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77-603: Liverpool Weir is a heritage-listed weir on the Georges River at Heathcote Road near Newbridge Road, Liverpool , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia. It was designed by David Lennox and built from 1836 by convict labour, directed by Captain W. H. Christie. It is also known as Bourke's Dam . It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 13 August 2010. Some 40,000 years before European settlement of this region of

154-574: A Master Stonemason with twenty years' experience—becoming, provisionally, Sub-Inspector of Bridges and later Superintendent of Bridges. Lennox moved to Melbourne in 1844, to take up a position responsible for bridges in the Port Phillip district. Lennox retired in November 1853 and returned to New South Wales two years later where he lived in Parramatta . He died on 12 November 1873, and

231-712: A causeway across the George's River. It was designed by David Lennox , master mason, Superintendent of Bridges for the colony of NSW and Australia's first major bridge builder. Before arriving in Australia in 1832, David Lennox, master mason, had occupied responsible positions in Britain for more than twenty years, working on many bridges including the Menai Suspension Bridge over the Menai Strait and

308-455: A deep pool downstream of the weir and had also undercut the downstream right wall. In addition it had removed the right bank, taking out the area where the access road is today. The photo of 1876 clearly shows the scoured right bank and the 1851 roadway addition that reinstated the right bank accessway. The 2008 remediation exposed a row of timber piling retaining each side of the access. The repairs to address flood damage would also have prompted

385-527: A joint report by the departments of the Colonial Architect and Railway in 1957, repair work was carried out in February 1858. It consisted of filling the whole internal portion with puddle clay on which was laid a 9-inch thick bed of concrete covered with stone flagging 12 inches thick, set in mortar and grouted with Portland cement . About 25 feet of the front wall was rebuilt and a wall added at

462-523: A larger masonry structure 11 miles downstream including a road crossing, lock and swivel bridge. The weir has a curved downstream face and is one of the first "engineered" weirs built in the colony. Liverpool Weir effectively divided the salt water from the fresh water of the Georges River, allowing the river to be used for irrigated crop growing. But without pumps or reticulation it would seem, in this period at least, water would have been carted to

539-610: A north and then easterly direction to its mouth at Botany Bay, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Tasman Sea . The Georges River is the main tributary of Botany Bay; with the Cooks River being a secondary tributary. The total catchment area of the river is approximately 930.9 square kilometres (359.4 sq mi) and the area surrounding the river is managed by various local government authorities and NSW Government agencies across Sydney. The land adjacent to

616-679: A problem and a focus for government throughout the 19th century. The construction of a weir in Liverpool happened at the same time as major infrastructure projects in Sydney including the construction of Busby's Bore (Sydney's second water supply, after the Tank Stream ) and was immediately followed by the construction of Circular Quay . Liverpool Weir also appears to have been one of the first weirs constructed and still surviving in south and western Sydney. While bars and riffles are present, it

693-570: A protective surface to the original and later 19th century structural elements. The 2007–08 remediation works revealed that the original masonry upstream wall and three internal cross walls were in good condition. The Chipping Norton Lake Authority engaged the Government Architects Heritage Group to record the repairs, stabilisation and protection works, to provide advice and to review heritage impact. The numerous repairs and extensions of timber piled walls within

770-421: A sand and gravel bar on the inside of the river bend. However, the original footing arrangement is unknown. Reportedly, the right abutment had been flood damaged some time after completion and was repaired with dressed sandstone blocks supported on round piles (photographed during the inspection of 1979). The 1836 upstream wall consisted of a straight sandstone block wall 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m) from

847-693: A stonemason, Lennox worked on Telford 's Menai Suspension Bridge at Anglesey in Wales and on Over Bridge at Gloucester before emigrating to Australia following the death of his wife. He arrived in August 1832 aboard the ship Florentia. Prior to this time, the young colony of New South Wales had no skilled stonemasons, and so it was almost fate that a chance meeting with the Surveyor-General, Major Thomas Mitchell should result in Lennox—by now

