3 August 2009

Stumbling over Westlake

| johnboy
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[First filed: July 31, 2009 @ 10:49]

When looking at old photographs of Canberra I’ll confess to wondering in the past “Where did the workers live?”

Yesterday I stumbled over the answer.

Nestled between the two ridges of Stirling Park, where they would never intrude on the sight lines of the great and the good are scant ruins of the old suburb and “sewer camp” of Westlake.

While not previously known to me it’s not as if Westlake has been forgotten.

Stateline did a feature on it back in 2004. The Canberra History Group has a page. Also the Wikipedia entry on Yarralumla has quite a bit about it.

Apparently 700 of the unwanted working class lived there in 1925, one fifth of the population of the Territory at the time.

If you head off from the Canberra Yacht Club over the ridge towards Yarralumla you’ll soon find yourself amongst concrete markers memorialising the buildings and some plaques.

So now we know.


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(More pictures below)



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Anyone who is interested to read this thread, might be interested in the recent addition to the National Library of Australia website of digitised copies of many of Australia’s newspapers, up to sometime in the 1950’s.

Health care just isn’t what it used to be.

Thankyou Skidbladnir for the map overlay! Excellent – the lake when ‘built’ did not follow exactly the old lines drawn for the proposed area of Lotus Bay in the early maps. Your overlay has confirmed what is on the ground marking the site of Howie’s Hostel ‘Camp’ used for his single men -on the old maps it is shown below 13 of Howie’s cottages on either side of the old road that crosses the hill opposite Lotus Bay and near to Lotus Bay. There has been some earth fill (where people park and within the park) – The Burns Club was founded in the recreation room of the Hostel Camp(named after Hostel No 1 – later Hotel Canberra – Howie’s men built it)in 1924. Many of Howie’s men were Scots – and there are rowan (sp?) trees in Stirling Park planted by the Scots?.

I have one general map that shows Howie’s Settlement and the Westlake Cottages in The Gap and a map just showing cottages and hostel buildings not in relation to anything else. There were originally 25 Howie’s Cottages (2 & 3 Bedroom) and 18 timber huts for the single men – hostel camp. By 1926 only 13 cottages remained and 18 huts Hostel. This map was drawn when the FCC (Federal Capital Commission) – dept – considered connecting Howie’s to the main intercepting sewer – didn’t happen – still continued to use the pan system.

Ann

Bigger version of the 1940s map, with Google maps overlay.
http://imgur.com/Pq0Cp.jpg

Shows the Westlake Settlement, the Acton Swimming Hole & Tourist Park, The golf House site where Katie Bender’s memorial now sits, and where most of the river used to go.
(Yes some bits don’t line up perfectly, I blame the fact the map was hand-drawn)

On my web page is a story by Frank Dunshea who lived at Acton. There is a mud map of Acton area that shows the Acton Swimming Hole – in the area that was used as the Tourist ‘park’. Frank is in his eighties now and his story is a good one with clear memories of Acton in the early days. Ann

I have had a bit of a play around laying the maps over google earth. Haven’t had the time to really do much though. The sewer line is approx here.

While researching a few interesting links last night, I stumbled across this page..

http://www.engineer.org.au/introduction.html

It talks about old Canberran history, ranging from roads, lakes, bridges, water/power, etc and includes a lot of interesting photos and diagrams, some of which look similar to those that have been pasted here. Be warned, itll take you a while to read the site completely, but I found the content on there is incredibly interesting.

Thanks Old Canberran, I am trying to clean upa join between the two 1933 maps, but making an accurate overlay of then & now is a matter fo a load of mosaic work.

But to get a good sized reference I may have to visit the National Library and make me some copies (those tourist scans are interesting, but the finer detail is lost at that resolution).
Those 1933 ones are three times older than I am, and just look wierd.

There are a whole set of 1920s Federal Capital Advisory Committee maps up on the NLA website showing what the original intended plans were, but sadly they don’t resemble anything like what was eventually inflicted on us.

