Cunderdin Museum Pump Station No 3

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Cunderdin Museum Pump Station No 3 Pump Station No. 3 on the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail was built in 1902 to house the original ste Y. W.

About Cunderdin Museum:
In 1974 the No 3 Pump Station was classified by the National Trust (WA) and in 1999 it was permanently entered on the Heritage Council of Western Australia’s State Register of Heritage Places. The following statement of significance was prepared by the Heritage Council of Western Australia:
“No 3 Pumping Station, a brick and corrugated iron building in a Federation industrial style, constructed to house a pumping station, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
the place is of international importance as a key component of one of the greatest engineering and infrastructure schemes of the late nineteenth century, the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, which was completed in 1903;
the place has rarity value as Australia’s greatest engineering scheme, and is the most tangible infrastructure result of the discovery of gold in Western Australia;
part of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, the place was a key element in the pattern of social, demographic and economic development and resource exploitation in the State. The whole enterprise is an indication of the importance of gold to the regional and national economy at the end of the nineteenth century;
the place has important associations with Australian technological innovation, as well as social and political imagination and ambition. The place is associated with a number of notable figures including the scheme’s designer C. O’Connor and Premier Sir John Forrest, as well as Director H. Venn and the architects and engineers of the Public Works Department;
the place has aesthetic value as a well designed purpose built industrial structure expressive of the public importance and ambition of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme; and,
the place has the potential to communicate its history and historical context and thus improve public understanding of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.

25/09/2026

The museum is closed Saturday and Sunday this long weekend
We are open Monday 10am -4pm

06/09/2026

Thirty years ago in September, Mundaring Weir overflowing became one of those wonderful Perth events that turned a simple force of nature into a community celebration.

After an exceptionally wet winter, anticipation had been building through August 1996. On 6 August the reservoir was already at 83 per cent capacity—up dramatically from 25 per cent only two weeks earlier—and authorities warned that it might soon spill. By 23 August it had reached 95 per cent, just 40 centimetres below the spillway.

Then it happened. In early September, water finally poured over Mundaring Weir's great spillway, the first overflow in 22 years. The spectacle caused enormous excitement around Perth. Around 10,000 people headed into the hills to see it, creating such crowds that extra parking and temporary traffic arrangements were needed.

And really, who could blame them?

This wasn't a theme park or an organised festival. Families packed the kids into the car and drove up the hill simply to stand together and watch water tumble over a dam wall. There were cameras everywhere, children staring over the edge and older West Australians remembering the days when seeing Mundaring overflow wasn't nearly so extraordinary. Contemporary accounts describe the dam grounds as packed with curious spectators and amateur photographers.

There was something deeper behind the excitement too. Mundaring Weir was already one of Western Australia's great landmarks—the heart of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme and forever associated with C. Y. O'Connor. Seeing it full and overflowing somehow made the old engineering marvel come alive again.

What nobody standing there in 1996 could have appreciated was just how historic the moment would become.

Mundaring Weir has not overflowed since. Perth's changing rainfall and dramatically reduced catchment runoff have made scenes such as 1996 increasingly unlikely. In fact, average inflow into Perth's dams has fallen by about 80 per cent over the past 50 years.

So when we look back at those photographs and home movies today, we're seeing more than water going over a wall.

We're looking at a Perth memory.

Cars filling the roads into the hills. Families walking towards the weir. Thousands standing shoulder-to-shoulder waiting for that magnificent curtain of water.

And thirty years later, there would be plenty of younger West Australians who have never seen Mundaring Weir overflow at all.

Were you one of the thousands who made the trip to Mundaring in 1996? What do you remember about that day?

09/07/2026

The museum will be closed this Friday to Sunday
10th -12th July
We are open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm next week.

02/06/2026

The museum will be closing at early this Thursday.
We are open Thursday 4th June from 10am to 2pm

29/05/2026

The museum is closed for the long weekend.
We are open Tuesday from 10am

Today we proudly celebrate a truly remarkable milestone — the 100th birthday of Betty Stokes, OAM, the Museum’s first cu...
26/05/2026

Today we proudly celebrate a truly remarkable milestone — the 100th birthday of Betty Stokes, OAM, the Museum’s first curator and one of the driving forces behind the preservation of our shire’s rich history and heritage.
Alongside her husband James and the inaugural Museum Committee, Betty played an instrumental role in establishing and developing the Cunderdin Museum, helping create a lasting legacy for our community and future generations.
Betty undertook curatorial training with the State Museum and, as Honorary Curator for more than three decades, established a high standard of curatorship, care and professionalism that continues to influence and inspire the Museum today.
Even today, with all our technological advances and modern resources, we continue to rely on the accuracy and depth of research Betty undertook throughout her years with the Museum. Her curatorial records remain impeccable and stand as a testament to her dedication, knowledge and extraordinary attention to detail.
Through the countless hours contributed by Betty and the inaugural Committee, many important stories, artefacts and memories of Cunderdin and Meckering have been preserved and shared for all to appreciate. Their contribution to both the community and heritage preservation is something to be immensely proud of.
On behalf of the Museum Team and Committee, we extend our warmest congratulations and very best wishes to Betty on this extraordinary milestone. Thank you for your passion, commitment and enduring legacy.
Happy 100th Birthday, Betty!

Photos: Betty Stokes receiving Order of Australia Medal 1990
Cutting the cake :Cunderdin Museum 25th celebrations

23/05/2026

Due to an extended power outage today the museum is closed until Sunday 24th May.

Today we celebrate International Museum Day — recognising the important role museums play in preserving stories, sharing...
18/05/2026

Today we celebrate International Museum Day — recognising the important role museums play in preserving stories, sharing knowledge, and connecting communities with their heritage.

At the Cunderdin Museum, every building, object and photograph helps tell the story of our district and the people who shaped it. From the iconic No. 3 Pump Station and the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, to the history of Rabbit Proof Fence No. 2, the Meckering earthquake, local farming, transport, military and community life — these collections help preserve the stories that define our region and Western Australia’s history.

Museums are more than collections; they are places of memory, learning and connection. We thank our volunteers, supporters, visitors and community members who continue to help preserve and share Cunderdin’s unique heritage for future generations.

If you haven’t visited lately, International Museum Day is the perfect reminder to explore the stories waiting right here in our own backyard.

On this day, 22 April 1902, a defining moment in Western Australia’s history unfolded as water from the Goldfields Water...
22/04/2026

On this day, 22 April 1902, a defining moment in Western Australia’s history unfolded as water from the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme (GWSS) reached Cunderdin for the very first time
This milestone was marked by a “turning on the water” celebration, attended by Premier George Leake, whose leadership played a crucial role in shaping the scheme’s future.

Notably, Leake had sanctioned a Royal Commission into the GWSS—reflecting the doubts and scrutiny surrounding such an ambitious project. Yet, on this day, the vision began to speak for itself.
Even as construction continued along the line, the scheme was already delivering results.

Just weeks later, water reached Merredin No. 4 Pumping Station, demonstrating beyond doubt that the system worked. What was once questioned was now proven viable—an engineering feat that would sustain communities, support agriculture, and transform life across the inland.

The arrival of water at Cunderdin was more than symbolic—it was the beginning of a new era for the Wheatbelt and the Goldfields.


Image Details:
Ceremony as the water reaches the No.3 Pumping Station at Cunderdin, Goldfields Water Supply Scheme
Sourced from the collections of the State Library of Western Australia and reproduced with the permission of the Library Board of Western Australia. Image No: 000845D/ slwa_b1927002_1

Address

Forrest Street
Cunderdin, WA
6407

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+61896351291

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