Day 26 Laverton To Kalgoorlie
We stopped at Niagara Dam for lunch. It was one of our favourite places to visit, when we lived in the goldfields.
Niagara Dam was constructed by the Railways Department in 1897 – 1898. The intention was that the dam would provide plentiful fresh water for the locomotives that would soon be steaming along the new railway linking Kalgoorlie with Malcolm.
Coolgardie based contractors were engaged to build the dam at a tendered price of 42,000 pounds. The actual work ended up costing 62,000 pounds. The huge quantity of powdered cement needed for construction was sent by rail from Perth to Coolgardie. It was then transported the remaining 220kms to Niagara, by camel.
By the time the dam was completed, it had accumulated very little water due to a lack of rainfall. To make matters worse a plentiful supply of good underground water had been located at nearby Kookynie.
It is now a popular camping and picnic spot.
