Rowville Water Sindicate

The following account was prepared by an unknown author. I’d be grateful if anybody could let me know who the person is so that he/she can be acknowledged. I believe that the story may have been one of several documents written by local people in the mid 1950s to assist Helen Coulson with the writing of “Story of the Dandenongs”.
This account tells of the dogged persistence of Rowville landholders in the 1950s to obtain a reticulated water supply. Their efforts were extraordinary. First there was their never-say-die lobbying and then their months of toil. Just imagine weekend working bees over three months to dig a trench almost a metre deep over a distance of more than four kilometres. And all with hand tools! That’s persistence with a capital P. The Rowville Water Syndicate provided the only reticulated drinking water in the area until large scale development extended gradually from the north to the south in Rowville from the mid 1970s onwards.
Bryan Power

When the Commonwealth Government compulsorily acquired 240 acres of land on Stud Road Rowville from Mrs Joyce Pinnock in 1942 for the purposes of establishing a military base, the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission extended a 12 inch (30 centimetres) main northerly along Stud Road to the camp, and in order to ensure an adequate supply of water for the troops erected a storage tank of 250,000 gallons (1,016,522 litres).

Military Camp Demolished
The camp was demolished in 1946 and the buildings sold for removal but owing to political pressure by Sir George Knox, the 12 inch main was allowed to remain but the storage tank of 250,000 gallons was sold for scrap. We are informed that the tender was only 25 pounds.

Extension of Main
Repeated attempts by the residents to have the main extended to serve the surrounding farms were met with firm refusals from the Commission who advised the deputations that as they lived in a high rainfall area it would be to their interests to construct their own dams.
However, in 1953 after a further application to the Commission, the residents sought political assistance from Sir George Knox and R. R. Rawson but were again refused, the Commission stating that the supply for the Mornington Peninsula was fully taxed and under these circumstances could not allow any further extension of the main and secondly the cost of the extension would be prohibitive, further they therefore advised the applicants to seek an alternative supply.
In June 1953 a further deputation through the agency of Sir George Knox waited on the Commission and eventually received permission to tap the main and extend a 3 inch (7.6) centimetre) fibrolite pipe to provide supply for 20 consumers, with the proviso that the cost of the extension – 3,100 pounds – be borne by the users.
Two further deputations to the Commission were successful in obtaining a 6 inch (15.2 centimetres) in lieu of the 3 inch main for 40 chain, (804 metres) along Stud Road and a further concession was the granting of one chain (20 metres) per tenement free for each consumer.
Commissioner McCoy at this stage informed the delegates that “only at a moment’s weakness had he given Sir George Knox his word to allow the extension of the main and under no circumstances would he grant further concessions or receive further deputations.”
It was at this point that the Rowville Water Syndicate was formed, the committee comprising of Councillor B. M. Seebeck (Chairman), E. Gearon (Secretary), J.J. Gearon, R. Gill, J. Tackerberry (Works Manager), A. A. Drummond, F. Redding, S. Finn and W. Bickerton.
From this stage onwards the State Rivers were very helpful, the committee receiving great assistance from their Divisional Engineer, Mr Walker.
The total length of the extension was 205 chains (4122 m) comprising of 40 chains (804 m) of 6 inch fibrolite pipe northerly along Stud Road, 75 chains (1508 m) of 3 inch fibrolite easterly along Wellington Road and 90 chains (1810 m) of two inch (5 cm) galvanised iron pipe westerly along Wellington to supply 22 consumers.
Great difficulty was experienced in financing the scheme and much thought was given so that every consumer would be financially in a position to become a member of the syndicate as only by gaining the support of every user could the scheme be a success.
The scheme which was finally adopted and signed by every landholder was in the form of shares of 40 pounds each. The members in Stud Road took out one share and the members in Wellington Road two shares, the balance being obtained from the Bank of NSW in Dandenong. The whole of this money was obtained in one night at a meeting held in Miss Bergin’s shop in Wellington Road.
On 23 February 1954 the syndicate commenced the work of excavation, laying and refilling the trench. The excavation 3 feet (.9 metre), laying of pipes and backfilling of the trench was done by voluntary labour thus saving the syndicate 1400 pounds. The work under the supervision of a S. R. & W. S. ganger was completed in three months. This line is now known as the Rowville extension and is owned by the Water Syndicate who control all cappings.