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924-410: A substantial pile of rock directly in front of the weir which would have precluded the weir being used for loading and unloading cargo. However, it also shows a derrick crane on the western side, which supports the theory of the downstream end adjacent the left (west) bank being used for cargo handling purposes. Colonial Architect correspondence notes the need for repairs as early as 1851. Liverpool Weir

1001-515: A township of convicts and the soldiers who guarded them. They were housed in "caravans" that were probably like the portable sleeping boxes used by the road gangs. Married soldiers built themselves tiny slab huts, white-washed and roofed with sheets of bark. Another ironed gang of 50 convicts, together with their military guard, were stationed at a quarry opened by Lennox on the Georges River near Voyager Point (east of present-day Holsworthy ). The convict workforce quarried and cut stone and punted it up

1078-498: A wet river crossing and protected the all important puddle clay from flows passing over the weir. Early in the weir's life, flows passed through the walls and surface flagging causing piping failure of the puddle clay membrane which resulted in settlement of the protective flagging. Once the flagging was dislodged, flood flows further scoured the puddle clay until the walls were directly exposed and collapsed. Extensions as cantilevered walls using sawn timber piles were designed to cut off

1155-425: Is likely that the weir would have been used as a transfer point between land and sea-based transportation. Although a wharf had been constructed adjacent to Liverpool Hospital in 1818, a number of industries were located further upstream closer to the weir (including a grain mill and paper mill). It is also possible that the hospital wharf had fallen into disrepair by the 1830s. An 1876 photograph of Liverpool Weir shows

1232-412: Is logical that these bars anchored the 1851 timber sleeper roadway extension to the top of the 1836 upstream wall. The second extension is believed to have occurred about 1860 and consisted of the driving of a row of timber piles each dressed approximately 12 inches (300 mm) by 2 inches (51 mm) and capped with a crest of sandstone. This addition can be seen in the 1876 photo and further increased

1309-476: Is one of the few ritual rivers (called yardna in Mandaic ) that they use for their baptism and ablution rituals. Bridges over the Georges River include from east to west: The Georges River is a popular area for recreational fishing. Species present in the river include bass, bream, whiting, yellowtail, jewfish and flathead. The river is also host to a number of commercial oyster farms. The upper ends of

1386-480: Is reached by heading east of Liverpool city centre on the Newbridge Road. On crossing the George's fiver a slip road (the northernmost section of Heathcote Road) branches off immediately to the left (north) and leads directly to the riverbank. Liverpool Weir was described in 1855 as raising the level of water in the river by 2m, and also providing an access across the Georges River. A nearby former rail bridge

1463-680: Is the only weir Lennox is known to have designed in the colony. Liverpool Weir was one of the two last convict-built public works at Liverpool, the other being Lennox's Lansdowne Bridge over the Prospect Creek on the Hume Highway , Lansvale . On finishing Lapstone Bridge at Mitchell's Pass in the Blue Mountains , Lennox took with him the ironed-gang of at least 60 convict workers to start work on Lansdowne Bridge in 1834. These convicts were stationed around Lansdowne Bridge in

1540-534: Is thought that the river was navigable upstream of the weir site before the weir was constructed. Governor Macquarie noted in his journal that Liverpool was "admirably calculated for Trade and Navigation ....where the Depth of Water is sufficient to float Vessels of very considerable Burthen". It is also likely that Eber Bunker, sea captain and owner of Collingwood upstream of the weir, sailed his ships to Collingwood to unload. The piers of Bunkers Wharf still survived into

1617-433: Is unclear from the reports when puddle clay was first placed between the timber piled wall of the roadway extension and the 1836 upstream masonry wall. Both the row of piles and 1836 sandstone back wall were uncovered during the 2008 works including numerous pairs of one metre long wrought iron bars. The bars were anchored into the top of the sandstone wall with lead and with the free end threaded, complete with square nut. It

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1694-418: Is used to refer to working of clay. Typically, a select clay was mixed with sand and an optimum amount of water added to produce a material that was plastic, dense and impermeable when compacted. Compaction was often achieved by driving sheep or other hoofed animals over the surface but, given the convict workforce and the relatively small compartments, it is likely that placement occurred in layers and compaction

