Wungong Dam

Statement of Significance

The place, including the dam structure and environs, is of aesthetic significance to the community as a destination for picnics and recreation. The place has historic value as the site of the first Wungong pipe- head dam established in 1925, followed by the Wungong Dam in 1979, and, along with the other dams located in the Darling Ranges, has continued to provide Perth with its water supply. The place is valued by the community for its historic associations, and, thanks to its scenic qualities, as a place for bushwalking, picnics and social recreation. Wungong Dam is representative of an earth and rockfill embankment dam, which is created from compacted earth and rock to create an impermeable barrier for the retention of water.

Physical Description

Wungong Dam is located in the Wungong Brook valley of the Darling Range, approximately 8km south of Churchman Brook Dam, and is surrounded by areas of farmland and State Forest in Bedfordale. The dam itself comprises an earth core rockfill embankment oriented east-west, with a substantial concrete-lined spillway chute extending north from the downstream face of the dam. The dam wall is 65 metres high above ground level, and 460 metres in length and features a free-standing concrete tower which is connected to the dam wall by a steel-framed truss bridge. The place is accessed via Admiral Road, which connects to a number of carparks and picnic spots overlooking the valley and dam structures.

History

In 1925, a small concrete pipe-head dam was built at Wungong Brook as part of the visionary ““Hills Scheme”” to solve the growing city’’s problem of chronic water shortages. The scheme involved the construction of three reservoirs in the Darling Range and three pipe-head dams to serve as a short term measure. Despite its small size, the Wungong Brook pipe-head dam supplied more water to the metropolitan area than either Churchman Brook Reservoir or Victoria Reservoir. In a good winter it could supply as much as 32 Megalitres a day. Although plans for a larger dam on the site were prepared, these were put aside when it was decided instead to build the major Canning Dam in the 1930s. It was not until the 1970s that attention once again focused on the water resource potential of the Wungong River. Work on the Wungong Dam began in 1975 and was completed in 1979. The spillway approach channel and right abutment areas at Wungong Dam suffered slope instability and landslides, including four in 1977-78 alone, which resulted in delays and extensive remedial measures during construction.

Integrity/Authenticity

High High

Condition

Good.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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