Waste Water Pumping Station, Welshpool

Values

• Waste Water Pumping Station, Welshpool is unique in Western Australia as the only pumping station specifically created for a Commonwealth munitions factory.
• The construction of critical infrastructure such as Waste Water Pumping Station, Welshpool is associated with the development of Welshpool as a modern industrial area following WWII
• Waste Water Pumping Station, Welshpool is a modest, representative example of a pumping station constructed in the 1930s through to the 1950s

Physical Description

The place is a painted brick building with a shallow pitched tile roof, below-ground pumps and an open-pit overflow sump. An embossed inscription on the side reads: “1942 MWS” [Metropolitan Water Supply].
An internal condition assessment of the concrete walls shows that the wet well appears to be severely corroded. The outer brick wall shows evidence of water infiltration and dislodged bricks. The pump station has various cracks in the walls and floors suggesting the structural integrity may be compromised. Viewed from ground level looking down, the inside wall of the well appears to be bowed or deformed.

History

Welshpool remained a primarily rural suburb, with some light industry along Welshpool Road, until World War II necessitated the erection of military industrial complexes, sufficiently far from the CBD for safety, yet close enough to major transport routes to be useful. When Japan opened the Pacific War in December 1941, there was a risk Australia could be isolated from sources of supply and so had to create facilities for the production of weapons and ammunition.

Uses

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.