Evandale Water Scheme
May. 14th, 2008 06:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xenithOn Tuesday I went with a group from the Evandale Historical Society and other to look at the remains of the convict-built water scheme.
This was started in 1836 to supply water to Launceston. The idea was a tunnel from the South Esk River would carry water to a race, that ran 12 miles o Windmill Hill in Launceston, and along the way, provide irrigation for farms and power for water mills.
The first attempt at a tunnel ran from the river to an outlet point on what is now Springvale. The second tunnel skirts the edge of Evandale. Nine shafts were sunk along the route, so the tunnel could grow out from each point, rather than just from the end points.
The scheme was abandoned was 1838, not quite 2 years after it was started. Traces of it remain though.
In a garden in Evandale, this is the first shaft.
Looking inside, it's brick right down.
This is another shaft, currently right on the edge of the built area.
The land is about to be sub-divided, so it will be within the built area. The black blobs are cows.
See.
No escape!
Now to Springvale, and the first tunnel.
This is the outlet of the first tunnel..
Going in...
It's dark. A power cord had been run in and lights set up at two points along, with dark patches in between.
Flash does have its uses at times. I sort of pointed the camera in a general direction and hoped it picked up something interesting.
This is just before the first lighting point, looking back towards the entrance. Despite being dark, the ground was mostly even, with just the occasional higher or lower patch to watch out for. I only stumbled when I was keeping watch for a low point in the ceiling, that one of the others warned me on, only to hit my head on that because I thought I was past it.
We went as far as the second lighting point.
From there, looking back to the entrance. There's no sense of distance, especially in the dark, other than the other lighting point being "ahead a bit".
Heading back. It was quite warm down here.
In the nearby paddock
was the centre of operations: blacksmiths, barracks, office and whatever else was required. The convicts barracks burnt down in 1837, and were replaced by something temporary.
No obvious signs of them now, just modern farm buildings.
This was started in 1836 to supply water to Launceston. The idea was a tunnel from the South Esk River would carry water to a race, that ran 12 miles o Windmill Hill in Launceston, and along the way, provide irrigation for farms and power for water mills.
The first attempt at a tunnel ran from the river to an outlet point on what is now Springvale. The second tunnel skirts the edge of Evandale. Nine shafts were sunk along the route, so the tunnel could grow out from each point, rather than just from the end points.
The scheme was abandoned was 1838, not quite 2 years after it was started. Traces of it remain though.
In a garden in Evandale, this is the first shaft.
Looking inside, it's brick right down.
This is another shaft, currently right on the edge of the built area.
The land is about to be sub-divided, so it will be within the built area. The black blobs are cows.
See.
No escape!
Now to Springvale, and the first tunnel.
This is the outlet of the first tunnel..
Going in...
It's dark. A power cord had been run in and lights set up at two points along, with dark patches in between.
Flash does have its uses at times. I sort of pointed the camera in a general direction and hoped it picked up something interesting.
This is just before the first lighting point, looking back towards the entrance. Despite being dark, the ground was mostly even, with just the occasional higher or lower patch to watch out for. I only stumbled when I was keeping watch for a low point in the ceiling, that one of the others warned me on, only to hit my head on that because I thought I was past it.
We went as far as the second lighting point.
From there, looking back to the entrance. There's no sense of distance, especially in the dark, other than the other lighting point being "ahead a bit".
Heading back. It was quite warm down here.
In the nearby paddock
was the centre of operations: blacksmiths, barracks, office and whatever else was required. The convicts barracks burnt down in 1837, and were replaced by something temporary.
No obvious signs of them now, just modern farm buildings.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-14 10:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-14 10:55 am (UTC)I'm not sure. I think they do group tours from the Information Centre