Launceston Water Supply - Historic Engineering Marker #92 Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
By
Team MavEtJu on 11-Oct-15. Waypoint GA7567
Cache Details
| Difficulty: | |
| Terrain: | |
| Type: | Virtual |
| Container: | Virtual |
| Coordinates: | S41° 26.427' E147° 8.423' (WGS 84) |
| 55G 511727E 5412337N (UTM) | |
| Elevation: | 14 m |
| Local Government Area: | Launceston |
/147.140383,-41.44045,14/400x200?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiY2F1Z2h0YXR3b3JrIiwiYSI6ImNqa2l4ZzNzMDE5bjgzdm1sZGpuODF1Mm0ifQ.q8YMzVyzDJJlJHHV8EMjwQ)
Description
Launceston Water Supply - Historic Engineering Marker #92
In 1857 the fledgling municipal council gave Launceston its first reticulated supply by diverting water from the St Patricks River.
Still in operation, this gravity scheme consisted of a diversion weir, water race and tunnel delivering water into Distillery Creek whence it was piped to the High Street and Hill Street reservoirs.
Reticulation served the town centre, surrounding suburbs and the Prince’s Square fountain which was erected to celebrate the opening. Public drinking fountains, volunteer fire brigades and a sewerage system quickly followed.
Contents of the plaque:
In 1857 Launceston's fledgling municipal council constructed its first reticulated water supply which still serves the city centre. Director of Public Works W R Falconer designed the gravity scheme, consisting of a weir, water race and tunnel diverting flow from the St Patricks River into a dam on Distillery Creek. Cast iron pipes delivered the water to brick reservoirs in the town. This fountain was erected to celebrate the opening. By 1860 the town had public drinking fountains, fire brigades and work on a sewerage scheme had begun.
THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA, LAUNCESTON CITY COUNCIL & ESKWATER 2007
When logging this virtual, please add a photo of yourself or your GPSr at the plaque.
For more information, please see the nomination PDF at the Heritage Register at the Engineers Australia website: Nominations
Logs
I was in Launceston so took the opportunity to seek this cache out. The fountain had an interesting history.
out and about with Lil Rafa caching, got to this GZ and the marker was spotted, the photo was easy with the marker not moving at all. TFTV TNBPLN marker dry it was not raining.
Just dropped my mum at the eye clinic for cataract surgery, and walking into town I suddenly thought Caches, and I was right on top of this one. Thanks.
Having arrived back 'home' after today's tour out to the north-west, I decided to take a stroll up to this park for a couple of GCA virtuals. A very nice fountain and I soon had the required pickie at 17:15.
Thanks for the history cache Team MavEtJu.
Thanks for the history cache Team MavEtJu.
Rated: for Overall Experience
I have been walking past this often when working in Launy.... finally stopped and grabbed the pic today!
On an early morning walk I found myself at Princes Square, and what better way to spend a sunny morning than doing a cache. The fountain is certainly an amazing centrepiece to this park. Thanks Team MavEtJu for the cache. Photo supplied.
A lovely park and very interesting to read the history. It was a long time ago to be so well made 
Thanks for bringing us here
Thanks for bringing us hereRated: for Overall Experience
We stuffed ourselves silly at the Thai cafe across the road then wandered into Princes Park well after dark to take a couple of photos for two caches.
Thanks again Team MavEtJu. We've enjoyed finding a few of your Engineering Markers and a few Lighthouses during our holiday.
Thanks again Team MavEtJu. We've enjoyed finding a few of your Engineering Markers and a few Lighthouses during our holiday.
Easy to park nearby late Saturday afternoon. Nice park. TFTC Team MavEtJu.
Rated: for Overall Experience
We are learning so much from this series. Beautiful park. TFTV
Rated: for Overall Experience
I have always enjoyed Princes Square and its magnificent fountain. We came here as the last cache of the day before our 2 1/2 hour drive home. After taking the obligatory photos we have a quick coffee then hit the road. Another HEM ticked off. TFTC
Rated: for Overall Experience
Another HEM off the list, & at a lovely spot too. We weren't concentrating & nearly took the photos at the almost identical but not HEM plaque nearby.
A beautiful fountain in the middle of our home town. Time to tick this one off our list.
