Water Kit - Hunter Water

1.3 history of our water supply no.1
Safe Harbour and Good Water
A large safe harbour, abundant fresh
water, coal deposits and good soil
attracted the first settlers to Newcastle
and the Hunter. Water was obtained
from streams, public wells and private
storage tanks. Yet rapid growth in the
1860s placed pressure on water
supplies and quality. Droughts also
threatened water supplies and future
economic growth. More secure water
supplies were essential.
The Start Of Treated Water
Walka Water Works was completed by
the Public Works Department in early
1887. The Water Board took control in
1892. It is located west of Maitland
on the Hunter River and in 1887 had
50,000 potential consumers. A 15
inch pipe 37km long carried water
to Newcastle. Those who could afford
it had pipes and taps installed in their
homes, others collected their water
from public standpipes.
Demand Greater Than Supply
In 1912, just 20 years after the
Water Board was formed, the
population supplied with water had
increased five fold. Industry was also
growing rapidly, BHP opened in 1916
increasing water demand. The choice
for a second water source was to
build a dam or extract water from
sandbeds. Many rivers in the
Barrington Tops were studied before
deciding on the Chichester River.
1903
1864
1887
1916
Hard Work and Health
Concerns
Storing and transporting water was
time consuming and difficult. Pollution
also posed a threat to water quality
and public health; in 1878 a Lambton
doctor said it was ‘not water at all, but
mud’. The Hunter District Water
Supply and Sewerage Board was
created in 1892 to provide safe and
reliable drinking water to the public
and industry - which of course was
easier said than done.
A CycleOf Drought and Flood
As Walka had limited storage capacity
the Lower Hunter was still affected
by floods and drought. A flood in
1893 caused major damage to the inlet
structure and pipeline. Droughts
in 1902-03 and 1905-06, and
continued rapid growth, also raised
the need to develop other water
sources. The ‘hardness’ of Hunter
River water for domestic chores was
also a cause of concern to local
residents.
Bushrangers and World War
Chichester Dam lies north of Dungog
in an area once known for bushrangers
such as Thunderbolt and Joe
Burn. Work began in 1916 during the
First World War, with more than 1000
men, women and children living in the
construction village at Dusodie.
The dam is surrounded by state forests
which makes it one of the most
protected and pristine catchment
areas in Australia.
1875
1903
1924
Water kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 8