1771-482: The Chipping Norton Lake , are the result of sand mining and quarrying operations in the twentieth century. The Lakes are now a popular watersports and recreational facility for the residents of the south-western suburbs of Sydney. Liverpool Weir now forms the uppermost tidal limit and presence of salt water on the Georges River. [From Appin to Glenfield, a large corridor has been protected as part of

1848-646: The Gandangara (west of the river, inland). Others argue that the region around Liverpool (where the river runs generally west to Botany Bay ) signifies an important north–south cultural divide between the Darug peoples living north of the river and the Tharawal to the south of the river. The river demarcated rather than divided groups, providing an "important corridor of mobility" that enabled transport, communication, economic and cultural interaction up, down and across

1925-506: The Georges River , this land was occupied by the Darug people and the neighbouring Tharawal and Gandangara peoples. The land was known as Gunyungalung. The Georges River has been seen by some as the natural (east-west) boundary between the Darug, or "woods" tribe, (north of the river and east to the coast); the "coast" tribes of the Tharawal (south of the river and east to the coast) and

2002-627: The Main South railway line , with its eastern bank forming a boundary of Holsworthy Army Base . At Glenfield it reaches the urban environment and then travels to Liverpool where the river turns east and flows past the suburbs of East Hills , Lugarno , and Blakehurst , before emptying into Botany Bay at Taren Point / Sansouci in the southern suburbs of Sydney, where it joins with the estuarine catchment. Major tributaries include O'Hares Creek, Bunbury Curran Creek, Cabramatta Creek , Lennox River (proposed), Prospect Creek , Salt Pan Creek and

2079-826: The Over Bridge over the Severn River at Gloucester . Lennox was appointed by Governor Brisbane as Superintendent of Bridges for the colony of New South Wales in 1833. Lennox also undertook many other civil engineering works in NSW from 1832 to 1844, when he was appointed superintendent of bridges for the Port Phillip District in Victoria . For nine years he had charge of all roads, bridges, wharves and ferries and acted as advisor to various government departments. In this period he built 53 bridges. Liverpool Weir

2156-494: The Woronora River . The Georges River is popular for recreational activities such as water skiing and swimming. The banks of the river along the lower reaches are marked by large inlets and indentations overlooked by steep sandstone ridges and scarps, many being home to expensive residential properties. The Georges River features some artificial lakes in the suburb of Chipping Norton , near Liverpool. These lakes, known as

2233-529: The traditional custodians of the area. It is not known whether this word referred to the whole river or rather just a part of it. Mill Creek, a tributary of Tucoerah was called Guragurang. To the south of Tocoerah are the traditional lands of the Dharawal people . The Dharug /Eora people are the traditional custodians of the land on its northern banks. The Georges River was given its English name in honour of King George III , by Governor Arthur Phillip . It

2310-456: The 'South-West Arm of Botany Bay' (now Georges River). They are now thought to have gone as far as Lime Kiln Bay, where they landed at two locations there, the first of which they called 'Lance Point'—thought to be modern-day Gertrude Point, Lugarno —where an altercation with local people occurred. Later the same day, there was a peaceful meeting at what is now thought to have been the head of Lime Kiln Bay. They are also now believed to have entered

2387-487: The 1816 agreement but there is anecdotal evidence of Aboriginal freehold land along the Georges River until the late 20th century. In 1810 the Liverpool area was the frontier of settlement, with its alluvial and clay soils increasingly being cleared for farming. Small farming enclaves characterised the area around Liverpool which Governor Macquarie proclaimed on 2 November 1810 as the first of his new towns. The first land grants followed. Partly because of Aboriginal hostilities

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2464-547: The Georges River Regional Open Space Corridor. Council reserves allow for access to natural sections of the river at Simmo's Beach, Ingleburn Reserve, Keith Longhurst Reserve, and Frere's Crossing. Botany Bay Community River Health Monitoring Program is a community-based initiative to monitor ecosystem health catchment. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Georges River was formerly known as Tucoerah (or Toggerai / Tuggerah) River by

