Mount Charlotte Reservoir

Statement of Significance

Pipeline: The historical importance of the pipeline to the economic development of both Western Australia and Australia cannot be overemphasised. From the very day Charles Yelverton O’Connor’s creation reached the dry gold town of Kalgoorlie the pipeline has been a lifeline for vast inland areas of our state. The goldfields could simply not have developed without this vital link. The pipeline is even more important to the nation now than when it was first constructed; whereas originally the pipeline only supplied the towns of Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, lateral extensions have since been added that stretch many more kilometres to cover vast areas of agricultural farmland and the Eastern Goldfields. Reservoir: Assessment of Significance: Located at the end of Hannan Street, Mount Charlotte is a prominent feature in a central location and is one of the few wooded sites in the area. It provides a notable landmark and vista vantage point. (Criterion 1.3). The presence of the tank, related constructions and trees, visibly situated in an arid landscape, contributes to an understanding of the importance of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder area. (Criteria 1.2 & 1.3) The place has provided the main water supply to the eastern goldfields from 1903 to the present. (Criterion 2.1) The place was constructed in 1903 to provide the main storage reservoir for the water pumped from Mundaring to the eastern goldfields and as such was an essential component of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme. (Criterion 2.2) As the site of the original opening and subsequent commemorative celebrations, Mount Charlotte Reservoir is associated with the acknowledgment of the need for sufficient water to develop towns and industry in arid areas. (Criterion 2.2) The place has historic value as the reported site of the first gold discovery in the area by Paddy Hannan, which led to the development of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. (Criterion 2.2) On 23 January 1903, Sir John Forrest turned the valve to the supply tank at Mount Charlotte Reservoir, marking the arrival of water from Mundaring at Kalgoorlie and the opening of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme. (Criteria 2.2 & 2.3) The place is closely associated with the work of C. Y. O'Connor, Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department of WA. His work in the state includes the Fremantle Harbour as well as responsibility for the initial plans and development of the innovative piped water supply system which brought water from the coast to the Kalgoorlie area. (Criterion 2.3) As the end point of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme pipeline and as an example of c. 1900 technology, the place has the potential to contribute to an understanding of the history of technology related to the storage and delivery of water in Australia. (Criterion 3.3) The place is valued by the community of Kalgoorlie-Boulder as the source of their water supply from 1903 to the present, which has facilitated the development of the town and the region. (Criterion 4.1) The place contributes to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community's sense of place through its focus as a prominent lookout. (Criterion 4.2) The place, as the end and final receptacle for the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, is part of a total scheme which was a unique engineering achievement in Australia in its time. (Criterion 5.1) Statement of Significance: Mount Charlotte Reservoir, a reservoir that has been excavated out of a hill top, with associated pipelines, access paths, valve pits and pumping areas, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - the place was constructed in 1903 to provide the main storage reservoir for the water pumped from Mundaring to the eastern goldfields and as such was an essential component of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme; - as the end and final receptacle for the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, the place is part of a total scheme which was a unique engineering achievement in Australia in its time; - the place is an important component of the work of C. Y. O'Connor, Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department of WA from 1891 to 1902, who conceived, designed and supervised the construction of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme; - on 23 January 1903, Sir John Forrest turned the valve to the supply tank at Mount Charlotte Reservoir, marking the arrival of water from Mundaring at Kalgoorlie and the opening of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme; - the place has provided the main water supply to the eastern goldfields from 1903 to the present; and - the presence of the tank, related constructions and trees, visibly situated in an arid landscape, contributes to an understanding of the importance of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder area. The communication towers are visually intrusive, but add to the landmark function.

Physical Description

The pipeline is constructed of 764 mm diameter steel pipes manufactured on the locking-bar principle. The method of construction was invented by Methane Ferguson, a Melbourne Engineer. Single steel sheets 8.5 metres long were rolled into half pipe sections and joined together along the longitudinal edge by an “h” shaped locking bar that was pressed onto the edge of the rolled sheets. The pipes were joined together with lead packed jointed rings and buried in trenches in the ground. Extensive alterations and enlargement have been made over the years. With the development of improved welding techniques, it has been possible to eliminate all the lead packed joints. The pipes are now welded and form a continuously welded line that is mounted on concrete blocks above the ground. The main is now laid in duplicate over some sections and varies in size between 1,220 mm and 600 mm in diameter. The original pipeline was uncoated internally and externally. The main is now concrete lined internally and coated externally with tar and aluminium paint to prevent corrosion. A more recent development, that is applied to all new pipes, is the coating of the pipes externally with metallic zinc. The original scheme contained eight steam driven pumping stations. The first four stations each had three pumping engines, the remaining four stations each had two pumping stations. With the increasing demand for water, it has become necessary for progressive replacement of these stations with more powerful equipment. Between 1954 and 1960 the original steam stations at Mundaring Weir (No. 1 and No. 2), Cunderdin (No. 3) and Merredin (No. 4) were replaced, after over 50 years of continuous service, with new ones equipped with electrically driven centrifugal pumps. In 1968 No. 5 station at Yerbillon was replaced by an electrically powered station. In 1969 an electric pumping station was installed at Ghooli where the original No. 6 and No. 7 stations were located. No. 8 steam station at Dedari was replaced by a diesel station in 1970. In addition, nine Booster Pump stations have been commissioned in recent years at Chidlow, Wundowie, Grass Valley, Meckering, Kelleberrin, Baandee, Walgoolan, Southern Cross and Koorarawalyee. The actual time taken for the first pumping of water to Kalgoorlie was 10 months but under normal working conditions this time is now only about four weeks. Reservoir: For a discussion of the physical evidence, refer to Research Institute for Cultural Heritage, Curtin University (2000) 'Conservation Plan for Mount Charlotte Reservoir (Goldfields Water Supply Scheme - Place O)', prepared for The National Trust of Australia (WA). For further information on the physical evidence of the Golden Pipeline, refer to Trust News, a newsletter of the National Trust of Australia (WA).

