Page 2 - City of Cessnock Water Supply and Sewerage Service Utility

HISTORY OF WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE SYSTEM

WITHIN THE CITY OF CESSNOCK

As at 1st May, 1984.

SOURCES:
(A) Hunter District Water Board - Annual Reports
(B) Early Newspaper Files
(i) Maitland Mercury
(ii) Newcastle Chronicle
(iii) Newcastle Morning Herald
(iv) Sydney Gazette
(v) Sydney Morning Herald
(vi) Cessnock Express
(vii) Cessnock Eagle
(viii) Kurri Times

(C) Pipelines and People by John Armstrong
(D) Athenticated local verbal information

Like many other Australian areas, in its early history the City of
Cessnock region depended on creek or tank supply for its water use. For their
household needs, the early agriculturists mainly utilised the creeks, supplemented
of course by wells and the occassional spring. Later some use was made of
Black-iron square tanks to catch rainwater, a practice so common throughout the
colony. The urgent need in the City of Cessnock area for a more permanent
water supply for the region was brought about by the opening-up of the
South Maitland Coalfields and the sudden rapid population explosion.

The history of the water supply for Newcastle and the Lower Hunter area
is in itself an interesting story. From its development in 1801, the small
convict settlement of Newcastle depended on weirs or springs. The "Sydney
Gazette" in October 1925 reports that Newcastle was abundantly supplied with
excellent water. On the sandy flats in the direction of Hamilton, the Aborigines
could obtain water by digging to a depth of four or five feet.

Droughts in 1865 caused the "Newcastle Chronicle" to state the residents
were paying half as much for their water as their wheat. Some of this water came
from wells at Tomago, the water being conveyed in tanks on small steamers plying