2541-492: The Georges River are abundant with Bass during the summer months and during the winter months these bass migrate down to the lower ends of the river towards the salt water to breed. Waste water inflows to the river are carefully managed to maintain the estuarine habitat. David Lennox David Lennox (1788 – 12 November 1873) was a Scottish-Australian bridge builder and master stonemason born in Ayr , Scotland . Trained as

2618-467: The Georges River to lay down arms in return for food, education and secure title to land in the Liverpool area. Kogi was one who took up this option, receiving a King Plate from Macquarie which identified him as "King of the Georges River". Land grants were the only means of effecting land transfer prior to the 1850 legislation that reserved Crown land exclusively "for the use of Aborigines". There are few records of land grants to Aboriginals arising out of

2695-482: The Georges River to take action against Aboriginal raiders and later instructed the military to make pre-emptive strikes. He also sought conciliation, meeting with the Tharawal when he toured the Cow Pastures in 1810. Kogi of the Tharawal was one who met with Macquarie and who, like other Tharawal, developed close relationships with settlers around the Liverpool area. In 1816 Macquarie issued a call to Aboriginals of

2772-445: The Georges River to the bridge site. Lansdowne Bridge was completed and opened by Governor Bourke with great fanfare on 26 January 1836, a testament to the skill of Lennox's design and its convict workforce. The bridge remained closed until September 1836, to allow for construction of the stone tollhouse. Liverpool Weir, also convict-built, was constructed between February and August 1836. In February some of Lennox's convict gangs from

2849-402: The Georges River was occupied for many thousands of years by the Tharawal and Eora peoples. They used the river as an important source of food and a place for trade. From its source east of Appin within heath habitat of Wollondilly Shire and Wollongong Local government area, the Georges River flows north through rugged sandstone gorges to the east of Campbelltown , roughly parallel to

2926-889: The Lansdowne Bridge encampment moved over to the Liverpool Weir site on George's River, below the Liverpool Hospital. Work on Liverpool Weir would have proceeded concurrently with construction of the Landowne Bridge tollhouse. Lennox also used the Voyager's Point quarry for Liverpool Weir with the stone being moved up river on barges. Captain William Harvie Christie of the 80th Regiment, who had been appointed assistant engineer and Superintendent of Ironed Gangs at Liverpool, oversaw

3003-423: The area did not take off for settlement, however, until the 1830s. The construction of Liverpool Weir in 1836 would have impacted on the different Aboriginal groups' use of the river as a communication channel. Construction of the weir would also have gradually changed the ecology of the river upstream. Liverpool Weir was constructed in 1836 to supply water to local farmers and the town of Liverpool and to serve as

3080-407: The authorities, as part of the works, to increase the storage of the weir by raising it and to provide dry access across the river. Increasing the height of the structure also increased the water velocity across the weir, resulting in flood damage to the weir surface, riverbank erosion and undercutting of the downstream wall. By the time of the 2008 remediation only the curved wall and flagging toward

3157-409: The back (stone upstream) wall ... driven into the silt at the back of the dam but they did not reach the bed of the river. The bedrock in the centre of the river here is 14 metres. A roadway of sleepers was then formed between the back (1836) wall and the row of piles. The piles, each about 10 inches (250 mm) by 4 inches (100 mm), increased the height of the weir and also the water storage. It

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3234-455: The base of the lower wall thus undermining the paving on the top which consequently sinks. He indicated this was the present state of the dam "although it was repaired not more than two or three years ago". He also noted that the piles on the upper side of the dam do not appear to have been closely driven, and in his opinion the injury to the dam arises from its not being water tight. By 1857 the right (eastern) bank had been washed away. Following

3311-412: The centre of the front wall and was likely similarly founded on stone blocks thrown in. Three cross walls connecting the upstream and downstream walls described in the combined Railway and Colonial Architect report of 21 September 1857 were uncovered mostly intact, during the 2008 remediation. These walls contained partly dressed split face blocks that because of their shape and their being inconsistent with

