Water was the great leveller. Everyone needed it, young or old, rich or poor. Many a venture has failed through lack of water, and many a life has ended through lack of, or too much of it. In the early gold rush days, it was often safer to drink whiskey than water that could be contaminated.

Water Rations: Coolgardie – Photo SLWA

Government Condenser Selling water at 8 pence a gallon

THE LEGEND OF C.Y. O’CONNOR … and his golden pipeline
by John Terrell

The following was a well-deserved Blue Ribbon winner by John Terrell at the Kununurra Agricultural Society’s annual show in July 2024 in the category of – Poetry and Prose – Yarn (max 900 words) theme ‘Water’.

Water was the central issue in one of the saddest events in Western Australia’s development history. The victim of this tragedy was the state’s colonial engineer C.Y. O’Connor.

The struggling Swan River Colony, with its predominant agricultural economy, had grown at a much slower rate than other Australian states from its establishment in 1829 through to the early 1890s. WA was generally seen as an embarrassment to the rest of Australia, and also by the state’s controlling administrative masters in London, the Colonial Office.

Then came the momentous discovery of gold at Coolgardie in September 1892, which was followed nine months later by Australia’s biggest-ever goldrush at Kalgoorlie, 23 miles away, in June 1893.

In 1891 Western Australia’s population was only 49,000, compared with New South Wales’ 1.12 million, Victoria’s 1.139 million, Queensland’s 393,000, South Australia’s 325,000, and Tasmania’s 146,000.  Within 10 years (from 1891 to 1900) WA’s population nearly quadrupled because of an influx of people associated with the Coolgardie-Kalgoorlie gold rushes.]

However, a major problem existed. While these game-changing gold discoveries caused a huge boost for Western Australia’s economy, there was little or no water available to allow large inland gold developments to flourish, especially during the dry summer months. Thousands of men who ventured to the goldfields in the 1890s battled under intense inland heat in summer, and by drinking contaminated water. Some of the water came from gnamma holes (natural hard-rock surface cavities), shallow lakes and lagoons, as well as from underground sources. Many people died from typhoid fever, dysentery and “condenser sickness”, the latter caused by drinking water treated in local wood-fired condenser plants.

A water condenser plant near Coolgardie, circa mid 1890s – Photo SLWA

Legend has it that about 1000 men under the age of 26 were buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery by 1900 as a result of poor-quality water and sanitary-related diseases during the gold rush period. Other men in more remote areas of the goldfields also died of thirst.]

The concept of building a fresh water pipeline to the Eastern Goldfields was floated in Perth newspapers and in the Western Australian parliament.  One of the big supporters of the proposal was John Forrest, the state’s first premier from 1890 to 1901.

However, he was howled down by gentry influencers—people referred to by poet Dryblower Murphy as “The Lordly Six”. They saw the project as a “scheme of madness”; they wanted to preserve local fresh water supplies for their own ends, including vineyard and grazing interests in the Swan Valley. The vision of premier Forrest was to dam the Helena River in the Darling Ranges, and channel the water from Mundaring Weir to the Goldfields via a 30-inch diameter pipeline.

After much debate, on 16^th July 1896 Forrest introduced to the Western Australian Parliament a bill to authorise the raising of a loan of 2.5 million pounds to construct the pipeline, plus eight pumping stations and associated infrastructure to deliver fresh water to the inland Goldfields some 560km away. The amount invested in the pipeline project was equivalent to the colony’s entire annual budget.

Premier Forrest appointed Charles Yelverton O’Connor as the Engineer-in-Chief to oversee planning and construction of the pipeline. Irish-born O’Connor, who had been working in New Zealand at the time, was approached by Forrest to bring the pipeline project to fruition.

Its construction began in 1898 with most of the materials being sourced from England. Like most major projects in a remote and challenging environment, a number of technical and logistical problems arose. Delays and cost blow-outs occurred, which led to a hostile reaction from newspaper scribes of the day, especially ex-politician and then editor of the Sunday Times newspaper, Frederick Vosper.

This adverse publicity took its toll on O’Connor’s mental health, and on 10 March 1902, the father of seven from County Mead in Ireland succumbed to the pressures of persistent, scurrilous and often unfounded attacks. Early in the morning he rode his horse into the sea near Robb’s Jetty, just south of Fremantle, and shot himself with a pistol.

Ten months later on 24 January 1903 Sir John Forrest triumphantly opened the famous Goldfields water pipeline in Kalgoorlie—bringing clean, fresh water to a place which became the engine room of the Western Australian economy for many decades to come.

