East Gordon Street Sewerage Works facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Gordon Street Sewerage Works |
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East Gordon Street Sewerage Works, 2006
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| Location | Sewerage Works Buildings, 38 East Gordon Street, Mackay, Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1936 |
| Architect | A E Harding Frew |
| Official name: East Gordon Street Sewerage Works, Pump Stations | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 10 July 2009 |
| Reference no. | 602727 |
| Significant period | 1936- |
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The East Gordon Street Sewerage Works in Mackay is a special historic site. It is a pumping station that helps manage the city's wastewater. This important building was designed by A E Harding Frew and built in 1936. It is also known as the Pump Stations. Because of its history and design, it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 10, 2009.
Contents
History of Mackay's Sewerage System
The sewerage works on East Gordon Street was one of the first of its kind in regional Queensland. It officially opened on January 25, 1936. George Moody, who was the Mayor of Mackay at the time, opened the facility. The main engineer for the project was AE Harding Frew.
How Mackay Grew as a City
Mackay started as a small settlement on the south side of the Pioneer River. It helped support nearby farms. By 1863, the town was mapped out, and land was sold. It became a port of entry, meaning ships could officially enter and leave. A customs house was also opened.
In 1865, sugar cane farming began in the area. By the mid-1880s, sugar was the biggest industry. Mackay grew quickly as a port and a business centre.
Improving Services in Queensland Towns
From the late 1800s until after World War II, basic services in Queensland towns slowly got better. Things like clean water, sewerage systems, and electricity were added. Major cities like Brisbane started planning their sewerage systems around 1909.
Toowoomba got a sewerage system in 1925. Rockhampton began building its system in 1936. Most other regional towns did not get sewerage until after World War II. Some even waited until the 1960s to 1980s. Mackay's system, opened in 1936, was one of the first in regional Queensland.
Why Mackay Needed New Infrastructure
Mackay's sewerage system was built during a time of big public works projects. These projects aimed to improve the town's buildings and the harbour. Several reasons led to this big effort:
- Fast Growth: In the 1920s and 1930s, Mackay grew a lot. Its population nearly doubled between 1923 and 1940. This happened even during the Great Depression.
- Railway Links: The North Coast railway line connected Mackay to Rockhampton in 1921 and Townsville in 1923. This made it easier and cheaper to transport goods. It helped the sugar industry and new dairy and tourism businesses.
- Political Support: William Forgan Smith, the local Member of Parliament, was the Premier of Queensland from 1932 to 1940. He strongly supported Mackay's growth.
Leaders hoped these projects would make Mackay a beautiful, modern city. They also wanted it to be a popular spot for tourists visiting places like Eungella and the nearby islands.
Planning for a Modern City
In 1934, the city council hired Ronald McInnes to create a town plan. This plan was based on a British law from 1932. It was the first town plan for an existing city in Queensland. It became a guide for other cities for many years.
The Mackay City Council started an ambitious plan to make the city more beautiful and modern. This plan included:
- New parks
- Better roads (kerbing and channelling)
- New water pipes
- A new power station
- The new sewerage system
Opening the Sewerage Works
When the East Gordon Street Sewerage Works opened on January 25, 1936, important people spoke. Charles Frederick Bagley, who led the Mackay Harbour Board, praised the city council for starting the project. He also thanked AE Harding Frew, the engineer who designed it.
Dr. Ernest Wesley Chenoweth, a government doctor, talked about how the new sewerage system would improve public health. Everyone believed that with the new sewerage works and the Outer Harbour Scheme, Mackay would become even more important.
The Engineer: A.E. Harding Frew
Alison Eavis Harding Frew (1883-1952) was a very important civil engineer in Queensland. He designed about 80 bridges across the state during his career. He worked as a consultant in Melbourne in the 1920s and on the Pyrmont Power House in Sydney in the early 1940s.
Frew also helped design the William Jolly Bridge in Brisbane from 1926 to 1932. From 1932 to 1935, he was the engineer for the Hornibrook Highway project, which connected Sandgate and Redcliffe.
Frew's design for the Mackay pump houses was special. They were fully automated and had unique "castellated parapets." This means the top edges looked like the battlements of a castle. This design showed his skill in making useful structures also look good.
How the System Worked
Sewage was sent to the East Gordon Street site through concrete or glazed pipes. It was held in a well and treated with chlorine. Then, it was pumped out to sea when the tide was high.
