Goulburn Pumping Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goulburn Pumping Station |
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| Location | Wollondilly River, Goulburn, Goulburn Mulwaree Council, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1885–1886 |
| Owner | Goulburn Mulwaree Council |
| Official name: Goulburn Pumping Station, Marsden Weir & Appleby Steam Engine; Goulburn Steam Museum Pump House | |
| Type | state heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 356 |
| Type | Water Pump House/Pumping Station |
| Category | Utilities – Water |
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The Goulburn Pumping Station is a special old building in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. It used to be a very important part of the city's water supply. Built between 1885 and 1886, it still has its original Appleby Steam Engine inside. Today, it's a museum called the Goulburn Historic Waterworks Museum.
This place is unique because it's the only complete, working steam engine water supply system left in its original spot in the Southern Hemisphere. The Goulburn Mulwaree Council owns this historic site. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Contents
How Goulburn Got Its Water
Before 1886, people in Goulburn got their water from tanks, wells, or bought it from water sellers. As the city grew, it needed a better way to get water. So, in 1885, a steam-powered pumping station was built.
It was located on the banks of the Wollondilly River, near Marsden Weir. The station started working in January 1886. It provided Goulburn with its first "reticulated" water supply. This means water was piped directly to homes and businesses.
The pumphouse still holds the original Appleby Bros. Beam Engine pump and Lancashire Boilers. These boilers were powered by burning wood, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Water was pumped from the river to a special filter plant and a reservoir. From there, gravity helped the water flow to the city's residents.
The Amazing Appleby Beam Engine
The Appleby Bros. steam engine inside the pumphouse was built in 1883. It was one of only four such engines installed in pumping stations across New South Wales. The others were in Wagga Wagga, Albury, and Bathurst.
This engine is called a "beam engine" because it has a huge rocking beam overhead. This beam moves back and forth, transferring power from the engine's pistons to its cranks. This type of engine was first invented in 1712 by Thomas Newcomen. It was a key invention that helped power the Industrial Revolution.
Beam engines were first used to pump water out of mines in the UK. Over time, engineers like Watt and Smeaton improved them. They became very efficient and reliable machines. Many thousands of these engines were used in factories during the 18th and 19th centuries. Some even worked in Goulburn factories. However, electric motors took their place in the early 1900s.
Goulburn's Powerful 1883 Beam Engine
The Goulburn Waterworks engine is a medium-sized machine. It could produce 120 horsepower. It has special "compound cylinders" and a "jet condenser" to make it more efficient. The large flywheel is 5 metres (about 16 feet) across. When it spun at 18 rotations per minute, the pumps could deliver 660,000 litres (about 174,000 gallons) of water every hour!
The two boilers that create the steam for the engine are in the western part of the building. They burned wood or coal to make very hot steam. This steam was then piped to the beam engine in the middle of the building. Only one boiler would run at a time. The other was kept ready or shut down for cleaning and maintenance.
Steam enters the engine's cylinders, pushing the pistons back and forth. Rods connect the pistons to the rocking beam on one side and to the crank on the other. This changes the rocking motion into a spinning motion, which turns the flywheel. This creates a smooth and continuous action for pumping water.
By 1918, electric motors were installed, and the beam engine was no longer needed for daily use. After being unused for many years, Goulburn's Beam Engine was carefully fixed up and restored in 1958.
The Historic Pumphouse Building
The Goulburn Waterworks is famous not just for its old steam engine, but also for the beautiful Victorian-style building that houses it. This elegant building holds the beam engine and its boilers. Just a few metres up the hill, you can also see the original fireman's cottage, which also has a Victorian design.
The east side of the building contains a different type of steam engine. This is a horizontal steam engine made by Hick, Hargreaves & Co. from England, around 1860. This area also has the early dynamo room with its electric pump.
The Hick, Hargreaves & Co. Engine
From 1968, the Goulburn Waterworks started operating as a museum for engines. In 1975, a grant helped to install the Hick, Hargreaves engine. This engine is now on display and can even be seen working on special "steaming days."
This single-cylinder horizontal engine is 9 metres (about 30 feet) long. It weighs 17 tons, and its flywheel is 4 metres (about 13 feet) across. It was first used to power machinery in a tannery (a place where animal hides are made into leather) in Sydney. It was no longer needed in 1961. This engine was brought to the museum to show the next step in steam engine development after the beam engine.
Heritage Recognition
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The Goulburn Pumping Station, Marsden Weir, and Appleby Steam Engine are very important. They were officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. This means they are protected because of their historical value.
Engineering Heritage Award
The Goulburn Waterworks, including the pumping station, has also received a special award. It got a Historic Engineering Marker from Engineers Australia. This award is part of their program to recognize important engineering achievements.