Water gushes into the Mt Charlotte reservoir at Kalgoorlie on 24 January 1903 – Photo SLWA

The Eastern Goldfields is to this day a major gold producer, and an important mineral producer in a broader sense with nickel, copper and lithium adding significantly to WA’s economy and Australia’s export income.

Without water, and the combined vision of John Forrest and C.Y. O’Connor, none of this would ever have been possible.

Song of the Pipeline
by Alan Ferguson

Way over the desert the daylight is fading
The campfires grow bright at the close of the day
And over the Darlings, our loved ones are waiting
Beyond the Great Ocean, in Ireland far away.

Way out in the diggings, the miners are toiling
Dry blowing gold in the bright blazing sun
They’re cursing the price of the water they’re drinking
And praying O’Connor will get the job done.

300 miles we have toiled for O’Connor
Swinging our hammers and heaving the lines
A desert in front and a pipeline behind us
And C. Y. O’Connor will get there in time.

Political wrangles have led to this pipeline
And I cursed the day that I joined on meself
To Kalgoorlie, soon, the water is flowing
But that damned Irish foreman will see me in Hell.

From Mundaring we’re known as the wild pipeline navvies
We sing and we booze ’round the campfire at night
Through all the long days of typhoid and sickness
Laying this pipeline for O’Connor’s lone fight.

Way over the desert, the daylight is fading
The campfires grow bright at the close of the day
And over the Darlings, our loved ones are waiting
Beyond the Great Ocean, in Ireland far away.

Pipeline Construction – photo SLWA

Evening Journal 3 May 1890, page 3

DIED OF THIRST
By Ned

The midday sun poured down his fiery rays
Upon Australia’s burnt and arid plains,
And shone on one who now for nigh three days
Had suffered thirst, that worst of frightful pains.

He staggers on beneath his heavy swag,
Heavy from weakness rather than from weight
His band grasps tight his empty water bag’
He pushes forward with unsteady gait.

Mile after mile he goes, until at last
He halts and gazes vacantly around.
“My God!” he cries “my strength is failing fast”
Then reels and falls upon the burning ground.

Reason forsakes him in his fearful pain,
Then comes a troubled sleep, in which he sees
Water in plenty feels delightful rain,
and sees bright streams flowing near shady trees.

Once more he wakes and tries to rise in vain
Once more he painfully for water cries,
Then falls upon the burning sands again—
With quivering limbs, he stretches out and dies.

Advertiser – Adelaide SA – 31 January 1933, page 10

THE PROSPECTING PARTY:— From left to right—S. J. O’Grady (prospector), Lockey, Michael Terry (Leader), Jack, Ben, Nicker (Camelman).

The arrival of Chou-Chou

During the day, however, we gained something more than experience—and that was Chou-Chou. As a wanderer deserted by the natives, who must have fled on our approach, he almost collected a bullet when Lockey sang out “Wild dog coming”— but luckily amplified his words with, “Him quiet fellow all right,” while O’Grady got out a rifle to make sure. Soon Nicker, to our great surprise, got the dingo to drink out of a tin, after which all timidity vanished and this tamed denizen of the wilderness simply attached himself to us for a couple of months, until he heard the call of the wild again, and vanished without warning or regret.

Dingo – Drawing by Natalie Jane Parker

But what fun Chou-Chou gave us, especially when, to test his voracious appetite, he was given a large opossum and two full grown spinifex rats, each as large as the opossum. Imagine the amusement of every one when, without pause, he devoured all three in the most startling fashion. Beginning at the nose he simply chewed and chewed until the entire carcase, bones, flesh, “innards,” and all had disappeared down his throat, even to the last tip of the tail. No waste, no mess —how thorough. As we rode away from the Black Shaft, he trotted beside the string, but when I rode ahead he used to run after my camel, sit down, look back at the string and then howl dismally at their slowness. His first effort in camp was to run round the saddles and eat the leather mountings. This trait was not discovered till someone yelled with horror when he was calmly starting to devour a pair of boots! But despite the fearful fuss he kicked up at first, he soon got used to the chain, although one day while a load was being reset, he took a lump out of a camel’s ribs in sheer lust for warm meat.

Black Shaft Soakage where Jack, was stuck in the depths, head downwards.

Water was the great leveler. Everyone needed it, young or old, rich or poor. Many a venture has failed through lack of it any many a life has ended. It was often safer to drink whiskey than water that could be contaminated.

