Canning Dam

Child Places

• 03709 Canning Contour Channel (fmr)

Statement of Significance

AESTHETIC VALUE
The attention to design detail such as the gate pillars to the crowning roadway emphasise the monumentality of dam’s construction and give it an aesthetic quality in keeping with its importance to the basic infrastructure of the capital city. At the same time the design of the structure fits sympathetically into the granite rock faces and eucalyptus forests surrounding it. The structure has landmark qualities with its massive wall and large body of water surrounded by a large catchment area of native forest and nature reserves adding to its environmental impact and importance.
HISTORIC VALUE
The dam is significant in the historical pattern of development of Western Australia, being essential to the expansion of the population of the metropolitan region. It is and important example of the achievements of the State during the 1930’s.
SCIENTIFIC OR EDUCTINAL VALUE
The dam is significant in demonstrating a high degree of technical accomplishment at the time of its construction it was one of the largest of its type in the world and represented a major engineering achievement. IT was declared by the ‘West Australian” to be “the most ambitious water storage system in the history of the State…” and a “ Monument to the West Australian enterprise”. Construction techniques adopted were technologically advanced for the time and were quite new to Australia.
It also has potential to contribute to an understanding of the technology and working methods of the time through use of associated work sites. In addition, the dam has links with the Contour pipeline system built during the early 1930’s.
SOCIAL VALUE
The Canning Dam has social value to the community because it provided direct employment for 500 men and indirectly for thousands more during the bleakest period of the depression.

Physical Description

Assessment 1998
DESCRIPTION
The Canning Dam is constructed across the Canning River approximately 45 kilometres from Perth. Its concrete retaining was has a total length of 46 metres and a maximum height of 70 metres.
It is located on an ideal site in the Canning Valley where sound massive granite rock outcropping strengthens both its sides. The dam stores 91 million cubic metres of water. At the time of its construction Canning Dam was one of the largest in the world. However it was not only its size that caused it to be recognised as such a major engineering achievement. Construction techniques were adopted which were quite new to Australia. These included the use of bulk cement; weight batching of all aggregate and cement; and improved methods for treatment on construction joints, The dam is made up of a series of large vertical concrete monoliths forming and arch across the valley. Each monolith is tightly keyed to the next, while strips of copper were used to seal the vertical joints between the monoliths, and ensure the dame remains watertight.
Two galleries traverse the full length of the walls close to the upstream face – one near the top of the wall and the other just near the foundation. These galleries collect seepage water and provide access for inspection purposes.
Rock used for the concrete aggregate was obtained from a quarry about 400 metres downstream from the southern abutment of the dam. Cement for the concrete was obtained from the Riverdale works of the Swan Portland Cement CO.
CONSTRUCTION
Rock for the concrete aggregate was obtained from a quarry about 400 metres downstream from the southern abutment of the dam. The quarry face was about 20 metres high. The rock was crushed and screened to a maximum 75mm size then transported by conveyor belts to the concrete mixing plant located close to the southern abutment of the dam. Duplicate crushers were ued to prevent stoppage of output during maintenance downtimes. Swan Portland Cement supplied the cement. The sand was obtained from a pit located between Armadale and Kelmscott. The cables of the long chuting system were fixed to tow massive steel towers, each 76 metres high. This chutin system and skips were used to distribute the cement to the required positions on the wall
Construction techniques, new to Australia at the time, included the use of bulk cement weight batching of all aggregate and cement, the use of internal vibration to compact the concrete and improved methods for the treatment of construction joints.
Approximately 16 kms of concrete lined service channels were constructed in 1935 – 37 to convey water from the dam area to the trunk main system where it flowed onto the service reservoir at Mount Eliza.
Improvements have taken PLACE. In 951 to increase the inflow to the Canning Dam a concrete lined channel was built to divert flow from the adjoining Kangaroo Gully catchment. In 1975 the supply channel to Gosnells was retired to be replaced by a 2.4 metre diameter, 5.6 kilometre long tunnel between the dam and Roleystone, from where a piped connection was made to the metropolitan trunk mains. In 1996 estimates were carried out to plug cracks in the dam walls and anchoring the dam to the rock beneath it; the estimated cost for this work was $5m but post-tensioning work in the second stage was estimated to take two years and cost $20 mil.
(ref: ‘Canning Dam – a Golden Era’ Kelsall WAWA)

History

Assessment 1998
Architect: Sir Russell Dumas
Builder: Victor Munt - in charge of construction under the direction of R. Dumas

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
The Canning Dam was designed by Adelaide born Sir Russell Dumas, K.B.E., C.M.G., M.E. (1887 – 1975) and was officially declared open by the Premier, the Hon. J.C. Wilcock on September 8, 1940
An article in the West Australian at the time declared that it was “the most ambitious water storage system in the history of the state … a monument to the West (sic) Australian enterprise”
It was almost exactly seven years since the same newspaper had reported a statement by the Director of Works (Edward Tindale) that “preliminary work on the Canning Dam was commenced on September 8, 1933 when the first party of men were sent to the site” Engineers and Surveyors also took up residence at the same time.
The start of construction was the culmination of planning, extending back to 1904, for a hills water scheme which would give Perth its first fully reliable supply of good water.
By 1934 a small township had been constructed to house the majority of the workmen and their families. As this work was carried out at the tail end of the depression these workmen were employed under ‘sustenance conditions’ which fixed the term of employment to the employee’s number of dependants. Initially the accommodation was in tents but later wooden huts were built’. Although the work was hard and dangerous there were very few serious accidents.
The small town grew to include the general store, butchers shop. Recreation hall to cater for the social life of the community, the school was built in March 1934 and the small Anglican Church of St Michael and All Angels in 1938.
The project was a most popular one providing as it did employment in the bleakest period of the Depression. It was estimated to employ 500 men directly and thousands more indirectly although for six months during the 1936 – 37 financial year work was suspended when funding ran out.
THE ARCHITECT
The Canning Dam was designed by Sir Russell Dumas K.B.E., C.M.G., M.E., Hon F.I.E (Aust) (1887 – 1975). Sir Russell was born in South Australia and educated at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide. He was awarded a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Adelaide in 1919, and in 1931 was awarded the degree of Master of Engineering for a thesis submitted on the design of high masonry dams.
After experience in the construction of the Murray River Locks in South Australia, Sir Russell joined the Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Department, Perth, in 1925.
In 1928 he was employed by the Public Works Department., He was placed in charge of construction of Canning Dam in 1933. In 1934 he was appointed Chief Engineer, Metropolitan Water Supply and in 1941 was appointed Director of Works. In 1946, while retaining the appointment as Director of Works, Sir Russell was appointed the first Chairman of the State Electricity Commission. Sir Russell Dumas was also responsible for the Goldfields and Agricultural Areas comprehensive Water Scheme, constructed between 1946 and 1962.

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