CHAPTER FIVE CANBERRA’S WATER SUPPLY; THE COTTER DAM, PUMPING STATION, BRIDGE BUILDING & COTTER RIVER CAMPS [1913-1917 & c1922] Above: 1926 view of Cotter Dam. The Dam was designed by Colonel PT Owen. BACKGROUND Essential to the proposed construction of the federal city was a good water supply. It was found in the Cotter River. It was considered to be a good reliable supply of clean water sufficient for a city and the site selected for the dam was on the Cotter River near its meeting place with the Murrumbidgee. Work commenced in 1912. Construction workers camps were established by 1913 near the work sites. The single men’s camp was set up not far from the dam and the married quarters on the other side of a hill near the meeting of the two rivers. A tent school was established for the children in 1913 and closed in 1917. Above: Detail of map dated 30 June 1913 [NAA A657/1 DS14-1919] The Cotter River is on the left and joins the Murrumbidgee right. With the decision to build the dam the construction camps at the Cotter became one of the five early settlements of Canberra. The men worked on the dam and other infrastructure that included cutting a tunnel through a hill, laying pipes and building a road. That there were industrial problems at the dam site is noted in one of the documents in NAA that refers to a strike in 1913 when James Ryan, working on the pipe line at Cotter was sacked. [1a]. During the time of the work the locals used a ford to cross the river close to the site of the Married Quarters 1913-1917 Camp which was at the junction of the Cotter and Murrumbidgee Rivers. Other camps were established in the area as other work was required. One was set up in the early 1920a on the bank below a hill opposite the permanent bridge across the Murrumbidgee River opposite the pumping 1 station. The men in this camp worked on the construction of the permanent bridge. Mrs Marion Stanley was the Mess Caterer and the site of this camp was shown to me by her daughter, Mrs Cecily Hinchliffe. Water from the Cotter was pumped to a reservoir on Mt Stromlo and then flowed by gravity down to Red Hill Reservoir. This reservoir was under construction in 1913 and nearby a camp was established for the men working on the project. The dam and pipeline were completed before the end of 1917 and by 12 May the following year the pumping station on the Murrumbidgee was ready for use. [1] Water was not pumped to Canberra until 1919 when the electricity supply from the Power House was connected. It is interesting to note that the first supplies were not destined for the settlements where the builders of Canberra lived. Instead the supply was intended for the Royal Military College Duntroon, Molonglo Internment Camp and the Arsenal Township and Factory. Costs related to connecting this service was to be shared by the three. However, the decision to scrap the arsenal project left the bill with the remaining two. Pumping of water occurred only once or twice a month in this early period and stored in tanks. [2]. Because of lack of local expertise in the use of the pump men were brought up from Melbourne to carry out the task. Top photograph 24.4.1914 men working on the pumping station site. Centre Married quarters Cotter. Bottom photograph: Single men’s camp Nla.pic-an 14235363-25-v All photographs taken by Harry Connell 27.7.1914. 2 Above: CDHS photograph showing men working in the area near the dam wall. THE HOUSE FOR THE ENGINEER & OTHERS WORKING AT THE PUMPING STATION There were a group of houses near the pumping station. The 2003 fires destroyed some of the cottages. The first of the cottages was constructed for the Chief Engineer of the pumping station. Prior to the construction of this cottage he was not supplied with a local home. The plans were initially for a brick cottage but were soon reduced to timber with brick entrance. Some understanding of the plan and change of plan may be noted in the following archival document. 25 August 1925 – G3 type of cottage selected. The Chief Engineer decided that the cottage should be built about 100 ft to the North of the Power House and Pumping station. o Walls up to floor line to be constructed in concrete. o Outside walls to be rendered similar to Pump House o Ends of rafters to shew as in pump house o The ground will not be cut away at the back door and so the back step will be 6in above the ground. This will make from wall about 3ft high. o Roof in tiles in similar colour to Pump House o Water and sewerage services only to outside of hours; 5 July, 1926 the Chief Engineer, Mr Brownless, wrote: On a visit to the Pumping Station I found the pump Attendant, Mr Pike, very dissatisfied with his lot in that there is no sign of a house being built and it is recommended that this matter be finalised. Bancroft wrote in reply that the cost of the house would by 900 pounds. 