Working bee on the Canning River sand bag dam
c. 1912A group of men and boys during a working bee to dam the Canning River. It is likely Henry Packer is standing at the back and Frederick Hersey is likely at the left of the group with his hand on his knee. Packer and Hersey initiated the working bee as they owned a vegetable farming property that backed on to the Canning River.
The first dam on Canning River, constructed of sand bags, was built near the Nicholson Road bridge in the early 1900s. It's purpose was to stop the encroachment of salt water up the river, which killed summer crops as the water was used for irrigation. The photo shows a working bee held to undertake the annual renewal of the dam, as the bags were washed away during the winter rains. The Packer and Hersey families are most likely in the image.
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Copyright and Reference
Copyright and Reference
City of Gosnells Museum - Wilkinson Homestead
City of Gosnells Museum - Wilkinson Homestead
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