Pussy Cat Hill

Author

Shire of Dumbleyung

Place Number

11247

Enlarge Map

Show Property Street View

There no heritage location found in the Google fusion table.

Location

Kersley Dve Nippering

Location Details

Local Government

Dumbleyung

Region

Wheatbelt

Construction Date

Constructed from 1984

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type	Status	Date	Documents	More information
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type	Status	Date	Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type	Status	Date	Grading/Management		More information
Type	Status	Date	Category	Description	More information
Municipal Inventory	Adopted	17 Oct 2002	Category C	Category C Retain and conserve if possible: endeavour to conserve the significance of the place through the provisions of the Town Planning Scheme. A more detailed Heritage Assessment/Impact Statement may be required before approval given for any major redevelopment or demolition. Photographically record the place prior to demolition.

Statement of Significance

Pussy Cat Hill has historic, social and representative cultural heritage significance. The monument and lookout at Pussy Cat Hill has considerable historic value owing to its association with the setting of the world speed record on Dumbleyung Lake in 1964. This event brought world recognition to Dumbleyung.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• Hill overlooking Dumbleyung Lake
• Monument and plaque

History

Pussy Cat Hill overlooks Dumbleyung Lake. 'Puss Hill' was shown on surveyer H S Ranford's field book dated February-May 1874. Pussy Cat Hill was said to have been the habitat for native cats in the 1920s.

Pussy Cat Hill was the most prominent position to watch the late Donald Campbell break the world water speed record on Dumbleyung Lake in 1964. The record was broken on 31 December 1964 at 3:43pm, achieving the speed of 276.3 mph. In 1984, a monument was placed on the top of Pussy Cat Hill, as a memorial to Donald Campbell who died in 1967. The monument, designed and built by Jack Fewson, consists of a large granite rock, selected at the local blue metal quarry, in the shape of Western Australia. A hole was placed in the rock which allows a beam of light shine through to illuminate a brass model of the boat Campbell drove, the 'Bluebird'. The boat was set in the outline of the lake, engraved on a brass plaque. The light was designed to shine on the 'Bluebird' model for approximately one minute at the exact day and time that the speed record was broken.

References

Ref ID No	Ref Name	Ref Source	Ref Date
	O'Brien Planning Consultants; "Municipal Heritage Inventory".	Shire of Dumbleyung	1998
	"Dumbleyung and Districts Short Stories".	Dumbleyung Book Committee Printed by Leaderpress WA	1999

Place Type

Landscape

Uses

Epoch	General	Specific
Present Use	PARK\RESERVE	Park\Reserve
Original Use	PARK\RESERVE	Park\Reserve

Construction Materials

Type	General	Specific
Other	STONE	Granite
Other	METAL	Brass

Creation Date

23 Sep 2002

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.