www.monumentaustralia.org.au

National Engineering Landmark - Coolgardie Goldfields Water Supply SchemePrint Page Print this page

22-September-2022
22-September-2022

Photographs supplied by Chris Abbott

The plaques recognise the Coolgardie Goldfields Water Supply Scheme as a National Engineering Landmark.

The Institution of Engineers Australia, through its Heritage Committees, established the Australian Historic Engineering Plaquing Program to acknowledge past engineering achievements and to draw public attention to the significant contributions they have made to society. The Plaquing Program is a means of bringing public recognition to significant historic engineering works and the engineers who created them. The Program is intended to contribute to the conservation of Australian engineering heritage.

Location

Address:Collier Place, Mount Charlotte Reservoir, Kalgoorlie, 6430
State:WA
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -30.738264
Long: 121.479249
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Technology
Sub-Theme:Industry

Dedication

Front Inscription

                COOLGARDIE GOLDFIELDS
               WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

Conceived By Engineer-in-Chief C. Y. O`Connor And
Completed In 1903, The Coolgardie Goldfields Water
Supply Scheme Comprised A Reservoir On The Helena
River, Eight Steam-Driven Pumping Stations And 566
Kilometres Of Steel Pipeline Supplying 23000 Kilolitres
Of Water Daily To The Arid Goldfields.  Nowhere Else
In The World Has So Much Water Been Pumped So
Far.  The System Was Subsequently Extended To Serve
The Central And North-East Wheatbelt.

The Institution of Engineers, Australia And The
Water Authority Of Western Australia

Plaque :

NATIONAL ENGINEERING
        LANDMARK 

 

Left Side Inscription

Plaque :

International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
Goldfields Water Supply

The Goldfields Water Supply had the world`s longest fresh water pipeline when built, the first to be fabricated from steel.  It was designed and constructed by the Western Australian Public Works Department from 1895 to 1903 and consisted of Mundaring Weir on the Helena River, eight steam powered pumping stations and a 566 km pipeline to Kalgoorlie.
The PWD Engineer-in-Chief was Charles Y. O`Connor and the scheme`s Engineer-in-Charge was Thomas C. Hodgson. During the 1930's the pipeline was raised above ground and made into a continuously welded conduit under the direction of District Engineer Norman Fernie.

Presented To The Water Corporation Of Western Australia
                  By
The American Society Of Civil Engineers
                  And
The Institution Of Engineers Australia

         October 20, 2009

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au