Great Drain facts for kids

The Great Drain is a special place in New South Wales, Australia. It is a heritage-listed site, which means it's an important historical location protected by the government. It includes an old drain, former farm areas, and the remains of two old houses. Today, part of the area is used as a motorcycle track and for overnight stays. It was built a long time ago, between 1795 and 1820. Two stonemasons, William Barren and William Harvey, likely built it. The Hills Shire Council now owns this historic property. It was officially added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 14 July 2000.

You can find this heritage site on Wisemans Ferry Road in South Maroota. In 2019, the main access was through Pacific Park Road, which was home to a water ski and motorcycle park.

A Look Back: The Drain's History

The story of the Great Drain begins with Charles Williams. He was one of the people who arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. Around 1795, Charles moved to the Hawkesbury area. He started a farm there, which became known as Williams' Farm. He probably built a house with strong stone foundations on a rocky slope. This spot was safe from the floods that often happened in the early 1800s.

In 1810, Samuel Carr was given the land where the drain is. He then rented it to George Cox, who raised pigs and grew grain. During this time, foundations for another house, called Collingwood Cottage, were cut into the rock. Stonemasons, who are skilled workers with stone, likely did this work.

Later, in 1819, William and Mary Johnston took over the farm. They lived in Collingwood Cottage. It is thought that they were the ones who built the Great Drain. They also likely used stonemasons for this big project.

People continued to live in the slab cottage until the 1930s, when it was taken down. In the 1960s, a swampy area nearby was made more stable. By the 1980s, part of the land became a water-ski lodge. In the 1990s, it changed again and became a motorcycle track.

What Does It Look Like?

The Great Drain is a very impressive structure. It was cut right into the solid sandstone rock.

The Drain Itself

The drain is about 70 meters (230 feet) long. It is quite deep, reaching about 6.5 meters (21 feet) at its deepest point. At the top, it is about 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) wide. This huge channel connects a swampy farmland area to the Hawkesbury River. Workers dug it out using picks and even gunpowder. You can still see drill holes from where they used explosives. At its deepest part, there are rock cuttings for special gates called sluice gates. These gates would have controlled the water flow. An earth channel extends from the drain into a nearby field.

Old House Foundations

The site also has the rock-cut foundations for a slab house. These foundations were carved into the rock to create three rooms and a verandah (a covered porch). The layout is shaped like an 'L'. Stone steps and square holes for wooden posts show where doors once were. There's even a fireplace and oven bases carved right into the rock! A stone wall supported the verandah.

There are also stone foundations for another house on a higher, flood-free slope. These foundations are made of well-arranged rubble stone. The north wall has ten stones, about 2.9 meters (9.5 feet) high. The east wall has four stones, about 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) high. An extension wall to the south has six stones, about 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) high. Until the 1960s, you could only reach this spot by boat.

Current Condition

As of 1998, the Great Drain itself was in good condition. The rock-cut foundations for the slab house and the stone house foundations were in fair condition. Experts believe there's a high chance of finding more historical items through archaeological digs at this site.

Changes Over Time

Some changes have been made to the site over the years:

• For the Great Drain, concrete sluice gates were put in near the original ones.
• The slab cottage that stood on the rock-cut foundations was taken down in the 1930s.

Why is it Important?

The Great Drain and its house sites are very important to the history of New South Wales. They are considered extremely rare and special.

A Special Place in History

These structures, built between 1795 and 1830, tell us a lot about early settlers in the Hawkesbury area. They were built even before official settlements were established further down the river. The Great Drain is a unique example of early engineering. It shows how people tried to control water flow on the Lower Hawkesbury River. It had a clever sluice system to keep out tidal or flood waters. The rock-cut foundations are also unique for slab buildings from that time. The stone house foundations are very old, dating back to 1795-1810. They are linked to Charles Williams, an interesting convict from the First Fleet.

Unique Building Skills

The Great Drain is impressive because it cuts a path right through solid rock. You can explore it from below or view it from above. The stone house foundations are also beautifully placed above the river, surrounded by bushland. This shows the skill of the early builders.

What Can We Learn?

The Great Drain is the only example of such detailed drainage work from such an early period outside of Sydney. The rock-cut foundations give us special information about how people built simple slab houses back then. Studying these sites helps us understand the history of building and drainage in New South Wales.