Hereford Road originally ran from Old Gippsland Road to the junction of York and Monbulk Roads (now the Mount Evelyn roundabout), and was the main road from Lilydale to Mount Evelyn. Morrison House (now occupied by CIRE Services) and ‘Blayney’, the home of Charles and Blanche Mitchell, were on Hereford Road. Charles was a son of David Mitchell and brother to Helen Mitchell (Dame Nellie Melba).

In the mid-1920s, a new, more direct route was cut, taking Hereford Road up from Swansea Road. The original route became Old Hereford Road. The new route crossed the Lilydale to Warburton Railway line via a bridge. When Hereford Road was widened in the 1980s, the bridge was replaced by this tunnel on what is now the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail.

The tunnel is well known to cyclists who ride the Trail to or from Lilydale. During the COVID-19 crisis the Trail has seen more use than ever by Mount Evelynites on their permitted daily exercise. Many walk or cycle down to the tunnel or the nearby First Aid Post (Blanche Mitchell Estate), another Hidden History, which has historical signage on the Trail.

Tunnel at Hereford Rd. Photo by Kevin Phillips.