Rated: for Overall Experience
A quick find in a park we've visited many times before. Love this fountain. TFTC
#GA893 - 19:00; Back in Tassie on family business, so the opportunity to collect a few more of the local caches was too good to pass up. It was the last night in town, so made it out for a final run to collect a few more on my 'to do' list for this trip. Parked close by and headed in to grab the snap. Encountered a curious tourist and after a quick lesson in Geocaching 101, I was on my way again. TFTC Team MavEtJu 
Rated: for Overall Experience
Quick lunch time stroll though the park.
Beautiful and peaceful place to get away from everything for a while
TFTC
Cheers
Rocket
Beautiful and peaceful place to get away from everything for a while
TFTC
Cheers
Rocket
Rated: for Overall Experience
Another in the series crossed off the list. Impressive fountain in quaint little park in the middle of town.. thanks..!!
Rated: for Overall Experience
Enjoy visit here in the wet day..
will download when I get back home in Geelong
thanks
will download when I get back home in Geelong
thanks
Rated: for Overall Experience
located quickly in Princess Square - very quiet here on the Australia Day holiday
I was in the area due to working up this way.... well that's not the full story so I'll elaborate, last year a few weeks before christmas I was asked if I had time for a short trip to Launceston and I confirmed I could fit it in to help out. I was thinking this will change and be on the back burner by the new year so didnt think anything of it.
Come the new year I was surprised to hear it was still on! So the day before I was to be in Lonnie I was running round booking a car and finding accommodation, the car was easy, getting a room was the hard part so I ended up at the colonial, having stayed there a few dozen times in the past I was pleased to know I'd be staying somewhere nice.
So after a 12 hour day I'm sat in my room thinking what to have for dinner, having eaten at most of the local places I fire up my caching app to see if there are any caches left in the area that I have not found (thus making my food choice easy) and what do you know there is a new cache in the park one block away, I think to myself 'do you fancy Chinese' oh yes I do, so on the way to the Canton Restaurant I walk thru the park and having read all the plaques before when passing thur it was no time at all before I was standing at ground zero messing about with my phone doing my best to get a good selfie, I got the shot in the end and then it was off to get dinner.
Ordered my food and phone Mrs Rat for a few minutes while I waited and then it was back off to the room since I was not in the mood for eating out.
So my cache for today was a bit of a surprise and a great one too, anyone that has not been to this park needs to visit and enjoy it.
Thanks for the cache Team MavEtJu
Come the new year I was surprised to hear it was still on! So the day before I was to be in Lonnie I was running round booking a car and finding accommodation, the car was easy, getting a room was the hard part so I ended up at the colonial, having stayed there a few dozen times in the past I was pleased to know I'd be staying somewhere nice.
So after a 12 hour day I'm sat in my room thinking what to have for dinner, having eaten at most of the local places I fire up my caching app to see if there are any caches left in the area that I have not found (thus making my food choice easy) and what do you know there is a new cache in the park one block away, I think to myself 'do you fancy Chinese' oh yes I do, so on the way to the Canton Restaurant I walk thru the park and having read all the plaques before when passing thur it was no time at all before I was standing at ground zero messing about with my phone doing my best to get a good selfie, I got the shot in the end and then it was off to get dinner.
Ordered my food and phone Mrs Rat for a few minutes while I waited and then it was back off to the room since I was not in the mood for eating out.
So my cache for today was a bit of a surprise and a great one too, anyone that has not been to this park needs to visit and enjoy it.
Thanks for the cache Team MavEtJu
Rated: for Overall Experience
We stayed in Launceston the night before we had to take the Spirit of Tasmania to Melbourne. Late afternoon we strolled around town and found this cache/fountain in this small city park.
TFTC, greetings from Belgium.
TFTC, greetings from Belgium.
Have cached in this park before and always admired this fountain. Never stopped to read the plaques before though. Interesting to watch the professional photo shoot taking place while we were here taking the required photo. Thanks.
Hi MavEtJu
A quick walk in the park soon had this cache Sainted at 1345hrs.
TFTC and cheers
OldSaint
A quick walk in the park soon had this cache Sainted at 1345hrs.
TFTC and cheers
OldSaint
Rated: for Overall Experience
Today we returned to Princes Square to take the required photos as specified for this cache. We have made previous visits and admired the fountain but we have never seen the plaque before. The required photos have been added to the Gallery showing part of the fountain and the plaque..
Another one of these historical markers and luckily it is on the way to work this morning. The history you learn while geocashing is an added bonus.
Rated: for Overall Experience