(Like “The Parade” and “The Causeway” boulevards that never existed, Eastbourne or Lakebourne Avenues, the circular Lake Basins, and the suburban centre “Blandfordia”…)

Thanks Old Canberran, I am trying to clean upa join between the two 1933 maps, but making an accurate overlay of then & now is a matter fo a load of mosaic work.

But to get a good sized reference I may have to visit the National Library and make me some copies (those tourist scans are interesting, but the finer detail is lost at that resolution).
Those 1933 ones are three times older than I am, and just look wierd.

There are a whole set of 1920s Federal Capital Advisory Committee maps up on the NLA website showing what the original intended plans were, but sadly they don’t resemble anything like what was eventually inflicted on us.

(Like “The Parade” and “The Causeway” boulevards that never existed, Eastbourne or Lakebourne Avenues, the circular Lake Basins, and the suburban centre “Blandfordia”…)

old canberran9:25 am 04 Aug 09

I forgot to say that the 1949 map was again provided by Ann.

Rumour has it that the swimming area that Ann mentioned at old Kingston Power station was so popular because it utilised an outfall from the power station that provided warm water that was used for cooling the power station – Kind of like a heated pool.

old canberran5:47 pm 03 Aug 09

Here’s a better map Skid.
http://vk2ce.com/1949map.jpg

Yes I do remember the snow – I used to walk from home across the track to the Hotel Canberra to catch the bus to school (Canberra High) – part of that track is below the modern walking track that links Forster Crescent with Alexandrina drive – it is part of an old road marked on the 1913 strip maps. On this map are a number of survey markers including ‘The Gap’ which is on Stirling Ridge not far from the Canberra Mosque. We did attach a sign. I remember one year of heavy snow touching the gums to make the snow fall.

I also recall the big floods. The first in the twenties in Canberra’s history for which I wasn’t around was 1922 – that knocked out the railway line across the Causeway (from Causeway) and it was left swinging for may years. The rail line used to continue to Civic and I remember part of it near the War Memorial – it went in front of the memorial and behind St John’s with the platform at Civic being near the old Rogers Block not far from the present bus interchange.

Because I had to cross the two Commonwealth Bridges on my way to school used to pray for the floods to put them out of action – but it never happened – the waters lapped the bridges but never over them – oh well –

Incidentally the sites of 51 of the Westlake houses are in Stirling Park – 22-27 in a line that roughly follows Empire circuit down from the Mosque – turned – 28 – the four old pines near the corner of Empire & Forster marked the backyard of 28 – 29 is where our plaque is and the old road up to Bell’s corner (sign) 39 – and across the hill towards the Southern Cross Yacht Club area below the hill 40-47 and then back down Beadman’s hill from 42 area -48 to 52. The last ten cottages are in a line parallel to 29-39 above Ronnie’s tree. (Ronnie O’Rourke – nickname ‘Cocky’ was the cockatoo for the SP Bookie Lofty Harrington who lived in the cottage behind the tree – 55. Ronnie used to sit up this tree to keep an eye out for the police). This was the area of the two lines of tents of No 3 Sewer Camp. We also had a tennis court opposite 39-40 and a children’s playground in the area of the grounds of the Mexican Embassy. The sites of 1-20 in embassy areas – following Empire Circuit – 1-5 – turned across and then up the hill roughly in the area of Darwin Avenue to the American Embassy.

Our houses were two bedroom – unlined timber – exterior 24ft X 24 ft and stood on concrete piers. Out the back was a combined laundry bathroom and lavatory. The bath was tin and water for the bath was heated in the wood fired copper and carried across by bucket. In the 1950s we got an enamelled bath and chip heater.The lavatories were connected initially to septic tanks one of which still sits in Stirling Park right where they intend to put the ‘undeveloped road’ (Block 4, Section 128) to connect Empire Circuit to Forster Crescent. If built it would also take out our tree planted by the then oldest men, plaque, George Sykes’ gum (in his yard – but probably over 200 years of age.

