Early Granite Kerbing and Channelling, Cooktown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Early Granite Kerbing and Channelling |
|
|---|---|
Early Granite Kerbing and Channelling
|
|
| Location | Adelaide, Charlotte, Furneaux, Green, Helen, Hogg, Hope and Walker Streets and Webber Esplanade, Cooktown, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1884 - 1905 |
| Official name: Early Granite Kerbing and Channelling, Cooktown | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological, built) |
| Designated | 8 April 1997 |
| Reference no. | 601731 |
| Significant period | 1884-1905 (fabric) 1880s-1910s (historical) |
| Significant components | kerbing and channelling, drain - storm water, culvert - storm water |
| Builders | Thomas Pascoe |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Early Granite Kerbing and Channelling in Cooktown is a special historical site. It includes old stone structures built to manage rainwater. These structures are found along many streets in Cooktown, like Adelaide, Charlotte, and Hope Streets. They were mostly built between 1884 and 1905 by a builder named Thomas Pascoe. This important site is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
Contents
History of Cooktown's Granite Waterways
Most of Cooktown's early granite kerbing (the stone edge of a road) and channelling (the gutter that carries water) was built from 1884 to 1905. You can see great examples of this work in Charlotte, Hogg, Furneaux, and Green Streets. Sometimes, even more of this old work is found when new street projects happen.
Building Cooktown's Streets
The Cooktown Municipal Council was formed in 1876. But the first stone kerbing and channelling work started in 1884. This was a busy time for Cooktown. The Council began many town improvements. These included a water supply, street lighting, and better wharves. They also built systems for stormwater, like kerbs, channels, and drains.
In 1884, the Council asked for bids to build 240 yards (about 220 meters) of kerbing in Charlotte Street. A local Cooktown resident, Thomas Pascoe, won the job. He used granite stones cut from nearby Grassy Hill. Besides Pascoe's work, drains called culverts were built at the corner of Banks and Charlotte Streets. The stone for these was cut near the old Seaview Hotel.
More Street Improvements
In 1887, Thomas Pascoe won another contract. He built culverts in Hill Street. It's not clear if a large underground stone drain from Hill Street to the Endeavour River was also built then. Around the same time, more water channels and kerbing were added to Walker Street.
Later, in 1888, the Council planned new culverts at Walker and Charlotte Streets. These plans were too costly. So, in 1889, Cross and Duffiey built them for £125. Another culvert was built in Hill Street by Taylor & Brown for £21 that same year.
Expanding the Network
During the 1890s, the Cooktown Council continued to expand the kerbing and channelling. In 1890, Thomas Pascoe was hired again. He cut 500 yards (about 457 meters) of stone kerbing. He also built a culvert in Hill Street for £45. The Council even had its own stone quarry on Hope Street.
In 1891, another group was hired to prepare 500 yards of kerbing stone. By October 1892, the Council spent £50 on work in Hope Street. About 50 feet (15 meters) of kerbing was built along Hogg Street. In early 1893, two men were hired to cut more kerbing stone. They cut 159 yards (145 meters) of kerbing and 54 yards (49 meters) of pitching. Between 1894 and 1895, 271 yards (248 meters) of kerbing were added to upper Charlotte Street. In November 1895, kerbing was built along Green Street. More kerbing was added to Charlotte Street in 1896.
A Mayor's Vision
Pher Erick Seagren was a mayor of Cooktown from 1898-1901 and 1905-1908. He worked hard to improve Cooktown's streets. Seagren was an early settler and a respected community member. He wanted Cooktown to grow and progress. People said he worked with "unsparing energy" to make the streets and footpaths excellent.
In 1898, the Council asked for bids for more kerbing and pitching in Hope Street. Kerbing and channelling work also began in lower Charlotte Street. Similar work started in upper Charlotte Street in May 1899. By mid-1899, the kerbing on Furneaux Street was finished.
Work continued into the early 1900s. Kerbing in Green Street was completed by August 1901. Walker Street's kerbing was built between November 1901 and March 1902. Hope Street's kerbing started in June 1902. By January 1903, kerbing was in place in Helen Street. In November 1903, it continued on Hope Street. In 1904, a culvert and kerbing were built in Adelaide Street. Finally, Furneaux Street's kerbing was completed in 1905.
What the Granite Structures Look Like
Cooktown's early kerb and channelling are made of granite. Granite is a strong, hard rock. It's made mostly of minerals called feldspar and quartz.
Sizes and Shapes
The kerb blocks are usually about 200 millimeters (8 inches) thick. They are about 600 millimeters (2 feet) long. The channels are made from different sized slabs of granite. You can see shallow drill holes on the old kerbs. This shows that the stone was probably drilled by hand.
The kerbs are built at different depths. This likely depended on how much rainwater flowed in each area. For example, on the west side of Charlotte Street, there's a 300 mm (1 foot) high kerb. It has an 800 mm (2.6 feet) wide channel. These were some of the first ones built in 1884-85. On the other side of Charlotte Street, the kerb is 300 mm high, and the channel is 600 mm (2 feet) wide. In the main part of Charlotte Street, kerb heights change from 300 mm to 200 mm (8 inches). But the channels stay 600 mm wide.
Lower Furneaux Street gets a lot of stormwater from higher parts of town. So, it has a 350 mm (1.1 feet) high kerb. Its channel is very wide, at 1400 mm (4.6 feet).
In Hogg Street, the normal kerb and channel turn into a deeper drainage channel. It's 400 mm (1.3 feet) deep and 1100 mm (3.6 feet) wide. At the corner of Hogg and Charlotte Streets, there's a very nice granite culvert (a boxed drain). At the corner of Adelaide and Hogg Streets, you can see an old stone-pitched dish drain.
Water Flow
The channels along the top and upper slopes of the ridge from Grassy Hill direct rainwater towards Charlotte Street. At the corner of Charlotte and Hill Streets, a large underground stone drain carries the water. It goes under Charlotte Street and the foreshore to the Endeavour River. Along Charlotte Street, there are also many vertical and side entry stormwater drains. These seem to connect to the old underground drains.
Why This Site is Important
The Early Granite Kerbing and Channelling of Cooktown was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on April 8, 1997. This means it's a very important historical place.
Showing Queensland's Past
This granite work helps us understand Queensland's history. It shows how important Cooktown was as a busy town and port in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The work started when the Cooktown Council was making many other improvements. These included a water supply, street lights, and better wharves.
A Rare Find
It's very unusual to find such a large amount of old granite kerbing and channelling. It shows how much people believed in Cooktown's future back then. Because it's so rare in Far North Queensland, it's very special.
Learning from the Past
Some of Cooktown's street levels have been raised over time. This means there might be even more old kerbing and channelling hidden underground. Finding these could teach us more about this early town work. It could also tell us more about the Cooktown Municipal Council's projects.
Beautiful and Historic
The old granite kerbing and channelling also looks very nice. It adds to the beauty of Cooktown's historic streets. The use of the same material and design throughout the town makes it look very unified.
Valued by the Community
This granite work also makes Cooktown unique. The local community values it as a key part of Cooktown's history and identity. The Cook Shire Council shows this value. Since the 1970s, they have been building new granite kerbing and channelling. This new work is designed to match the older, historic structures.
