Cape Leeuwin water wheel, sometimes called the petrified water wheel, is a non-operating

water wheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a large wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with numerous b ...

, near

Cape Leeuwin Cape Leeuwin is the most south-westerly (but not most southerly) mainland point of the Australian continent, in the state of Western Australia. Description A few small islands and rocks, the St Alouarn Islands, extend further in Flinders ...

, in the south-west of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. It was used to pump fresh water to the

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse __NOTOC__ The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on the headland of Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly point on the mainland of the Australian Continent, in the state of Western Australia. Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse was construct ...

. It is notable both for its coastal location and because it has become heavily calcified. The water wheel is located above a small cove, approximately to the north of the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse cottages. The base of the water wheel structure is just above the high-tide sea level. The water wheel was constructed in 1895 by the contractor building the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, the partnership of Maurice Davies and John Wishart. Water to power the wheel was taken from a freshwater spring in a wetland about away. The overshot water wheel had a maximum speed of "over 30 revolutions per minute", and drove a pumping arrangement—known as a "

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

force pump"—that included a

hydraulic ram A hydraulic ram pump, ram pump, or hydram is a cyclic pump, cyclic water pump powered by hydropower. It takes in water at one "hydraulic head" (pressure) and flow rate, and outputs water at a higher hydraulic head and lower flow rate. The device ...

, which, in turn, pumped some of the water via a small pipeline to the site of the lighthouse. The design of the water wheel is unusual in that tail water is restrained by an overflowing reservoir, and part of the tail water is diverted to the pipeline. Originally, the piped water was used to make

mortar Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...

during the construction of the lighthouse. It was later used as a domestic water supply for those living in the cottages at the lighthouse.Interpretive sign at the location of the water wheel. The water was pumped into an elevated storage tank, above ground level. By the late 1920s, the water wheel had become a minor tourist attraction, with one visitor opining, The water wheel and pump were still running in 1931, and apparently as late as 1935, but had been retired by 1937, having been replaced by a windmill. According to one report, the water wheel stopped being used around October 1936. In 1938, a new pumping system was installed. The lighthouse was connected to the Augusta town water supply in 1978. The water wheel was regularly photographed over time. The water wheel was incorporated into the lighthouse precinct in land management plans in the early 2000s. The spring water that feeds the water wheel is calcium rich and over the years the wheel became heavily encrusted with deposited calcium compounds, which stopped it rotating but also preserved it. When the wheel stopped turning is uncertain, but it appears to have been functional to at least 1940. By 1956, the

flume A flume is a human-made channel for water, in the form of an open declined gravity chute whose walls are raised above the surrounding terrain, in contrast to a trench or ditch. Flumes are not to be confused with aqueducts, which are built to t ...

to the waterwheel was dilapidated and no longer delivering water to the wheel and it remained in that state until at least 1960; it was restored by the end of 1962. Over the years, the flow from the spring has decreased and the flow to the now-stationary wheel is provided by an electric pump. The calcified remains of the wheel are kept moist by the flow, to prevent cracking. The air chamber of the hydraulic ram remains in place, on the southern side of the structure. The water wheel and its associated structures are on various heritage registers. The site is within the

Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is a national park in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of Western Australia, south of Perth. It is named after the two Cape (geography), capes either end of the park, Cape Leeuwin and Cape N ...

, and lies near the southern terminus of the

Cape to Cape Track The Cape to Cape Walk Track is a long-distance hiking, walk trail located in the far south-west corner of Western Australia, south of Perth. It meanders along the whole length of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, which forms the backbone of the ...

Notes

References

{{Coord, 34, 22, 7.7, S, 115, 08, 7.4, E, display=title Water wheels in Australia Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia Buildings and structures completed in 1895 State Register of Heritage Places in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River M. C. Davies Karri and Jarrah company