The cottages were all gone by the end of 1965 and as tenants left from the mid 1950s (some relet to New Australians) they were sold off and moved to new sites – some are in Queanbeyan and others at the coast. George Sykes was the last to leave and the flats he built in his backyard to rent out to newcomers were pulled down. The floors of the flats are still in situ in the park – behind out plaque – the pines nearby aree George’s hedge and he was the first taxi owner driver in Canberra – next door was Ernie Corey – the most highly decorated chap in WW1.
Ann

old canberran4:31 pm 03 Aug 09

Skidbladnir said :

Old Canberra, do you have a permalink to that 1933 map?
I would be interested to see what used to be where, and do a Google overlay of it for reference purposes.
(Like the ‘swimming pool’ at the riverbend would now be the deepest point of the lake, off the shore from the Museum?)

Skidbladnir, I have uploaded a 1930 circa map of Canberra compliments of Ann. It’s in 2 parts but it may not be large enough for you:-
http://vk2ce.com/scan0001.jpg
http://vk2ce.com/scan0002.jpg

ann, did it ever snow at westlake? I have seen pictures of acton in the 50’s which show deep drifts of snow, in fact one year a snowplough was brought down from the snowies to clear the road, it was so deep.

did you experience snow at all?

old canberran2:53 pm 03 Aug 09

Skidbladnir said :

Old Canberra, do you have a permalink to that 1933 map?
I would be interested to see what used to be where, and do a Google overlay of it for reference purposes.
(Like the ‘swimming pool’ at the riverbend would now be the deepest point of the lake, off the shore from the Museum?)

I only have a copy of the actual map which I obtained from the National Library. The handwritten reference on the bottom is G8984.C3G45 1933 copy 9. It covers Ainslie in the North to Canberra Grammar in the South and is the size of a normal tourist map. Quite large B5 I think is the size.
The bits I have shown on here I have scanned.

The swimming at Molonglo adjacent to the now glasworks (Then powerstation) was very popular because it utilised the outfall of the cooling water for the power station as a source of warm swimming water. Imagesearch on the national archives webpage has a few pictures of this. Would hyperlink but I have already done my share of those today 😛

Ann, awesome stories, would love to have a yarn one day – I am a real sucker for local history – both natural and manmade.

Sorry – should be clearer – the Acton Pool was of course, in the river – down near Lennox Crossing which was the bridge at the end of the road that continued down from the hospital. Ann

I have copies of many of the early maps – the Acton Swimming Hole was on the river near Lennox Crossing – the easiest way to describe it today is a continuation of the road down from the 1940s Canberra Community Hospital on to Commonwealth Avenue. This pool was according to some stories – bottomless – or rather no one found the bottom – it was probably part of the cave systems that run under that part of Canberra. There are caves under Civic Centre and an underground stream there with Aboriginal paintings (shown to Terry Horan – deceased – by his father). During the construction of the newer of the two National Libaries (early one in Kings Avenue) a have been told that during one pour of concrete they filled part of one of the underground caves –

The other main early pool before the opening of “The Swimming Pool’ – now the Manuka Pool – in the early thirties – was near the Power House. At both sites there were changing areas and swimming meets along with diving exhibtions etc. The Westlake Swimming Hole was off the pontoon bridge that connected the two sides of the Royal Canberra Golf Links – the Links were behind the Hotel Canberra on the south side of the river and on the north side below the Acton Cottages.

The Acton Swimming Hole I am not sure of – Frank Dunshea’s story on my web tells of their place and the Westridge Swimming Hole was near Corkhill’s Weir – near the site of the Water Police place which was build near Corkhill’s Dairy (two storey house built in the 1990s) by a chap named Young for Fred Campbell.

Incidentally to change the subject slightly if you want to see an example of a building by Contactor John Howie’s (of Westlake) men’s – The Ainslie Hall began its life as the Masonic Lodge at Acton then moved to Russell Hill (near modern Campbell Shops) where it became a school for the Russell Hill children (orig 120 humpies – 1926-1950s)and in 130/31 financial year after the closing of the school moved to its present site. It has had a few additions but not many.