The main steps for treating sewage included:
- Separating solids from liquids using screens.
- Letting the solids settle in a tank.
- Removing the solids for disposal.
- Treating the liquids, often with chlorine, before releasing them into water. Chlorine was used to kill germs.
By December 1933, over 68,123 feet (20,764 m) of sewer main had been planned. This included a main pipe crossing at Sandfly Creek, near the East Gordon Street site. Contracts were also given out to build the pump well and pump house, install the pump machinery, and build the chlorinator.
The Works Today
The smaller building on the site, which was the chlorinator, is now used for storage. The larger building is still used as a pump station. It has a modern pump outside and a control panel inside. A new deodoriser (to remove smells) has been added next to it.
Sewage is pumped from the East Gordon Street station to another pump station in Sydney Street. The East Gordon Street works is part of a huge network of 135 pump stations in Mackay. This network includes over 630 kilometres (390 mi) of sewer pipes. All of this connects to one of three wastewater treatment plants in the city. Mackay Water, part of the Mackay Regional Council, manages this entire system.
What the Sewerage Works Looks Like
The 1936 Sewerage Works is located on a flat piece of land on East Gordon Street in Mackay. The two main original buildings are the pump house and the chlorinator building.
These buildings are small, white, and made of concrete. They both have those unique "castellated parapets" that look like castle walls. The larger building is at the back of the property, and the smaller one is at the front.
Building Materials and Design
The buildings are made from concrete that shows the pattern of the wooden boards used to shape it. Small towers at some corners act as vent stacks. Other corners have matching buttresses, which are supports built into the wall. The buildings sit on concrete tanks, with their floors about 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above the ground.
The Smaller Chlorinator Building
The smaller building is shaped like a rectangle. Its longer sides face south-west and north-east. It has two square, metal-framed windows on these sides, covered with metal shutters. Another square window on the north-west side is also covered.
The entrance is on the south-east side, up a concrete staircase. A wooden door opens from a concrete landing. The top of the tank under this building forms a raised, curved concrete base. Inside, the building is one room with plain concrete walls. It still holds two large pieces of old machinery. One has a small brass plate that says "Filtration and water softening system."
The Larger Pump House Building
The larger building is also rectangular. Its long sides face south-west and north-east. You enter it from the narrow south-east side, up a concrete staircase. A double metal door opens into the building. Above the door, a plaque remembers the opening of the works on January 25, 1936. The opposite side has one small, metal-framed glass window with nine panes.
The south-west side has three square, steel-framed windows. These windows can pivot open from the middle. The top of the tank next to this building sticks out, forming a rectangular base. A steel stairway goes up to this base, near the building wall. Four metal shafts stick out from the top of the tank. Three of these have metal wheels on top. Steel panels can be opened to access the tanks.
The opposite (north-east) side has two square windows and a narrow opening about 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) tall. The windows are covered. Two metal plates cover the opening. The top of the tank also forms a rectangular base extending from this side. There are small rectangular and arched openings at the bottom of this base.
Inside, the larger building has light grey paint on the lower walls and pale green above, separated by a black stripe. The floor is made of steel plates. A metal ladder goes down to a lower area that is no longer used. The building contains a grey cabinet with electrical equipment, but this is not considered historically important.
The building also has a manually operated overhead crane. This crane can move sideways using a chain and wheel. Another chain and wheel system raises and lowers a hook. This hook is used to lift heavy items.
Why is it Heritage Listed?
The East Gordon Street Sewerage Works was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 10, 2009, because it meets certain important standards.
Showing Queensland's History
This sewerage works, opened in 1936, was one of the first in regional Queensland. It shows how basic services in regional towns were improved over time. Many other towns did not get sewerage until after World War II, or even later.
As one of the first, it also shows how important Mackay was as a regional centre in the 1930s. The city had influence because its local Member of Parliament, William Forgan Smith, was the Premier at the time. Mackay was the fastest-growing town in Queensland during the 1920s and 1930s.
Showing Key Features of its Type
The site shows the main features of a sewage treatment works from the 1930s. These include the pump house and the chlorination plant building. It also shows a unique design choice: making these useful buildings look nice with their "castellated parapets." This was unusual for such practical structures.
The place also highlights the work of the important civil engineer AE Harding Frew, who designed the system. Frew made big contributions to engineering in Queensland, including designing the William Jolly Bridge in Brisbane.
