Local Government
Kalamunda
Region
Metropolitan
Masonmill Rd Carmel
Kalamunda
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1891
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Register | Registered | 07 Dec 2007 | HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument, HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 01 Aug 2013 | Category 1 | |
The present dam was constructed in the early 1900s, just upstream from the original dam on the Darling Scarp. The new dam was the first to use roller compact concrete in its construction. Today the dam sits within National Park with walkways to the dam, around it and across the high retaining wall. The remaining section of the original dam is lower down the scarp close to the processing plant.
Water storage schemes, technology 1891 (orig. dam) 1991 (new dam)
Level of Integrity - High; Level of Authenticity - High
Good Victoria Reservoir was completed in 1891 and was Perth’s first permanent public water supply. The demand for a reliable water source became more imperative following the completion of the Zig Zag railway line to the hills in 1891. The reservoir was constructed by private contractor Edward Keane in association with Melbourne based firm Neil McNeil and Co. The fully arched gravity wall construction was built by manual labour and opened in October 1891 by a party of dignitaries led by Alexander Forrest, Mayor of Perth. Mrs Lila Keane, wife of Edward Keane, turned the valve to supply Perth with its reticulated water. Almost immediately there were problems with the quality and quantity of water from the Victoria Reservoir. Problems that were exacerbated by the increasing population in Perth as a result of the gold boom of the 1890s. The dam structure was repaired in 1912 and in 1939 the right spillway was closed off. Major renovations were undertaken in 1966 but the quality and size of the dam wall construction led to the decision in 1989 to replace the dam wall. The first water was stored in the new Victoria Dam during the 1991 winter, the system coming ‘on-line’ in November 1991. A plaque on the site records an official opening by the Minister for Water Resources, Ernie Bridge, MLA, on 22 November 1991. Also in attendance was Victoria Williams, the great-great-grand- daughter of Lila Keane, who performed the original opening ceremony in 1891. The remnants of the original wall are still in situ approximately 500 metres downstream of the new dam wall.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALK, p.44; | |||
| LSC No.s: 304, 1025, 1026, 1073; | Photographs | WA Water Coproration | |
| LSC - pamphletts |
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7592 | Mason & Bird Heritage Trail : retracing one of Western Australia's oldest timber routes. | Brochure | 1988 |
| 9984 | Perth's early water supplies. Australian Heritage Engineering Record. | Book | 1984 |
Historic site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | GOVERNMENTAL | Reservoir or Dam |
| Original Use | GOVERNMENTAL | Reservoir or Dam |
| Style |
|---|
| Other Style |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | CONCRETE | Other Concrete |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES | Community services & utilities |
| OUTSIDE INFLUENCES | Water, power, major t'port routes |
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