Another early buidling is the Scout Hall in Hovea St O’Connor – it was one of the Engineers’ Mess buildings opposite the Power House (c1921 or a little later) – moved in 1926 to near the railway station to become the Friendly Society Hall and in the 60s or a little later to its present site and purpose
Ann

He was the photographer Peterh.

Danman said :

Holy Crap… p1, have you overlayed that blueprint in your google maps map ?

Looks like it would be a good find… I know that there is a heritage listed stack near the RSPCA on the southern side of Cotter Rd – this is from the original sewer system circa 1970’s – behind the RSPCA there is actually old settling beds and closer down to the molonglo there is actually a concrete “pool’ that I assume was used for the sewage farm as well.

This is a picture from NLA of some workers descending into a tunnel in Weston – so you would assume they are pretty deep..

Old beds and concrete structure can be seen here

Keeping in mind technology was primitive back in the day of Westlake…. they deserve a lot of respect for making what we take for granted

notice the name of the guy decending into the tunnel?

is he related to zed?

Old Canberra, do you have a permalink to that 1933 map?
I would be interested to see what used to be where, and do a Google overlay of it for reference purposes.
(Like the ‘swimming pool’ at the riverbend would now be the deepest point of the lake, off the shore from the Museum?)

Oh and NLA has a picture from 1926 by William James Midenhall (1891-1962) of Sewer Camp, Westbourne Woods

Very interesting…

While you’re on the NLA website, check out Midenhall’s other pictures – very Old Canberran style – but earlier… interesting.

Holy Crap… p1, have you overlayed that blueprint in your google maps map ?

Looks like it would be a good find… I know that there is a heritage listed stack near the RSPCA on the southern side of Cotter Rd – this is from the original sewer system circa 1970’s – behind the RSPCA there is actually old settling beds and closer down to the molonglo there is actually a concrete “pool’ that I assume was used for the sewage farm as well.

This is a picture from NLA of some workers descending into a tunnel in Weston – so you would assume they are pretty deep..

Old beds and concrete structure can be seen here

Keeping in mind technology was primitive back in the day of Westlake…. they deserve a lot of respect for making what we take for granted

The sewer which Ann mentions above is this one.

It must have taken a lot of energy using the tools of the day. And as someone who has entered these type spaces using all of today’s OHS mandated equipment, going up and down those shafts in a steam driven bucket would have been a whole different game.

old canberran11:40 am 03 Aug 09

Thanks Ann. All good information, most of which I didn’t know.:)

Not sure if my answer to the last question went through – sewer miners built the main intercepting sewer – which in the early sections was and is a tunnel – lined with cement I think. It is around one and half times the height of a man and around two or three metres across. The tunnel links the old sewerage treatment works at Western Creek to the area of Parliament House, Commonwealth Avenue etc. The sewer work began in 1915 – went on hold 1916 (war) and restarted again around 1921 – Four major tent camps (two men to each tent) – each around 100 to 150 men -many of whom came from Araluen, near Braidwood etc (when mines closes)- No 1 Camp near the turnoff to RSPCA (sewer vent can be seen from this area) No 2 Camp near the corner of modern Banks and Brown Streets Yarralumla – No 3 Camp ‘The Gap’ Westlake and No 4 on south side of Molonglo River opposite Provisional Parliament House.

Each camp had a timber Mess room – and in the case of Westlake when No 3 left they left the Mess (which was galvanised iron walls) which became our hall.

At Westlake (Stirling Ridge) the sewer miners found a sewer lode about 40ft down – this is the deepest shaft in the system. The men were lowered down into the tunnel by winch – steam driven traction engine doing the work – the mullock brought up in buckets and moved along the hill on rail lines – big dumps left near the vent and down between cottages 28-53 Westlake near the corner of Empire Circuit and Forster Crescent.

