Section of the 1929 Wonnerup floodgates
c. 1929This section of the original floodgates from Wonnerup is a remnant gateway element from the central portion of the 14-gateway Vasse estuary floodgates built c1929 and deconstructed in 2004. The large iron door is fitted with a lever for manually operating the gate. The floodgates were made from Californian Redwood.
Prior to the installation of the floodgates, the Wonnerup and Vasse estuaries were subject to flooding from seawater every summer and during storm events. In the winter, the estuaries would flood with fresh water from the several rivers that flowed into the low-lying wetlands. In addition, problems existed during the hot dry summer months when the water levels were low and in 1905 a large number of fish died in the lower reaches of the Vasse-Wonnerup estuaries causing an unbearable stench.
In 1907, the government finally acted to assist the farmers and work proceeded to place two weirs – the Vasse Floodgate and the Wonnerup Floodgate, on the inlet near Lockeville. According to the sign constructed by the Water Authority and Barclay Mowlem ‘the original Vasse Estuary gates were constructed on the Ballarat Bridge but in c1929 a separate structure was built just south of the bridge. In contrast the Register of Heritage Places-Assessment Documentation for Ballarat Bridge, Vasse Floodgates & Wonnerup Floodgates notes that ‘the [1908] Vasse Floodgate stands a short distance upstream from the remnants of what is still referred to as the Ballarat Rail Bridge with a row of remnant pylons standing between the two structures.’ The Ballarat Bridge 1871 was partly replaced or rebuilt c1896 and 1929.
A later construction followed complaints dating from 1926 from the landowners about the state of the Vasse Floodgates, however it wasn’t until 1929 that the replacement of the c1908 structure was completed a short distance upstream.
Details
Details
In 2004, the Water Authority and Barclay Mowen Inc. began to deconstruct the 1929 floodgates with the view to constructing a new floodgate control system for Wonnerup and in doing so exposed the remnants of the early Ballarat Bridge, which contained fabric from the early floodgates. Photos taken at the time, clearly display the form and position of the Ballarat Bridge before it was demolished. A large remnant structure was selected during the process of demolition and retained at the site by the Water Authority to donate to BHS.
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