Kent Street Weir

Statement of Significance

Kent Street Weir, a concrete structure across the Canning River, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
the place is related to the development of agricultural practice in Western Australia and in the Canning area in particular in relation to a major scheme to provide irrigation services and water to that region;
it is valued by the community as a significant landmark in the Canning River Regional Park.
it was originally constructed to prevent the ingress of salt water upstream during the summer months when the lower reaches of the river became saline due to tidal movements and is a unique technological response to the early problem of salt inundation over agricultural land; and,
it provided deep water pools for swimming and good fishing spots in the 1960s as it was virtually the only public swimming facility in the district;

Aesthetic Value
Kent Street Weir is situated on the Canning River within the Canning River Regional Park approximately midway between the Nicholson Road Bridge and Shelley Bridge and has a landmark quality in a picturesque setting. The original weir was constructed of steel piling with removable timber boards to control the flow of water, but this has been replaced with a new concrete structure built in 1940. The weir was substantially upgraded in the early 1960s and again in 1989 when the bridge structure over was added and considerable work carried out to the roads and park area within the vicinity.
Historic Value
Kent Street Weir has significance in relation to the history of settlement and farming in Western Australia. It also has significance in its relationship with various State and local government bodies and their roles in building, maintaining or supporting the structure. The place is related to the development of agricultural practice in Western Australia and in the Canning area in particular. It has significance in relation to a major scheme to provide irrigation services and water to a specific region. The development of the place is closely associated with settlers Mr Packer, Mr Cameron and Messrs A. and E.E. Manning, with politicians Alex Clydesdale and Mr McCallum, and with Chief Engineer Lawson of the Public Works Department. The place is the result of a search for a design that would meet a specific engineering need.
Scientific Value
Kent Street Weir is important for its unique achievement in the metropolitan area for its function of preventing the encroachment of salt water into a fertile agriculture area. Kent Street Weir provides a unique demarcation between fresh and salt water environments in the same river system, which provides avenues for research into adaptation of river species, identification of species with requirements for one or other of the environments and the like. construction to meet the needs of agriculturists and market gardeners, Kent Street Weir assists in the understanding of the occupation by white settlers of the Canning River region.
Social Value
Kent Street Weir has social significance and has been used as a swimming pool and for providing good fishing spots. Kent Street Weir has provided a focus for community recreation since the 1920s. Its present usage serves as an edge to the park’s grassed areas and as a support for the bridge structure which connects the grassed park area with the natural bush of the river.
Rarity
Kent Street Weir is significant as there are few other examples of weirs within the Metropolitan area. The place is significant in describing the difficulties associated with the settlement and development of the Canning River region by agriculturists.
Representativeness
Kent Street Weir is representative of a system of water management which has been put in place along the Canning and Swan Rivers to separate the salt from the fresh water, and to provide water for irrigation and other purposes along the upper levels of the Canning River.
Condition
Kent Street Weir is in good condition. It has been altered and maintained by the Public Works Department (now CAMS) and the City of Canning on a regular basis.
Integrity
Kent Street Weir retains a high degree of integrity as a weir since the 1920s, although the detailing and construction of the weir have altered over the years. The place, as part of public open space, is important to the community. The addition of a substantial walkway bridge connecting local footpaths has added to the integrity of the weir as it now forms link from one side of the river to the other as well as a break in the types of water (saline or non saline) on either side of the weir.
Authenticity
Kent Street Weir, as it exists today is not the original construction, but the reconstructed weir is similar in position and size to the original. Construction is similar in principle, but not in detail. The bridge over is larger, wider, more substantial and has greater detail. Regardless of the above, the present Weir achieves the same purpose as the original in separating the waters and because of the change of level is important to the total place within the park, and therefore preserves its authenticity.

Physical Description

Kent Street Weir is located across the Canning River in a picturesque setting approximately mid point between the Nicholson Road Bridge and Shelley Bridge within the Canning River Regional Park. The construction of the Bridge is in timber with metal gratings to allow access to the Weir planking directly below. This would allow for removal or inserts to be carried out. The weir is constructed of concrete support structures with recesses to hold the drop in timber battens that retain the water. The concrete side support structures of the weir were cast in the 1960s. The hand rail and balustrading to the Bridge is vertical posts at intervals of the weir supports below, with each section subdivided into three, with cross balustrading in timber. On the top of the hand rail there is a fixed metal plate to allow for the spread of the load from the equipment which will lift the planks out of the weir. The banks of the river are natural with grass on the park side and bush land on the other.
£200 was set aside for a new investigation into the matter. A new site was identified and a survey carried out. Unfortunately, the new site meant that the previous agreements were no longer good and had to be renegotiated. A new Order in Council was prepared and promulgated on 2 June 1926. Out of the 97 affected landholders, 72 signed the new agreements. Rather than chasing the remaining 25, mostly absentee landlords, it was decided to accept the situation as it stood. The new, longer weir, encroaching into an old claypit on the side of the river, commenced construction in the summer of 1926 and was ready, in part, for the winter floods of 1927.
The problem of addressing changes in water level and preventing flooding behind the weir in the winter months had been solved by using a set of removable planks as the top of the weir wall. A local committee was to have been formed among the closest settlers who would have the responsibility of checking the water level and removing the planks before flooding could occur. Regrettably the committee was not formed for several months and flooding, seepage and damage to the weir resulted. The committee, consisting of Messrs Packer, Richards, Cameron and M’Lean [sic] was finally formed in June of 1927