On Stirling Ridge you will see a concrete trench and numerous slabs – don’t jump on the slabs – one caps the shaft which I hope has been filled in… if not…

Also many of the miners were tunnelers in WW1

Ann

old canberran9:27 pm 02 Aug 09

che said :

and in relation to the Sewer Camp designation, because thats what it said on the plaques down there, maybe that was just a name, maybe it was a description, anyone care to enlighten us?

I suggest it was because that is what they were working on, the sewage treatment plant.

and in relation to the Sewer Camp designation, because thats what it said on the plaques down there, maybe that was just a name, maybe it was a description, anyone care to enlighten us?

Took the pack of hounds down there on Saturday at lunchtime and they had a lovely romp around besides one getting pushed into a hole filled with water by another.

Thanks Old Canberran, Ann, and others. I think I Might have to print out this thread and go for a walk!

I have a web-page which has a Walk Around Westlake brochure that I wrote in the late 1990s that may be of interest. The page is http://hiddencanberra.webs.com/ – This walk is about the Westlake Settlement in ‘The Gap’ which is part of the old pathway. The area of Stirling Park is a small pocket of land that survived development but is gradually being whittled away – some of the big gums on Stirling Ridge are between 300 and 500 years of age and this is the major area where the endangered wild flower – button wrinklewort – grows. Westlake was the major site for construction workers in the 1920s – population 700 – one settlement – Molonglo – which was the converted ex-interment camp converted into 120 cottages and single accommodation for 150 tradesmen (now Fyshwick) had 750. This information along with information about eg Gorman House (built in 1925 originally named Hotel Ainslie – built for single ladies – typiste (with ‘e’ for female) and the Bachelors Quarters (Acton 1912 – now part of ANU opposite Canberra House) etc etc is in an essay – Overview of Where They Lived 1909-1959 – introduction) on the web.

I haven’t produced a walk brochure for the land opposite Lotus Bay and that is well worthwhile walking along – if coming from the Yacht Club side (old Briar Farm) walk up the walking path and keep an eye out for the old road (1860s-) off to the left. Follow the road and on the upper side are Howie’s Cottages site – you will pass another old road going up the hill – near that corner is an old car body – used to be red and has a wooden chasis – more house sites – concrete slabs etc – quagmire (recognised because it is green, overgrown and often soggy) and the next site on the upper part of the hill is the area of the Tradesmen’s Camp Ablution blocks – there are trenches etc etc – other sites on both sides of the old road as you go along. There is even a strawberry patch marked between Howie’s and Tradesmen’s – concrete post marking it. I nearly forgot there was some mining – probably gold – small scale – on Stirling Ridge and the hill opposite Lotus Bay. Stirling Ridge also has sewer mining workings – there are big tunnels that run from western creek area under Stirling Ridge and the hill opposite Lotus Bay up to old Parliament House etc. The sewer vent on Stirling Ridge is 1925 – one of three surviving ones.

But most of all – the area of the park is a great place to walk – including the dogs – and watch out for the friendly maggies – leave food anywhere and it is gone. Ann

Canberra was crying out for workers, right from the get-go. I can’t remember where my grandfather lived when he came to build parliament house and other buildings, but when he got married they had a house in Eastlake. My grandmother didn’t like it as she thought it was rough, and was pleased when they scored a place in Ainslie.

Later on when they imported scores of women from all over Australia to be typists etc in the public service, they put them in the various hostels (Reid House, Lennox, Gorman etc) so they could guard them, by the sounds of it, it was like really bad boarding school. I imagine that was to motivate them to go get married, which many of them duly did.

yeah… why unwanted JohnBoy? And why SEWER camp?

From my understanding there was lots of work around at this time when they were building the new Capital of Australia. I think ‘workers’ were very much wanted and actually made up the majority of the population here (if the Westlake ones alone made up one fifth). The politicians and government departments were still primarily based in Sydney and Melbs so there were not so many of them around yet.

