Newcarlbeon Dam No 482

Statement of Significance

All these rock catchments, soaks, dams, tanks, are hugely important and significant sites firstly in the wandering lives of the first possessors of this land, then as a source of water for the explorers, pastoralists and sandalwood pullers and then for the settlers themselves.
The settlement of the Wheatbelt is a story of men and women going out to a land almost without water, hoping to gain prosperity and independence. It was a huge experiment in which the settlers risked finding water and storing it somehow, carting it labouriously over long distances and existing with the absolute minimum to keep themselves and their animals alive. So the 'granites' with their gnamma holes and soaks and then the building of the dams and tanks and catchment walls has enormous importance and relevance for the farmers who have gone on to prosper and succeed.

Physical Description

227 000 gallon dam and a low rock wall around the catchment area, Circular concrete water tank, Timber framed flat roof clad with CGI, Pipes connect from granite outcrops with low stone catchment walls.

History

Johnny Rowles came from Toodyay with bullock teams and he and his partner, Henry Wilkins, pastured stock and caught and trained brumbies in the country north of Cowcowing. The Gold Rush increased the prices of horses and bullocks and made every wild brumby valuable. Rowles and Wilkins had small leases around several waterholes.
When the Land Laws were revised in 1898, grazing leases of 3000 acres were allowed in the south west division. As the old 20,000 acre leases expired or were cancelled Rowles and Wilkins secured leases 1396/93 and 1393/93 around Kulja and Newcarlbeon Rocks. John Rowles acquired Location 143 of 1000 acres near Newcarlbeon and Rowles and Wilkins held Locations 68 and 69 at Newcarlbeon and Kulja. Ninghan Location 68 remained in the Rowles family until 1966 when acquired by N.W. Greaves.
In 1905 John Rowles and John and Alice Sinclair came to an arrangement whereby a permanent establishment was set up at Newcarlbeon and managed by the Sinclairs. Here they grew fruit trees and vegetables. John Sinclair's wife was Alice Adams of "Mangowine", north of Merredin and was a sister of Henry Wilkins' wife, Annie. The Sinclair's daughter Hilda later became Mrs. Bill Price.
The Wilkins at Wongan Hills and the Sinclairs at Newcarlbeon visited each other over the bush tracks through Booralaming or by the Flat Rocks route.
Newcarlbeon was a granite outcrop such as the earliest settlers chose for a homestead with a permanent soak and well at the bottom of the rock where gardens and orchards were established. Alice Sinclair, brought up at "Mangowine", was well experienced in the art of living as well as possible in the bush. A well remembered feature of the early days was meeting with Johnny Rowles or his men on the tracks and being greeted "Come out to Newcarlbeon, see the country, get some vegetables, figs, tomatoes or melons". They advised that a good stock of pie melons kept the "barcoo rot" away. Goats in milk could be bought at Newcarlbeon and young women brought up in the city were taught to milk them and were forever grateful as the children thrived. The ovens produced delicious bread and Alice Sinclair gave out bottles of "starter yeast". The pet bell horses, rounding up of scattered mobs of horses, their breaking in, the way the Newcarlbeon men, women and children were adapted to the bush, was an inspiration to many and something of a discouragement to newchums. To the Rowles and Sinclairs it was all part of one of the State's oldest industries and they thought nothing of it. All the Newcarlbeon set-up were superb horsemen.
The constant going to and from Goomalling of John Rowles, and the trips of the Sinclairs to Dowerin, Wongan Hills, Goomalling, "Mangowine" and their many relatives, and the return visits to Newcarlbeon, opened up tracks and brought a welcome visitor to lonely settlers who did not know where their next-door neighbours were.
Location 68, Reserve 12135. In 1909 100 acres was declared a Reserve at Newcarlbeon but a proposed tank (dam) was not built. (Includes Reserve 16110 gazetted in 1915 vested in the Water & Rivers Commission)
A dam sinker from Dalwallinu, named Wilson, won the contract to build a dam at Newcarlbeon in 1926. With wagon, drays, 21 horses, scoops and ploughs he set off by Ballidu across low scrub-covered trackless country that appeared like a desert. He set up camp at Newcarlbeon, where there was a very good garden and fruit trees. His little billycan scoops couldn't do the work of the new P.W.D. straight sided requirements so the dam excavation was taken over by P.W.D. day labour.
In 1937 Tank 482 of 227,000 gallons was constructed at Newcarlbeon. (Well AA 161 on Reserve 12135.) This is now vested in the Minister for Water Resources. A low rock wall was also constructed around the catchment area at this time.
This reserve has both historic and social significance as this is the site of the first known permanent settlement in the district and was also important as a watering place for the shepherds, surveyors, sandalwood pullers and others in their wandering lives. Access to water was essential for both man and beast. It is the site of a dam built by the P.W.D. in 1926 and also a large cement tank built by sustencance labour in 1937. When horses were the main source of power and strength used by farmers, water was essential. It has also been the site for picnics and social gatherings by many people over the years.

The land now known as the Wheatbelt is a dry hot inhospitable land in many years and the early explorers often described the monotony of the flat scrub and timber covered country.
However nature has provided a little relief in the large isolated granite outcrops found throughout the interior. On the rock face are found holes and indentations which hold water after the rains. The extent of the wonderings of the early colonists was limited by the number and the extent of these outcrops for at the bottom of the rocks shallow wells or seepage soaks could always be found. It explains the crisscrossing from rock to rock of all the tracks of the shepherds, sandalwooders and prospectors.
Sometimes after a very wet year some of the Lakes would be near enough to fresh for a while, some brackish, but most were salty and some would not have water in them for years. Shafts had to be sunk in granite country - there were no boring plants - and there were not many big gnamma holes. The patches of grass were small and surrounding them were often thick patches of box poison.
Amongst the early settlers were men, especially those from the Goldfields, who recognised the value of organised pressure. As early as November, 1908 the North Cowcowing Progress Association was formed with a subscription of 10/-. This Association took in all settlers of the Booralaming and Badgerin areas. Another was formed at Cowcowing with A. Van Heurck as Secretary and another early settler in the area, J.A. Jeffrey, as President. Then there was the Central Cowcowing Progress Association with Bert Nilsson as President.
As a result of the efforts of these organisations the Water Supply Department decided early in 1909 to excavate tanks at some of the sites judged by explorer and surveyor Marmaduke Terry as good holding ground. Inspector Brown was sent to the district. He was to get as much work done as possible by contract but Engineer Andrew Dunne, from the P.W.D., also organised day work on these dams.
They set up camp at Booralaming and travelled about by horse and cart with little, square galvanised iron tanks of water aboard and sparse camping equipment. Numerous trial pot holes were excavated one being at east Cowcowing on Location 1 73. This area was of most concern to Inspector Brown. Everywhere was dry but this was a long stretch of land with no granites. "Brownie" was always in a state of mixed admiration and despair at the bravery or foolhardiness of these settlers going out to such a waterless land with "babies, white hands and total inexperience".
The Water Supply Department authorised the following work. They were excavated tanks officially, but always known locally as dams. Such little dams they were, mere mudholes of 1000 to 2000 cubic yards with three in one batters, covered with brushwood, fenced and equipped with a trough, standpipe and hand pump. The work was done with teams of horses or bullocks, sometimes both, using single furrowed ploughs and little scoops, a very respected skill for the times.

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