Perth's First Public Water Supply Scheme
The first European settlers who came to Perth in 1829 relied on swamps, lakes, and rainwater tanks and a few freshwater springs for their water supplies. Early colonists also used wells in Perth and Fremantle. When population started to rapidly increase in the late 1800s due to the gold rushes, summer water shortages and pollution in the wells resulted in disease such as typhoid, and the need for a safe public water supply became urgent.
One of these proposals, based on a dam on Munday’s Brook in the “hills”, was prepared by Perth civil engineers Henry John Saunders and James Barratt in May 1887. Saunders and Barratt’s proposed water supply scheme included a new source of 140,000,000 gallons storage located in the Darling Range east of Perth, 16¾ miles of 12 inch trunk main, a 1,260,000 gallon service reservoir at Mt Eliza and city reticulation.
Site clearing commenced in October 1889 and the site was ready by the time cement and pipes started to arrive four months later from England. When Victoria Reservoir was opened on 1 October 1891, the rapidly growing State’s population was less than 50,000 and Perth’s first public water supply scheme was a major undertaking.
Over the next few decades Perth's water supply systems continued to grow with a major milestone being achieved 1925 with the turning on of water from the first section of the new 'Hills' water scheme. To commemorate this event, the then Metropolitan Water Supply, sewerage and drainage Department published a Commemoration Volume 1925. This volume records the development of the metropolitan system from inauguration through to 1925.
Click for directions to the see the heritage marker
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | Engineering Heritage Marker (EHM) |
| Award Date | 22 October 2012 |
| Prominent People | Henry Saunders, James Barratt, Edward Keane, Neil McNeil, William George, William Traylen, Walter Jones |
| Nomination Document | Available here |
| Ceremony Report | Available here |
| Interpretation Panel | Kings Park panel available here The Kings Park panel is located at the South East corner of Mt Eliza Reservoirs |
| Victoria Dam panel available here The Victoria Dam panel is located on the back of the original Victoria Dam, Carmel |
