnel, vandalism had stopped.

He has applied to the Development Assessment Commission to build a home near the second tunnel in Panorama which he hoped would stop vandalism and preserve the area entirely.

Mr Munro hopes to also store wine in this tunnel.

media_camera Another one of the construction of the tunnel in 1918.

“They (vandals) come up through Shepherds Hill Recreation Park and O’Deas Reserve to get to the second tunnel,” he said.

“By doing this, we can preserve the tunnel … and make use of a state heritage asset.”

Panorama One Neighbourhood Watch area co-ordinator Tullio Carboncini said preserving the tunnel, which was important to Mitcham’s history, warranted the house’s approval.

The reserve was named after local Samuel Sleep.