3388-529: The construction of Liverpool Weir. On Christie's departure from Liverpool in 1839 the populace made him a presentation of a piece of silver plate, expressing their gratitude for the "great improvements which under your direction have been made in the approaches to this town, in the draining of its streets, but more especially...in the completion of that noble work, the Liverpool Dam". Tegg's Almanac of 1842 concurred in this view that Liverpool Weir had boosted

3465-422: The core, with cast in-situ 1m square concrete units. A fishway was constructed in 1997 through the heavily modified and extended eastern section of the weir. Damage again occurred in the right bank area in November 2007. Further major remediation works to re-stabilise and prevent erosion to the main wall were carried out in 2007–08. While originally built to provide water supply and a river crossing for Liverpool,

3542-480: The early 1800s the area saw Aboriginal hostilities against settler intrusions with raids on settler crops and stock led first by Pemulwuy of the Bediagal (until his death in 1804, likely at the hands of settlers). Some prominent settlers, who argued that the smaller settlers were the aggressors, themselves sought communication and interaction with Aboriginals, employing them as shepherds and allowing them to remain on

3619-627: The estuarine mouth of the Georges Rivers' tributary, Woronora River . Not finding enough freshwater, around Botany Bay and its two 'arms', the colonists moved on to Port Jackson , where the settlement of Sydney began six days later. The river was explored by Bass and Flinders in 1795 on their first voyage on the Tom Thumb after their arrival in New South Wales. The exploration led to the establishment of Bankstown . A dam

3696-427: The flows. These walls were not able to be driven to bedrock nor were they impermeable to the flood waters of the Georges River. The Colonial Architect, in his 1855 inspection, reported that the means to make the weir impervious to water was to dig out the puddle on both sides of the straight wall and, after pointing or rendering the wall in cement on both sides, to fill in again and well ram the puddle. The term "puddle"

3773-519: The fringes of their landholding. Governor King 's 1801 edict, however, prevented settlers harbouring Aboriginal peoples thus effectively excluding Aboriginals from the settled areas. Following the Appin massacre of 1816 the Gandagara and Tharwal kept their distance from the settlers, but they remained around the Georges River. Governor Macquarie 's policy was two-pronged. He authorised settlers around

3850-399: The front and back walls at the centre and 20 feet (6.1 m) on either side. A statement by Peake was contradicted by the Colonial Architect in 1857 who said that the fill was clay puddle and not ballast and silt. This has been confirmed by later site investigation. The importance of projects such as this in the early colony cannot be underestimated. The provision of water infrastructure was

3927-429: The front wall that had been washed away was replaced and a precast concrete road was built part way across the top of the weir (this was later removed). Further repair works were carried out in the mid 1980s when the scouring on the eastern (right) bank was addressed reinstating the bank using gabion baskets topped with recovered sandstone blocks. In 1985 surface flagging on the eastern side was replaced following washout of

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4004-433: The front wall, adding a wall at the right bank end and piling from the end of the wall to the riverbank. A rubble stone apron was laid to protect against scour and undermining of the walls. The whole of the internal portion was filled with puddle clay with a 9-inch (230 mm) bed of concrete covered with 12 inches (300 mm) thick flagging set in mortar. From the earliest reports it is evident that scouring had created

4081-419: The height of the weir. During the period between 1876 and the inspection of 1979 the majority of the sandstone flagging was replaced with concrete flag units. The sandstone crest was also replaced with an exposed aggregate concrete beam. The 1857 inspection reported the rough stone base had been washed away from the foot of the curved wall causing settlement. A small section of the back wall had also settled with

4158-473: The internal clay fill from being damaged and eroded. The internal cross walls, while providing only limited structural function would have allowed staged construction in the dry with diversion of the river flows. The puddle clay rammed between the walls provided the impermeable membrane to create a ponded freshwater storage upstream and prevent the ingress of tidal saltwater. Sandstone flagging approx 2 feet by 3 feet by 12 inches thick served as spillway and provided