History

The discovery of gold by Bayley and Ford at Coolgardie in 1892, followed by Paddy Hannan’s find at Kalgoorlie in 1893, led to a mining boom from which developed the world famed Golden Mile. From the start the lack of water was a major problem. The unsavoury conditions brought about agitation for a water supply. The problems associated with lack of water was the greatest dilemma for the new towns. The then Premier of Western Australia, John Forrest, consulted with the then Chief Engineer, Charles Y. O'Connor, to examine the most effective method of water transfer. O'Connor submitted an official report that included the idea of a pipeline. The report created a lot of public debate, much of it criticism and disbelief. Not wanting to be associated with an idea without public support, O'Connor noted in his report, 'I never urged, nor do I now propose to urge upon the Government or the country, the undertaking of this work' (Blainey, 1985: 59). The project was the largest scale of its type in the world, but by September 1896, Forrest had secured a commitment for £2.5 million from the colonial government and work began on the pipeline in 1898. The enormous task of providing water for the goldfields, which was rightly hailed at the time as a unique technological triumph, involved the construction of a 21 million cubic metre storage reservoir in the Darling Range near Perth and the pumping of water by eight major steam driven pumping stations through a 557 kilometre long steel pipeline. Water was to be lifted 340 metres from Mundaring Weir to Coolgardie. It is believed that the hydraulics of this scheme both in terms of length of the pipeline and the height of the list of water surpassed any scheme in existence at that time. The pipeline was designed to follow, as closely as practical, the existing railway line which reached Kalgoorlie by early 1897. This meant that most of the pipes could be unloaded from the rail trucks near where they were required on the pipeline. This activity had to be carried out quickly so that it did not interfere with normal railway traffic. Where the pipeline deviated from the railway, the pipes were unloaded at a siding from where they were picked up and distributed mainly by horse drawn wagons. Throughout the agricultural and goldfields regions at that time, the roads were little more than bush tracks and general transportation relied on carts drawn by camels, bullocks and horses. Motor vehicles were still in the very early stages of development and not generally available until 15 years later. The telephone was a new technology with Perth opening its first exchange in 1887. However, for the pipeline, a separate telephone line was laid between Head Office in Perth and Kalgoorlie via each pumping station. This was extremely useful during construction and was retained as an ongoing operational facility. Work began in 1898, and by early 1902 the Weir was nearing completion. The laying and joining of pipes, which began in March 1901, was also progressing. However, the project was beset with enormous difficulties and frustrations. There were continual delays because most of the engineering supplies had to be brought from London. O'Connor came under severe criticism, not just by the Press but also Parliament. His scheme was described as 'foolhardy', impracticable and a waste of public money. The following are typical of the press comments: "The Sunday Times has come to the conclusion that the whole thing is a sham designed to placate the Goldfields into quietude, while they are being daily robbed of those public works to which they are entitled". "This man has exhibited such gross blundering, or something worse, in his management of great public works, that it is by no exaggeration that he has robbed the taxpayer of this State out of millions" (Trust News, December 2000: 11) The fierce criticism and the strain finally proved too much for O’Connor, and sadly he took his own life at South Fremantle. In March 1902, a few weeks after O’Connor’s death, pumping trials began. On April 18, the water reached Northam and as each section of the pipeline was completed, the water followed: Merredin on August 22, Southern Cross of October 30, and finally on December 22, the water reached Coolgardie. By January 16, 1903, it was ready to be supplied to the people of Kalgoorlie. The whole period of construction had been less than five years. The final cost of the project was £2.66 million. The pumping machinery at Mundaring Weir was officially started during an opening ceremony on January 22, 1903. Two days later Sir John Forrest (then Minister for Defence and former Premier of Western Australia) turned the guiding wheel of a valve to officially open the Goldfields water supply scheme at Coolgardie. Later the same day Sir John performed a similar ceremony at Mt Charlotte reservoir in Kalgoorlie. Today the main pipeline remains the Water Corporation’s single largest asset and is the basis of billions of dollars of economic activity annually. Approximately 10,000 services are provided within the Agricultural area and Eastern Goldfields via 8000 kilometres of pipe mains and over 40 pumping stations. Electrical and operation costs are huge. For example, the cost of electricity for the 20 pumping stations located on the main line itself is about $6 millions per year. To minimise electrical and operation costs, a sophisticated telemetry system has been installed. This allows the operation of pumps, values and storage systems for the scheme to be remotely controlled from a control centre at Cunderdin. Water pumping is maximised in off peak times. Due to limited en-route storage, the seasonal amount of water pumped is determined by demand. This means about three times as much water is pumped in summer as in winter. Consequently water takes about two weeks to travel from Mundaring to Kalgoorlie in winter and just six days in summer. Reservoir: For a discussion of the documentary evidence, refer to Research Institute for Cultural Heritage, Curtin University (2000) 'Conservation Plan for Mount Charlotte Reservoir (Goldfields Water Supply Scheme - Place O)', prepared for The National Trust of Australia (WA). For further information on the documentary evidence of the Golden Pipeline, refer to Trust News, a newsletter of the National Trust of Australia (WA).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Poor (Reservoir)

Uses

Creation Date

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