Cape Leeuwin Waterwheel

Location: Leeuwin Road, Augusta
Coordinate: S34°22.1332′ E115°08.1342′

After our visit to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, we stopped by at this historic waterwheel. It is just located next to the lighthouse. The waterwheel is surrounded by ocean, rocks and Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.

The water-wheel sytem was built in 1895 to supply water for the stone masons of the lighthouse (builders were Wishart & Davies) and water to the lighthouse-keepers' cottages. The water is supplied by a natural fall from a spring that exists in marshland approximately 330 metres away, which in turn created a flow over the wheel which revolved and activated a ram pump to deliver water by pipe to the lighthouse area.

The water wheel has now calcified from the lime in the water, and although the wheel no longer turns water still trickles over the structure, as fresh as the day the water wheel was first erected.

Restoration work was carried out on the waterwheel from October 2001 to December 2001 by Doug Miller, who is a member of the Augusta Historical Society.

One may find more information from:
http://www.southwestlife.com.au/articles/augustas-water-wheel.html