4235-437: The left bank remained visible of the 1836 weir. Importantly, the stone internal cross walls and the 1836 upstream straight wall remained as important elements. The puddle clay fill within the weir had been exposed, washed out, and replaced and disturbed by repairs including dwarf concrete cut-off walls. Various services had also been installed over the decades. The report of February 1858 describes repairs executed. These included

4312-444: The left bank, had been lost and replaced with concrete flag units with an exposed 70mm aggregate finish, similar in size to the sandstone units. The piping failure of the clay core and the subsequent sinking and washout of the flag units required installation of a free draining layer of railway ballast wrapped in geotextile. A mass-placed concrete blinding layer 150mm thick with a 200mm thick reinforced concrete integral slab, now provides

4389-411: The living memory of older (former) residents of Liverpool who were alive at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Navigation would have been curtailed by construction of the weir. However, the pond created by the weir would have permitted the passage of local water craft for some distance upstream. The river was the most efficient way of transporting goods to and from Liverpool and inland areas so it

4466-409: The main thoroughfare into Liverpool, it was necessary to extend the weir (and the road on top) across the new channel. For the next 100 years the weir appears to have been left largely untouched. Eventually, decades of flooding caused considerable erosion and the weir needed repairing on several occasions, with a major rebuilding in the 1970s and remediation works in 2007–8. In the later 1970s part of

4543-431: The pick finish of the weir blocks, it is likely they were either rejects or leftovers from the recently completed Lansdowne Bridge. The blocks of the internal walls were laid on a 10-20mm lime mortar bed with 5mm shell grit evident. The upstream and downstream masonry walls along with the internal fill provide the mass to resist the water forces and act as a broad beam across the river. The walls and surface flagging protect

4620-424: The piling opposite gone to a little extent. The puddle had been washed out from the interior of the old dam for an average depth of 5 feet throughout its whole extent and the flagging had fallen in. The bank at the eastern (right bank) side was washed away to a considerable extent – the floods having formed a passage round that end of the weir. The extensive repairs completed in early 1858 included rebuilding 25 feet of

4697-399: The prosperity of the region, noting that it had brought "abundance...to the door of thousands [and that] cultivation is intended and much waste or inaccessible land has been stamped with an intrinsic and permanent value". The weir at the existing site was a compromise between Lennox's initial suggestions of a dam of wooden piles and puddled clay a short distance upstream of the hospital, and

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4774-399: The right end; a row of close piling was driven into the bank at the right bank end of the front wall; and a rubble stone apron of 7260 (square) feet was laid with 2000 (square) feet being required to complete it. In 1860 another large portion of the eastern (right) bank of the Liverpool Weir was washed away in flooding, cutting a channel around the abutment. As the weir was still being used as

4851-416: The river on light, rapid bark canoes. The Georges River area first felt the impact of European settlement in the 1790s when early settlers around the Parramatta area sought out fertile soils for cultivation, moving south along Prospect Creek to the alluvial flats around Liverpool. Facing the steep banks and sandstone cliffs of sections of the Georges River, settlement penetrated slowly in the 1790s. From

4928-449: The structure were also in reasonably good condition. The 1851 timber piled wall roadway extension was generally in reasonable condition but no longer had any evidence of the sleeper roadway other than the wrought iron anchor bars. The upstream timber piled wall of c.  1860 had suffered damage to some areas and was the cause of flow through the structure. This wall is now capped with an exposed aggregate concrete beam. The clay core

5005-476: The town of Liverpool. The town had to wait until 1891 for a piped water supply, but it did provide the first cart access to the Moorebank and Holsworthy areas. The weir remained the town's only crossing of the Georges River until the first bridge (a timber truss) was built in 1896 just south of the railway station to connect the town with the rural landholdings. A high level bridge was erected in 1958. A wharf

5082-424: The upstream side. Built on a bed of large blocks of stone "loosely thrown in", 8 feet (2.4 m) high in the centre and 11 feet (3.4 m) from the bottom of the wall to the base of the river. The 2 feet (0.61 m) thick ashlar back wall was constructed 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m) from the centre of the front wall. Three cross walls of unspecified material, but presumably stone, were built to connect