Water Rations – 

Government Condenser Selling water at 8 pence a gallon

While relatively unknown, Charles Cooke Hunt played a crucial role in opening up of country east of York and ultimately the eastern goldfields. Hunt was born in England 1833. He joined the Royal Navy acquiring his Masters Certificate in 1859 but was injured and pensioned off.

Hunt arrived in WA in early 1863 and completed some survey maps in the northwest. Hunt also appears to have been employed as a surveyor by Roe – completing survey maps and survey logbooks of roads.

In 1864 Hunt was employed to explore east of York for agricultural and pastoral potential making two explorations
(1) one month as far as the Koolyanobbing Ranges.
(2) four months to Hampton Plains (SE of Kalgoorlie) – Both trips were hampered by lack of water.

In 1865 Hunt was employed and supplied by the Government to clear a track from York to the Hampton Plains and sink wells at convenient intervals. His well-supplied party consisted of six pensioner soldiers, 10 probationary prisoners, and a native tracker. Over nine months Hunt cleared tracks and developed a permanent supply of water for 500 kilometers from York, by building wells/tanks/dams as far as Lake Lefroy.

In 1866 Hunt was employed to survey and explore further east of Hampton Plains. Over four months Hunt explored even further east and northeast but Hunt considered the expedition of limited success due to extreme drought conditions.

Hunt married Mary Ann Seabrook of Beverley WA in December 1864 and they had two children. In 1867 he worked as a road surveyor around Geraldton but was very ill by December and died of heart disease on 1 March 1868 at the age of 35. He is buried at Geraldton in an unmarked grave.

Hunts Soak at Morine Rock

The Significance of Hunts Wells and Track

Hunt’s wells (including dams/tanks/soaks) along with extant remnants of his track clearly have significance at a State level and require protection.

Hunt certainly did explore new areas, however, the substantial and lasting contribution to the development of Western Australia was the 1865 clearing of the track along with the development of water sources. Hunt’s Track opened up the interior to explorers, travellers, and pastoralists. Most importantly his track and series of wells, dams, tanks, and soaks, secured a safe reliable route to the Hampton Plains. Whilst over two decades later, Hunt’s track and the watering points played a crucial role in prospectors discovering gold at Southern Cross in 1887, Coolgardie 1892 and Kalgoorlie 1893, and the huge influx of gold miners.

The gold boom created a massive population increase (from 49,700 in 1891 to 184,000 in 1901) and brought great wealth to the state funding roads, railways, and the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme. The road, the railway, and then the pipeline mainly followed Hunt’s Track and water sources.

We can justifiably say that the discovery of gold, development of road and railway access, and a water pipeline to the goldfields, along with massive population growth leading to Western Australia’s yes vote to Federation is part of the legacy of earlier work by Charles Hunt. You can contact Eric if you wish on –Eric Hancock

The Bicentennial Plaque at Tammin Well

The following biographical details are added by Outback Family History – Charles Cook HUNT was born in July 1833 in Brighton, Sussex, England. He was the son of John James Hunt and Mary Ann nee Cooke. He had one brother, Walter Davidson Hunt born in 1834. He travelled to Western Australia in 1863 where he went to Newleyine Station where he lived with his uncle John Taylor Hunt.
The following year, on 27th December 1864, he married Mary Ann Seabrook, There were two children of the marriage.
Emily Mary Hunt 1865-1903, Walter Henry Hunt 1867-1896.

He died of heart disease on the 1st March 1868 in Geraldton Western Australia at the young age of 35yrs. He is buried in the Geraldton Cemetery (now Apex Park), in an unmarked grave. Mary was to remarry to a Charles Frederik Edwards in Canning, Perth WA in 1864.

Perth Gazette and West Australian Times 20 March 1868, page 2

Unfortunately, there appears to be no photograph of Hunt that has been found to date, but you never know one may come to light one day. Perhaps his family back in England may have one.

In 1893 in Coolgardie, the refusal of one condenser operator to lower his price provoked an ugly street riot.

Every evening men went to the condensers, taking their turn with all the others waiting for a gallon, or sometimes half a gallon, of water, according to the supplies available.

For some time, Coolgardie had been drawing supplies from Albert W McDonald’s (later to become 2nd Mayor of Coolgardie 1896-1897) condenser at Hannan’s salt lake, which had then to be carted thirty miles to Coolgardie by spring carts and camel trains. There was great indignation when the condenser operator put up the price.

A.W. McDonald had bores on Hannan’s Lake which drew the salt water and condensed it, producing 11,000 gallons daily. Water was short in Coolgardie and McDonald was the chief supplier to the Old Camp. He was reckoned to be making a fair profit of sixpence a gallon and the miners were enraged at him for persuading the other operators not to sell at less than one shilling a gallon.

