WA's greatest engineering achievement - The Golden Pipeline

The Golden Pipeline, otherwise known as the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, the Coolgardie Water Supple Scheme and lastly, the Goldfields and Agricultural Water Supple Scheme transports water from Mundaring Weir to Kalgoorlie. It was badly needed once the gold rush began in the 1890s. There is little rain and no natural water sources in the goldfields. As such, diseases like Typhoid Fever were running rampant. A solution was desperately needed and the premier at the time, John Forrest, enlisted an Irish engineer named C.Y O'Connor to devise a scheme. The freshwater pipeline would be nearly 600km long - an engineering feat yet to be achieved worldwide. This project drew large amounts of criticism from opposing politicians and the press. Its predicted cost was equal to the colonies entire annual budget. This was all too much for O'Connor, and in one of the biggest loses the state would ever see - he took his own life after riding his horse into the ocean south of Fremantle. The project was ultimately a success and it's a shame he couldn't see its completion. In this video, I will deep dive into the projects planning, construction and numerous upgrades and extensions over the decades. I'll also take you on a grand tour of the entire pipeline. This includes Mundaring Weir, Toorak Hill in Coolgardie, Mount Charlotte Reservoir in Kalgoorlie and the site of eight steam pumping stations. These are found in locations such as Cunderdin, Merredin, Yerbillon, Ghooli, Gilgai and Dedari. Website: www.brendansodyssey.com Email: [email protected] Click the "Join" button for just $3 a month to support this channel. All money raised goes back into the production of future videos. Check out my other channel which is all about hiking and camping!    / @brendangoesoutside   Check out my other channel which is all about retro gaming!    / retrogameon   Sources for this video can be found here: https://www.brendansodyssey.com/youtu... The Golden Pipeline: https://www.goldenpipeline.com.au/ Other videos mentioned: Great Eastern Highway’s coolest campsite - KARALEE ROCKS:    • Great Eastern Highway’s coolest campsite -...   I went inside the Barracks Arch:    • I went inside the Barracks Arch   Western Australia’s worst earthquake:    • Western Australia’s worst earthquake   Mundaring Weir (c1950-51), Helena River, Darling Scarp, east of Perth, Western Australia:    • Mundaring Weir (c1950-51), Helena River, D...   A rocky pool, an asbestos landfill and a dam – KALAMUNDA NATIONAL PARK:    • A rocky pool, an asbestos landfill and a d...   Links to locations shown: No 1 Pump Station Museum: https://www.ntwa.com.au/places-to-vis... Mundaring Weir Hotel: https://www.mundaringweirhotel.com.au/ Cunderdin Museum: https://www.cunderdin.wa.gov.au/explo... Cunderdin Golf Club:   / cunderdingolfclub   Ettamogah Pub: https://www.cunderdinpub.com/