My mother grew up in Westlake until they moved to Acton when the lake (which I think they all knew was coming) was being dug up. There are books about these people – they still gather to share stories – we visit those memorials around the lake and remember the community that once lived there and their invaluable contribution to the building of this city. A lot were immigrants and their kids and grandkids now own stacks of the prime real estate in this town.

Nothing wrong with being working class, my friends.

GardeningGirl9:36 pm 01 Aug 09

churl said :

Dont trust that Google Map to find Lennox Gardens!

Yeah, I was wondering about that . . .

old canberran2:18 pm 01 Aug 09

I have uploaded a section of a 1933 map which shows exactly where the Westlake cottages were:
http://lighthouses.net.au/ScanImage001.jpg
Just about where the US embassy now is. You can also make out the Acton cottages near the hall and tennis courts.

I recommend going into the reserve from the entrance behind the mosque at Yarralumla (actually to the right side, looking from the front). Then walk, or ride mountain bike, along ridge then follow the trails down the ridge line, heading East thought the old Westlake area. You’ll see the above mentioned remnants of concrete and brick scattered about the place.

it’s nice to find history in canberra, i’m going to check it out, thanks for the info

old canberran9:28 pm 31 Jul 09

Quote:”Apparently 700 of the unwanted working class lived there in 1925, one fifth of the population of the Territory at the time.”

JB Where did the word “unwanted” come from as a matter of interest. There were several workers camps spread around Canberra from the early days up until the late 50’s, but I don’t believe any of them housed unwanted people.
For example there was Eastlake, Westlake, Acton cottages, the Causeway, Hillside and Capital Hill Hostels and the Narrabundah prefabs all of which were low cost accommodation some single and some married quarters.

Gorman House, Acton Guest House, Beauchamps House, Reid and Mulwala hostels for for single public servants who had moved here for work. I may have missed one or two.

There’s actually a Westlake sign on the corner of Empire Circuit and Forster Crescent too.

It’s visible on streetview, just. If you look into the corner where Empire Circuit continues for a few metres before the striped black/white sign, you can see it just to the left of the power pole.

Die Lefty Scum4:21 pm 31 Jul 09

$hit like this is kool.

The buildings would have been recycled, this was post WW2, or sent to the Fyshwick tips. There was a dire housing shortage and the lake was coming.

I know old demountables from Eastlake were used for sports fields.

The Narrabundah Pre-Fabs originally were plywood built for tradesmen in about 1947. The plywood was treated in the same process as the Mosquito Planes. The fibro was added later!

See part of letter to the Canberra Times 1 Feb 1954 below.

“ Sir.-The correspondence which has appeared in recent weeks
on the Canberra lakes scheme is interesting and timely, but the
little stir it has aroused surely indicates a public indifference as
substantial as the apparent lack of official concern. The lakes
scheme has been drastically reduced since the war,
First by elimination of Eastlake and secondly by reduction of Westlake.
There does not seem to have been much reaction to this. Abandonment
of the scheme together, which is not inconceivable would on present evidence
be met with little regret. This would be a tragic development and the way to prevent
it ever happening is also the way to get something on account by a real public interest in the
question. The lakes scheme is an integral feature of Canberra’s development without a water
vista the whole purpose of the division between the two parts of the city is altogether lost, and
no subsequent development of the section as parkland, or as a built-up area would be as good…”

John Boyd
Acton

i believe gorman house was also originally worker accommodation…

Dont trust that Google Map to find Lennox Gardens!

Clown Killer11:21 am 31 Jul 09

You can spend hours exploring the hill side there with dogs and kids – there’s all sorts of things to find. It also looks like it would b fun tootling around on those trails on a mountain bike as well.

Peewee Slasher11:09 am 31 Jul 09

Anne Gugler is considered to be the authorative historian on Westlake, having lived there herself. There is a lot of information about Westlake, Blandfordia, Cotter, Internment camps, all in our history.

And why couldn’t we keep this policy?

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