Barren Jack Creek Water Supply Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barren Jack Creek Water Supply Dam |
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| Location | Burrinjuck, Yass Valley Shire, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1908–1908 |
| Owner | Department of Planning and Infrastructure |
| Official name: Burrinjuck Dam Site - Barren Jack Creek Water Supply Dam | |
| Type | state heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 960 |
| Type | Water Supply Reservoir/ Dam |
| Category | Utilities - Water |
| Builders | Department of Public Works |
The Barren Jack Creek Water Supply Dam is an old dam located near Burrinjuck, Australia. It was built in 1908 by the New South Wales Department of Public Works. This dam is now owned by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. It's considered a special historical place and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
Contents
How the Dam Was Built
The Barren Jack Creek Water Supply Dam was built to provide water for a temporary town. This town was called Barren Jack City, but later its name changed to Burrinjuck City. It was a settlement for all the workers building the much larger Burrinjuck Dam.
At its busiest, about 2,000 people lived in Barren Jack City. The smaller water supply dam was finished on December 24, 1908. It cost about £918, 4 shillings, and 6 pence to build.
After the huge Burrinjuck Dam was completed, the temporary town was flooded. Because of this, the Barren Jack Creek Water Supply Dam was no longer needed. It is not used today and is slowly filling up with dirt and silt.
What the Dam Looks Like
The Barren Jack Creek Water Supply Dam was built on Barren Jack Creek. Its main job was to supply water to the nearby town using gravity. The dam is made of reinforced concrete and has a thin, curved wall.
It was designed to hold about 4.5 million gallons of water. The dam wall is shaped like a curve, with a radius of about 24.38 meters (80 feet). It stands about 12.8 meters (42 feet) tall.
The wall is thickest at the bottom, about 1.75 meters (5 feet 9 inches). It gets thinner towards the top, where it's about 0.6 meters (2 feet) thick. On one side, there's a special overflow area called a waste weir. This part is about 4.57 meters (15 feet) wide and lets extra water escape safely.
You can still see parts of a metal platform that used to be on the dam wall. Old steel rails were used inside the concrete to make the dam stronger. These rails helped the wall stay in good shape even today.
Is the Dam Still Strong?
Even though the dam hasn't been used for a long time and has some silt, it's still in good condition. Experts checked it in December 2000 and found its structure was strong.
Why This Dam is Important
The Barren Jack Creek Water Supply Dam is important because it's connected to the building of the big Burrinjuck Dam. It shows us how people lived and worked during that time. It's a reminder of the temporary town that is now underwater.
This dam was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