A Coolgardie Water Condenser

The miners contended, the salt water was the property of all and the condenser operators were making a fair profit on their plant and labour by selling at the usual rate. Some of the smaller condenser operators operated from the ring that had been formed and refused to support McDonald’s increase.

McDonald, a sour, stubborn man, was one of the wealthiest and the most powerful of the operators. He held out for one shilling and defied the roll ups at Hannan’s and Coolgardie, where the rattle of dishes could be heard at Fly Flat. Men made for the roll up, most of them unwashed and dust begrimed, because they were hard up and already going short of water.

McDonald’s plant and tanks stood beside his store in Bayley Street. They thought that straight talk and a vigorous demonstration would bring him to his senses. There was even talk of manhandling McDonald and burning down his store.

McDonalds Condenser, Kalgoorlie – Goldfields Courier Saturday 24 July 1897, page 15

When they arrived at the lakeside, they found McDonald had gone to Coolgardie, leaving a man in charge who was incapable of handling the situation. After McDonald’s wife and children, who had been asleep at the back, were rushed out the back door and into the bush, a battle raged between those trying to set fire to the store and diggers determined to prevent the wanton destruction of food and water.

When most of the men calmed down, one young man drove a pick into an 11,000-gallon tank and the water they all wanted ran to waste. Some tried to plug the hole and others beat out the flames when the store started to blaze, and it was not till later when everything settled down that they saw what would have happened had the fire not been extinguished. There were ten cases of dynamite and 3,000 detonators in the store.

McDonald attended the next roll up, being sufficiently impressed by the bitter feeling against him, and explained why he was raising the price. Cost of horse feed and carting wood to keep the condenser going were his chief excuse.

Four delegates appointed to investigate the plant and the cost of running it reported that McDonald was making a decent profit at sixpence a gallon, and everyone pledged they would not buy water from him.

Other condensers were set up. The ring McDonald tried to organise collapsed and water was reduced to ₤1 per 100 gallons.

Later in that same year Mr McDonald sold his Coolgardie Condenser (which a court case ensued) and removed himself and his wife to Bunbury for health reasons.

Bunbury Herald – 24 April 1896, page 3

From Jo Roelofs:  Jo has very kindly share these wonderful family photo with us.

Asplin Water condenser at Coolgardie c1889-9

Attached are photos of my Great Grandfather Thomas Asplin  with his water condenser at Coolgardie 1898-9. According to Post Office Directory of Coolgardie 1898-99, he had his condenser in Shaw St on the right hand side if travelling from Lefroy St to Moran St.

The above photo of his brother Jack Asplin with the camel team at Day Dawn c1904 and below another in the Murchison c1900s.

The Asplin brothers and their wives were originally from South Australia. Thomas and Elizabeth were married in Broken Hill NSW on the 1st Oct 1890.  I have not been able to find when or how they all came to WA.  Thomas with his wife Elizabeth and two sons born in Broken Hill lived in Coolgardie for approx 2 1/2  yrs 1896 – 1899. They had three more children whilst at Coolgardie including twins Mabel and Roy in Aug of 1896.  Roy died on 6 Aug 1898 and is buried in Coolgardie Cemetery, he has no headstone.

Thomas Asplin

From Coolgardie they moved to Nannup where both brothers remained teamsters for a number of years before both buying properties in the Blackwood area.   Thomas and his family (my great grandparents) established  Rose Valley farm approx 2 miles west of Nannup out past the hospital.  Both are buried in the Nannup cemetery.  In Trove newspapers there are funeral and obituary notices for Thomas.  Pall bearers at his funeral in 1934  included Mr C Barnard MLA and Mr W J Mann MLC members of the Freemasons Lodge performed the last rites under guidance from minister.

I have not done a lot of research into James (aka Jack) he and his wife Elizabeth (yes both brothers married women with the same name) had 10 children.  Family hearsay has it that the brothers fell out several years before Thomas died and the families became estranged.

James Richard Asplin and Elizabeth Asplin nee Harvey, ca.1890

Jo Roelofs has very kindly shared the following photographs from the family album of her Great Grandfather Thomas Asplin and his brother Jack:-

Thomas Asplin

The Asplin Water Condenser – Coolgardie 1898-1899. It was in Shaw St RHS if travelling from Lefroy St to Moran St Coolgardie.

The Asplin Camel Team – Murchison 1900

The Asplin Camel Team – Day Dawn 1904 – Jack Asplin at the head of the camel team.