Engineering Australia has added Orange’s Lake Canobolas Pump House in central western NSW to its list of Heritage Markers, designed to highlight key examples of Australia’s engineering heritage.
Members of the Engineering Australia joined Orange City Council Mayor, Jason Hamling, for a ceremony to unveil a heritage plaque for the structure, one of more than 250 such markers across Australia.
Mayor Jason Hamling said the plaque recognised an important part of the city’s history.
“The pump house is a remarkably intact collection of pump equipment that dates from more than a hundred years ago,” he said.
When it was built in 1915, it became a crucial piece of Orange’s water supply, together with a new dam wall at what was then called Meadow Creek, and later Lake Canobolas.
Among the engineering challenges in 1915 was that the site is situated downhill from Orange. The problem was how to get huge amounts of water back to town. The solution was a to build a pump house, with pumps strong enough to pump water in a 300 mm water pipe about three kilometres uphill to a new tank on Cargo Road. From there, the water would run downhill to the community of Orange.
The pumping equipment that was used came from England, from Richard Hornsby and Sons in Lincolnshire. It included an engine powered by its own coal-powered gas plant.
The 128-horsepower engine worked two sets of pumps, capable of lifting 88,000 gallons (333,000 litres) of water every hour. A caretaker was employed by Council to look after the pumping station equipment.
The pump house equipment was used through to 1957. Later, other water sources for Orange were brought online. Spring Creek dam was completed in 1931 and then Suma Park in 1962.
“I’m proud that the quality of what can still be seen at the pump house has been recognised by the placing of this plaque,” Mayor Hamling said
“Historical examples of equipment of this standard are now very rare and I’m delighted the award for this plaque will let this site gain the recognition it deserves.”
