Golden Pipeline

National Trust of WA

Explore The Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail

A self-guided drive trail between the Perth Hills and Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields. Go with the Flow. Follow the water to discover more about the audacious goldfields water supply scheme and Engineer CY O’Connor.

Discover The people and the Scheme

“Future generations, I am quite certain will think of us and bless us for our far seeing patriotism, and it will be said of us, as Isaiah said of old, ‘They made a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” – Sir John Forrest

Merredin to Yerbillon Towns

Yerbillon

No 5 Pumping Station is actually just west of Yerbillon which was a railway siding on the Eastern Railway, extended as far as Kalgoorlie in 1895.

For practical purposes pumping stations were built at suitable locations along the railway line with a siding off the main line to take equipment, such as the pumping machinery, bricks and, in fact, everything required to the exact spot.

Battye Library. A derailing at Yerbillon.

No 5 is at the 270 km mark from Mundaring Weir along the pipe track. Its positioning was largely determined by the lift from No 4 since a decision was made to equalise the lifts between stations.  Close proximity to the railway for delivery of building materials, machinery parts and fuel was also important.

If you were to travel a few kilometres from No 5 along the pipeline maintenance track (not sealed) you would find it curves around a Kurrajong tree that marks the spot of the old stopping point of Yerbillon on the railway line. It was immortalised in a sketch included in a project done by Marianne Seitz who was schooled there after coming to Australia with her family as Displaced Persons after the Second World War.

 A drawing from Marianne Seitz of the kurrajong tree at the railway stop in Yerbillon.
Marianne Seitz

Despite its isolation, several former residents thoroughly enjoyed their time spent there. Edna Lorman, for instance has recorded recollections of her childhood years at No 5 and Joan Hutchinson prepared them for presentation.

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