sign-in
Home
/
Mallee - Part 2
/
Image 128
Mallee - Part 2
Image 128
image 39 of 89
If you need a symbol, fraction or a wider dash please highlight, copy (Ctrl C) and paste (Ctrl V): £ — ¼ ½ ¾ ⅓ ⅔ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ⊚ 🡹 /|\
Tanks Already Excavated. 17. Your department has already excavated tanks at Stennet's Rock, the Salmon Gums, and Grass Patch (being respectively at the 93 mile, 65 mile, and 45 mile pegs); while that at the 30 mile is being excavated. (Now completed, 29th September, 1912.) 18. Stennet's Rock tank was outside the country I examined, but both Salmon Gums and Grass Patch tanks hold water well, and could be enlarged if required. 19. The roads board has excavated a small tank at the 79 mile, which has a good catchment, but does not hold water very well. I think better clay will be found on higher ground. (Since found, and tank site marked out.) However, the leakage cannot be serious, for there was water in the tank (though a small one, and supplying fairly heavy traffic) throughout the summer months that I was there. 20. About ten private tanks have already been excavated during the last summer by new selectors, and I am of opinion that they will all hold water but one tank on location 44, which appears to me to have been sunk (in fairly low country) rather too close to the salt water level of the locality, and there is some danger of the water becoming slightly salt in consequence. If so, it will be an easy matter to fill up 8 or 10 inches of the bottom of the tank with good pugged clay from the sides to make it water tight. 21. Mr. James Lewis, at the 58 mile, has had a small tank excavated for some time, which is water tight. Mr. G. Thompson has, within the last year or so, excavated a tank at his Grass Patch property, which was nearly full of water at the time of my visit, and appeared to be water tight. This gentleman had a small tank sunk originally on the opposite side of the road which, he informs me, held water well. During his absence this tank was enlarged and deepened, and notwithstanding that a rock intrusion was met with in the south-west corner. It is not surprising that this tank then lost water, probably along the rock surface. This fact may give rise to the impression that the country was generally porous, as this was one of the first tanks excavated along the road. 22. The salt water level was found to be mostly shallow in the gullies and near salt lakes, viz.' from three feet to 40 feet. 23. No attempt was made to ascertain if fresh water existed at a depth in the mallee country, as it is extremely improbable it would be found at a shallow depth, and I had neither the time nor the requisite plant to bore any great depth. 24. In the " Sand Plain," which extends from the 28 mile post towards Esperance, I located brackish water at near the 18 mile post at a depth of 13 feet; fresh water at three feet, one mile east of Gibson's Soak. The country not being suitable for agriculture here, or further south, no boring was done south of this point. 25. A rock was discovered about 14 miles west of the 30 mile townsite, of a saucer shape, and holding about 5,000 gallons. Unless it were covered in, it would dry up in summer. It will no doubt be found useful for selectors and should be reserved from selection. 26. A small lagoon was discovered at 35 chains west of the 191⅛ mileage on the proposed railway line. It had about one foot of water at the time of my visit, and had a " high water mark" about three feet higher. It is within location 441, and has the appearance of being fairly permanent. It is to be regretted it was not reserved at the time the location was surveyed. Clay, and a fair tank site, were found 12 chains north of lagoon, on the north boundary of location 441. If it is decided to excavate a tank at this spot, the tank resumption should be made to include this lagoon. 27. On plan No. 1 are shown the places where clay was located, and on page 17 are shown particulars of bore holes. Fitzgerald Peaks Reservoir Site. 28. A fine site for a dam some distance up the mountain (the crest level of proposed concrete wall is 209 feet above the ordinary country level) was discovered at Fitzgerald Peaks. A wall 30 feet high and 270 feet long will impound 8,000,000 gallons of water. The catchment of 73 acres is ample, and the height of the dam site above the country level make it particularly useful for reticulation purposes. Peak Charles is a remarkable natural feature, affording fine scope to the landscape photographer. It is 1,310 feet high, and will undoubtedly become a favourite picnicking and pleasure resort when the country is opened up. Its grand scenery is the more surprising after coming through the long belt of mallee to reach it. Rainfall. 29. Plan No. 1 shows the approximate rainfall lines. These have been plotted from your official records, for the last 12 to 15 years, of rainfall at Norseman, Grass Patch, Swan Lagoon, Gibson's Soak, and Esperance, shown on plan No. 5. 30. In other newly settled parts of the State the rainfall has been largely a matter of estimation, but in the country under examination your own rainfall records are now extremely valuable in estimating the agricultural limit line. 31. With an average rainfall of 10.2 inches at Norseman practically seven inches of this falls between May and November. In 15 years the rainfall has three times been below eight inches, and six times below nine inches. Therefore, though (it is interesting to note) most of the rain falls when most needed for crops, at Norseman, the risk of a light fall is too great to permit of successful wheat growing. 32. The agricultural limit line has been wisely fixed by you at the 80 mile peg with an average rainfall of 12 inches, which can be considered quite safe with our present knowledge of wheat growing. 33. The average rainfall on the southern edge of the mallee is 17½ inches. Harbour Facilities. 34. It is evident that consideration of the value of the mallee country as an asset to the State would not be complete without some reference to the harbour accommodation at Esperance, its natural outlet. 35. The proposed railway line terminates at the existing jetty, the greatest depth at sea end of which is 18 feet below low water mark. A minimum depth of 26 feet will be required to accommodate most vessels of the "tramp" class, or of coastal traders large enough to deal with the traffic. 36. Though Esperance Bay is practically land locked, its entrance being dotted with the bold and rugged islands of the Recherche Archipelago, the jetty is not placed in the most sheltered position possible—it is directly facing, as a matter of fact, the "causeway channel," and is therefore somewhat exposed to heavy weather from the south. It is consequently inadvisable to spend money in dredging and in extending the present jetty to obtain, say, 26 feet of water when a more protected position can now be obtained for the berthing of ships. 37. The townsite being now extended by private subdivision more to the south than when the jetty was constructed, makes a scheme for a safe and sheltered berth possible now at a comparatively low cost. 38. Some soundings were taken by me which show that, with the exception of scouring in a few places, the depths have not materially changed since 1897, as shown by Commander Combe's chart, which is appended hereto. 39. I have therefore used the Admiralty soundings in a rough estimate of cost of harbour improvements. 40. Two schemes are suggested, as shown in plans 3 and 4. With either scheme it will be necessary to deviate the proposed railway line along the "Esplanade" instead of cutting through 35 town blocks and a Government reserve, as it is now surveyed. This should save a considerable sum in land resumption, and does away with a sharp 11-chain curve leading to the jetty. 41. The suggested works common to both schemes are:▬(1) The construction of a stone face railway embankment, about 2,000 feet lon, in shallow water, in extension of the proposed railway deviation; (2) 500 feet of timber quay, 60 feet wide (capable of extension as required); (3) swinging basin 1,200 feet by 1,500 feet, dredged to 26 feet below low water mark.
Save edits
prev
|
next
|
all images
|
history