Barossa Reservoir is a
reservoir in the
Australian state
The states and territories are federated administrative divisions in Australia, ruled by regional governments that constitute the second level of governance between the federal government and local governments. States are self-governing ...
of
South Australia, built between 1899 and 1902 to supply water to
Gawler and other northern country areas. Built at a cost of almost
A£
The pound (Sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. As with other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol s ...
170,000 the reservoir was hailed on completion as an engineering marvel, and with the reservoir wall rising to a height of , it was, at the time of its completion, the highest dam wall in Australia.
Location and features
The thin
arch
An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it.
Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...
of the dam retaining wall, curved against the pressure of the water, was an innovation considered radical, and attracted the Reservoir international attention.
It was featured in the ''
Scientific American'' and caused the ''American Engineers News'' to remark that its "boldness of design deserves to rank with the most famous dams in the world".
The dam is notable for its
parabola effect, where a voice can be heard clearly from one side to the other – over , end to end. This unusual acoustic phenomenon is a popular tourist attraction, and has earned the dam the title "Whispering Wall" (see
Whispering gallery).
During construction large stones were used in the wall to save concrete and tram rails were used to reinforce the upper section. The Barossa Reservoir was formed by damming the Yettie Creek gorge in the northern
Mount Lofty Ranges, a feat that took over 400 men.
Its water comes through a tunnel, carved by horse power, from the
South Para River and
Reservoir, and is supplemented by the
Warren Reservoir
The Warren Reservoir is a water storage created by a dam on the South Para River in the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of ...
and the
River Murray
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest r ...
. In addition to Gawler and country, a filtration plant constructed in 1982
allows the Reservoir to supply the suburbs of
Munno Para and
Elizabeth.
The dam's vegetated surrounds are also protected. Aside from its acoustic attraction, the Whispering Wall offers great views of both the Barossa Reservoir and the surrounding, well-preserved natural bounty. The area abounds in thick scrub, tall red gums, and pines, and a flourishing bird and animal life. It is a popular destination for picnics and bird-watching.
In 2008, its engineering heritage was recognized by the installation of a marker provided by the
Engineers Australia's
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.
Key statistics
*Capacity:
*Length of wall:
*Height of wall:
*Depth at wall:
*Type of wall: Concrete arch
Incidents
At approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday 21 April 2021, Henry Shepherdson jumped from the wall with his 9-month-old daughter, Kobi, strapped to him, amongst disturbed onlookers. The father was pronounced dead upon arrival of paramedics and the child later died at the scene. The incident was deemed a murder-suicide as there were witnesses who testify that Henry jumped as opposed to falling. There was a history of domestic violence between Kobi's mother and father.
Gallery
Whispering wall concave.jpg, The Whispering Wall carries sounds clearly over
Barossa reservoir.jpg, Barossa Reservoir from the air
See also
*
List of reservoirs and dams in Australia
References
{{Reservoirs in South Australia
Barossa Valley
Reservoirs in South Australia
Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers
Arch dams