5159-483: The weir now plays an important role in stabilising the upstream riverbanks and maintaining the hydraulic regime of the upper part of the Georges River estuary. The reaches of river under the influence of the weir have drastically changed since construction in 1836. The construction of a fishway in 1997 provides native fish passage past the weir and improves the ecology of the Upper Georges River, modified by

5236-405: The weir's construction. Liverpool Weir is located directly east of Liverpool railway station on the Georges River, approximately 40 km upstream of the river mouth. It spans the full width of the Georges River and forms the river's tidal limit. Access to the weir is gained via Lighthorse Park on the western (left) bank and the eastern (right) bank of the watercourse. The eastern access point

5313-403: The whole of the internal portion being filled with puddle clay in which was laid a bed of concrete 9 inches (230 mm) thick covered with stone flagging 12 inches (300 mm) thick. At the time the weir was damaged by the November 2007 flood and remediation works were carried out in 2008, the puddle clay was no longer an original element. The sandstone flagging, with the exception of an area at

5390-577: Was achieved through a combination of "treading in" by the convicts and by using timber poles to ram the puddle. In the combined report of the state of the weir dated 21 September /1857, Joseph Brady of the Railway Department and James Moore of the Colonial Architect's Department ascertained that in 1851 an addition was made to the Dam on the upper side by driving a double row of timber piles about 13 feet (4.0 m) lengths, 13 feet (4.0 m) from

5467-410: Was constructed at the weir and boats up to 140 tons displacement carried timber and farm produce to Sydney via Botany Bay. The top was pitched with freestone blocks. Further detail is provided in a letter from the Colonial Architect in 1857, which described the original construction. It noted that the principal wall was ashlar 4 feet (1.2 m) thick, built in a circular form with joints radiating to

5544-507: Was constructed by David Lennox using convict labour at Liverpool in 1836, as a water supply to Liverpool. Oyster farming on Georges River occurred between around 1870 and 2023, in the part of the river estuary downstream from Salt Pan Creek. In February 2007, Liverpool and Campbelltown City Council were awarded a $ 2 million grant from the NSW Environmental Trust under their Urban Sustainability Initiative. The grant

5621-473: Was damaged by floods in 1852, by which time the masonry was leaking and the paving between the walls was sinking. In September 1855 the Colonial Architect reported to the Colonial Secretary that in his opinion the masonry in the circular, lower face of the dam and the straight wall at the back allows water to percolate through; this softens the puddle between the walls which eventually oozes out at

5698-457: Was later adapted to provide pedestrian access but was removed in 2007 leaving just the piers . Access across the river is now by the nearby bridge carrying Newbridge Road (2009). The original 1836 Liverpool Weir was constructed with a curved downstream face of large, dressed sandstone blocks founded on shale bedrock at the left bank and loose large stone on the alluvial sands and clays in the central section. The right bank would have consisted of

5775-591: Was one of the many sites of the Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars , a series of wars between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the resisting Indigenous clans in the late 1700s and early 1800s. One of the earliest contacts between British settlers and Aboriginal people occurred on 20 January 1788. Arthur Phillip and Philip Gidley King , leading a party of seamen from the First Fleet rowing two open boats, explored

5852-498: Was suffering a network of piping failure and causing the concrete flag units to settle and dislocate under flood conditions. Although the repair works, extensions, additions and construction of the fishway have had an adverse impact on the integrity of the original 1836 weir and have altered its appearance, much of the form of the original weir still exists within the repaired and extended structure. Georges River The river travels for approximately 96 kilometres (60 mi) in

5929-685: Was to allow the councils, in conjunction with Wollondilly Shire Council and the Georges River Combined Councils Committee, to develop a Comprehensive Strategic Plan focused on the rehabilitation of the catchment area. Since the 2010s, the Mandaean community in the Greater Sydney region has been using the Georges River for their ritual baptisms, called masbuta . Along with the Nepean River , it

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