Local Government
Cranbrook
Region
Great Southern
Hardy Rd Cranbrook
Pump Dam
Cranbrook
Great Southern
Constructed from 1890
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 31 Dec 1996 | ||
The railway dam was constructed in the 1890s to catch water from the Sukey Hill run off to service the old steam engines. Water was fed into a tank near the railway line. It was originally built by Bob Henderson with a horse team and dam scoop. It is said that the dam had a capacity of 2.01 mill gallons. The Cranbrook townsite was established where it is because of the water catchment from Sukey Hill. It could be justified to say that this dam is mainly responsible for the location of the town in the first place. Extensions to the railway dam plus the overflow drain were dug with shovels and picks after the floods of 1922. The dam was further enlarged in 1950 by Jim Taylor from Narrikup and then again in 1971. Today the Water Authority continues to use the dam and it becomes vital in years of drought as a surplus water supply. This occurred in 1968 when water restrictions were enforced and water had to be carted from the railway dam as a temporary measure. An old photograph of the tank near the railway shows an iron tank supported by wooden pylons.
This earth dam is situated next to a large native bush catchment area. The dam is secured by cyclone fence surrounds topped with barbed wire. In the 1890s a dam was originally built by Bob Henderson with a horse team and dam scoop. After the floods in 1922 the railway dam plus overflow drain were dug with shovels and picks. The dam was enlarged in 1950. A water tank, raised on timber pylons, was fed from the dam and from there water was pumped for the steam trains.
Themes: Transport (Railways), Demographic Settlement and Public Utilities
| Name | Type | Year From | Year To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Henderson | Architect | - | - |
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxine Laurie " Frankland to the Stirlings" |
Historic site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | GOVERNMENTAL | Reservoir or Dam |
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Rail: Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS | Rail & light rail transport |
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