4 November 1926 the building was changed to T1 style with tiles red, walls up to floors in concrete and painted cream and white to match as near as possible the exterior of the pump house. The style again changed to G3 type which was also rejected because of costs 12 May 1927 decision made to erect a T12 style. [6] The other cottages were erected in 1938 and the 1950s. 3 Nla.pic-vn3299631-v Harry Connell photograph Nla.pic-vn32999586 The early 1920s camp for men working on the bridge across the Murrumbidgee River was on the flat land on the right. It was below the exit of the tunnel through the hill constructed for the water pipe from the Cotter Dam to the pumping Station. This was one of the favoured walking areas for children who visiting the Cotter. Below right: We rode our bikes to the Cotter. L-R rear: Carmel Maxwell, Kath Poulter, Jimmy Byrnes, ..Poulter. Centre: Ann Austin and below: Raymond Menzies 4 Above left:1915 Eric Milton Nicolls collection nla.pic-vn3603884 – photograph taken from the Cotter Dam side. right: Mildenhall nla.pic-an 11030057-392-v – men working on the bridge across the Murrumbidgee Adrie Callan (nee O’Neill) who was born at Westlake, remembered the tunnel in her story in True Tales From Canberra’s Vanished Suburbs of Westlake, Westridge & Acton. She wrote: My father Joe O’Neill and his brother, Leo, who were experienced miners, came to Canberra in 1913 to work on the Cotter Dam and tunnel. Nearly seventy five years later, Work Supervisor, Eric Lowes who had been involved in the inspection of the tunnel told me that he had seen their names on the tunnel wall. My memories of the Cotter are linked with the Trades & Labour Day picnics when trucks with long stools in the back pulled up, loaded us aboard and took up to the picnic day at Cotter. These were exciting times. In the late 1950s the area of the Cassarina Sands below the Pumping Station area became a favoured picnic spot. THE COTTER - NEWSPAPER ARTICLES: The Argus 7 September 1912: Federal Capital. Construction of Reservoir. Another stage in the erection of the Federal capital will shortly begin by the construction of a dam on the Cotter River and a reservoir ten miles distant which will be connected with the dam by a cast iron pipe. The total cost of the dam and reservoir is estimated at 90,000 pounds, but is not likely that more than 9,000 pounds will be spent in the current financial year. Tenders will shortly be called for the supply of the pipe... The Argus 22 January 1913 FEDERAL CAPITAL - PRELIMINARY WORK- WATER SUPPLY GOOD From investigations which were recently completed by Colonel Owen, director of general works in the Home Affairs Department, it would seem that the water supply in the Federal capital territory promises to be satisfactory. Colonel Owen has inspected the watershed of the Cotter River, which is to be the source of the domestic supplies for the capital city. He was greatly impressed with what he saw, and there was a good flow in the river bed in spite of the dry season which has been experienced. ‘There is enough water going down the Cotter,’ Colonel Owen remarked, ‘to supply, with storage, a city the size of Melbourne. Preliminary work has already been commenced in connection with the damming of the river, and a start has been made on the earthworks for the service reservoir which is to be established at Head [sic Red] Hill. When completed it will be filled by pipes from the reservoir which is to be constructed on Mount Stromlo. For the main power-house which is to supply the Federal Capital with all its energy tenders have already been accepted. This is to be one of the permanent buildings, and it will be constructed in accordance with 5 the design which was approved by the Minister (Mr O’Malley) at the end of the last Federal session. The power-house is to be a steel framed structure, and will be capable of accommodating the immense plant which will eventually be needed. Only one unit of power is to be installed immediately, and this will be gradually increased as the energy is required.