Golden Pipeline

Burracoppin’s Hunts Well is south of the town. Charles Hunt of Hunt’s Wells fame travelled through here on his expeditions and a well was constructed.  This became one of his main depots. The nearby impressive granite outcrop was recorded in 1864 as Burancooping Rock and sometimes Lansdowne Hill.

Below are extracts from Hunt’s 1865 expedition journey, relating to this well, quoted on their website by a group of present-day explorers who have tried to find, assess and record all his wells.

23 February 1865. Thursday. 0^h 30^m p.m. halt at Burrancooping found the remainder of the party on sinking a well, collecting stone, timber etc. 5^h p.m. discontinued sinking untill I can collect materials to build it up with at once, as it is impossible to get on with sinking it being through sand and the water coming in very fast, more than two men can bale out and keep under.

24 February 1865. Friday. … the whole of the party engaged about the well, collecting and casting stone, timber & after much trouble we succeeded in getting in the foundation for the well, the sand and water coming in at fast as four men could bale. …. 5h p.m. finished the well No.9 which proves to be a very good one, depth 7 feet, breadth at bottom 7½ feet, top 9½ feet, the water flowed in at the rate of about 150 gallons per hour, to the depth of three feet.

Not quite 30 years later a tank or dam was built at the lowest point at the base of Burancooping Rock and runoff from rain was channelled into it. A railway dam, although people as well as trains relied on it.