The Heritage Council of Western Australia has welcomed a number of significant sites within the 119-year-old Goldfields Water Supply Scheme which are under consideration for inclusion in the State Register of Heritage Places.
Known to most as the CY O’Connor Pipeline, or the Golden Pipeline, the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme runs for 566 kilometres from the Perth hills to Kalgoorlie and was commissioned in 1896 to deliver water from the Mundaring Weir to the Eastern Goldfields.
At the time of its opening in early 1903, the scheme involved construction of a series of steam pumping stations, reservoirs and receiving tanks, and was the longest overland pipeline in the world.
Minister for Heritage, David Templeman said the Heritage Council was seeking community and stakeholder views to help inform its recommendation on whether the 22 identified sites should be added to the Register.
“Spanning 17 locations, the sites include all the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme’s original steam pump station buildings, a selection of staff accommodation, original and second-generation reservoirs and tank sites, and archaeological sites and equipment associated with construction and operation of the pipeline,” Mr Templeman said.
“While the pipeline itself was recognised on the National Heritage List in 2011, it is not included as part of the current proposal as some individual components are already on the State Register, some sections have been retired, and other sections are subject to removal and repurposing to ensure continued use.”
He noted that places entered on the State Register could be developed to meet contemporary needs or adapted for a new use in a way that respected the heritage values of the place.
The draft Register Entry can be accessed at this PS New link.
Comments close on 2 September.