History

Assessment 1998
Construction 1926
Alterations/Additions 1940, 1960, 1989
Architect/Designer: Public Works Dept
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Kent Street Weir (1940) comprises a concrete weir with removable timber boards to alter the level of water retained by the weir to accommodate seasonal fluctuations. Topped by a timber bridge the weir provides a recreational facility within Canning River Regional Park. The location and construction of Kent Street Weir is a saga of frustration and determination, of local interest overriding professional advice and ministerial concerns.
As early as 1911, agriculturists and market gardeners along the Canning River had become concerned about the annual flooding of their land brought about by the heavy winter rains and bringing with it a burden of salt from the brackish waters of the lower reaches of the Canning. They had raised the matter with local politicians and had even reached the point where some action to allay their concerns might be taken when World War One intervened. Members of the then Public Works Department had recommended the construction of a weir and a small sum of money was put aside. Lack of manpower and materials delayed the project and, in 1916, the Minister for Works was advised of a potential legal problem. This, combined with the shortfall in labour and a revised, significantly higher, estimate of the cost was enough to put the project on the backburner and eventually out of the Ministerial eye altogether.
n 1920, the Department was advised that a local resident, Mr Packer, along with several of his fellow gardeners had been providing a temporary weir on an annual basis, at a cost to the constructors of £20 per annum. A petition for a permanent weir was circulating and the Department was to look into the possibilities. No copy of the petition could be found in any of the relevant Government departments and considerable energy was devoted to looking for it. Eventually Mr Packer was requested to provide a copy.
Despite the convergence of the community in deciding that a permanent weir was required, there was no convergence in the choice of site. The lack of agreement was to be a stumbling block for many years, as was the understanding that the weir would constitute a source of fresh water for irrigation purposes. The relevant Act needed to be identified and a source of funding found. If the benefits were of a purely commercial nature it was not felt that it was an appropriate project for government funding. The proposed damming of the Canning at a point somewhat higher up also formed a difficulty in that the government of the day felt that they might be in a position to be sued if the damming of the Canning resulted in reduced water flow to the irrigation area behind the proposed weir.
Between 1921 and 1924, the arguments for and against the weir at a variety of locations were raised. Finally the Hon William James George, Minister for Works, made a decision declaring: “The desire of the Government is to meet the wishes of the people concerned …. If the Crown Law cannot protect you …. I want to tell the people that we have all been in a fool’s paradise, and we cannot do what they want …. but, if we can do it, for goodness sake get to work….”
Inspired by these stirring words, a draft order in Council was prepared for ‘construction of a steel sheet Piling Weir on the Canning River near Kent St and Queen’s Park Road.’2 This order was approved and gazetted.
Following instructions, the Solicitor General and the Auditor drew up agreements to be signed by each affected landholder, agreeing to an annual fee for the provision of the weir and fresh water for irrigation, and to allowing the laying of pipes across private land to allow more distant farmers to benefit. Objections to the siting of the weir and to the possibility of flooding now became the topic of discussion, but the work finally seemed to be in hand and by late 1923 or early 1924, the majority of agreements had been signed and the Engineer in charge was requesting that the Queens Park Road Board be required to build a road to make the site accessible. Unfortunately neither the Government of the day or the Road Board had sufficient funds.
To make matters worse, the engineer in chief, Mr Lawson, died. His replacement had no brief for a weir and suggested that the settlers continue erecting a sand bag weir on an annual basis. Worse still, the new Minister for Works, Mr McCallum, had not seen through the earlier struggle and was unaware of the depth of feeling of the settlers involved. Matters were once more at a standstill. On 20 March 1925, a deputation, arranged by local politician Alex Clydesdale, arrived to see McCallum and to push for the improvements. They must have been persuasive.
Even with the formation of the committee and the building of the weir, matters were not settled. Disagreement over the height of the weir proved troublesome, and several settlers defaulted on the annual charge, claiming that the weir did not perform as promised. The question of maintenance of the weir had also to be settled, a problem exacerbated in 1931 when poachers, taking advantage of the pool formed behind the weir, dynamited for fish, causing structural damage to the weir.
By 1934, the West Australian was reporting that there were calls for a higher weir at the Kent St site. The construction of the new Canning Dam caused the river to dry out in 1936, a problem that had been predicted at least ten years previously. Throughout 1937 the weir continued to make good copy for newspapers with delegations to ministers and a visit by Mr Cross, MLA to inspect the weir.

The weir was replaced by a new concrete structure in 1940, and was upgraded again in 1960. It became a popular place to picnic and to swim and featured in a promotional piece for the Town of Canning as providing ‘two services to the people of Canning - it keeps salt water down stream and provides a swimming pool for children.’6 In 1989, following the Bicentennial and the upgrading of parts of the Canning River Regional Park, the top of the weir, previously accessed by way of a boardwalk, was upgraded by the provision of a proper bridge. Kent Street Weir provides a popular picnic spot, and access to both sides of the river within the Canning River Regional Park.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.