Have you ever been inside an old water tower? I had seen them from the outside, and watched them be converted to houses on shows like Grand Designs, but never set foot inside one….until the Sale Water Tower.
The Water Tower in Sale was built in 1888 and used for 82 years to supply 3,000 residents. The tower had a large health benefit for the residents as it meant the commencement of extracting groundwater instead of using water from the Thomson River. The Thomson River was considered unfit for human health due to the impacts of gold mining operations upstream, and receiving wastes from sources such as slaughter houses. The water quality dropped even further in times of low flow and was a concern for public health. I am sure the horses were also happy when they didn’t have to cart river water around the town anymore!
Restoration of the tower commenced in 2016 and is now open to the public every Saturday from 2 – 4pm. Entry is by a gold coin donation and there is a free audio guide available from the website https://www.salewatertower.com.au/.
I love the details in the brickwork with the lighter colour rings and window details. This detail wasn’t needed for a utilities tower but it looks grand!
Base of the 151,000 litre wrought iron tank.
Each level of the tower has wonderful information boards.
Water testing equipment.
The 2 John’s
The Sale Water Tower is in Victoria Park which also hosts amazing sculptures of John Grainger and John Niemann who were both instrumental in the development of the water tower. John Grainger was the architect and civil engineer who designed and built the tower. Whilst John Niemann was responsible for discovering the artesian water supply.
Sculpture of John Niemann in Victoria Park.
John Grainger sculpture in Victoria Park.
Cost
Gold coin donation.
Getting There
The Sale Water Tower is in Victoria Park on the corner of Marley St and & Cunninghame St in Sale Victoria. This is only a 10 minute walk from the main shopping centre, or from Lake Guthridge.
More Information
Website: https://www.salewatertower.com.au/
Instagram (seems to be updated more than the facebook page): https://www.instagram.com/salewatertower/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaleWaterTower/
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