Watering the West: C. Y. O'Connor

Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 15, 2013 at 15:30
ThreadID: 100004 Views:5792 Replies:14 FollowUps:13
This Thread has been Archived
I've just been driving around my local area crossing things off my daily list and I was listening to Radio National. They were broadcasting an audio documentary about C Y O'Connor and the water pipeline to Kalgoorlie.

See here: Radio National

I can't find it as a podcast unfortunately. It was impossible to listen to the story and not think of all that water in Lake Argyle. Back in 1898 there wasn't any cement in WA, it all had to be shipped out from England. The steel for the pipes had to come in sheet form from Germany and America. Rivets were replaced with a locking system invented by a Victorian. Special caulking methods had to be used. It cost £2.5m 115 years ago.

The critics and naysayers drove him to shoot himself on the beach south of Freo a few months before completion. He was also responsible for Fremantle Harbour.

Pity we don't have any pollies or business people who can see past the next election or financial report. It's also worth noting that only a year or so ago the pollies in the East were talking about tapping into Lake Argyle and pumping the water to the top of the Murray/Darling system because that area was going through a drought.

Last year we went on a tour down the Ord River. When the big wet occurred just prior to our trip they had to release a massive amount of water from Lake Argyle because it was in danger of breeching the wall. Each day (!) enough water went down into the ocean to supply Perth's domestic needs for a YEAR.

I'm glad I ain't too scared to be lazy
- Augustus McCrae (Lonesome Dove)

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Sponsored Links