Wundowie to Bakers Hill

Pipeline

At the time of the pipeline’s construction people were amazed that water could be pumped to such a height. You’ll probably get a good understanding of the lift in this area where you’ll meet up with the pipeline again. [more]

Railway Line

A small army of surveyors, engineers, gangers, fettlers and sleeper cutters were required to carve a way for the railway through the rocky landscape. Railway cuttings made through solid rock, mainly by hand, ensured a gentle gradient. [more]

Settlement

The railway encouraged small villages to grow at sidings including Bakers Hill and Wundowie. However, some have disappeared with only the names of roads left as reminders, for example Coates Siding. [more]

Pipeline

At the time of the pipeline’s construction people were amazed that water could be pumped to such a height. You’ll probably get a good understanding of the lift in this area where you’ll meet up with the pipeline again .

Pump up, gravity down

The scheme uses gravity to assist in transporting water along the pipeline. Water is pumped up to tanks and then gravitates down. The scheme was originally designed with regulating tanks at Bakers Hill and West Northam.

Bakers Hill 

A concrete-lined tank was built at Bakers Hill to regulate the flow at this, the highest point on the long and irregular section between pumping stations 2 and 3. No 2 pumped water 22 miles (35 km) and lifted it 340 feet (105m) to Bakers Hills from where it gravitated 12 miles (19 km) to the West Northam tank before flowing down to the reservoir serving No 3 Pump Station.
 

Railway line

A small army of surveyors, engineers, gangers, fettlers and sleeper cutters were required to carve a way for the railway through the rocky landscape. Railway cuttings made through solid rock, mainly by hand, ensured a gentle gradient.

Rockhard work

The railway cutting through solid rock just west of Bakers Hill was one of the most difficult to cut during construction of the line. At 324m above sea level Koojedda, the station nearby, was the highest on the line. Look across the road to see its platform sign.

Famous resident

Railway entrepreneur Edward Keane won the contract for the third section of the Eastern Railway from Chidlow’s Well via Spencer’s Brook to York, at the time considered the ultimate country terminus. Keane lived in Bakers Hill while building the railway from Perth, establishing a vineyard.
 

Settlements

Town from timber

The village of Bakers Hill started off as the railway siding of Mount Baker. Timber cutting was centred on the siding and a townsite was declared in 1902. The timber cutting industry was pioneered by Eastern Railway contractor Edward Keane.

What’s in a name?

You might be forgiven for thinking Bakers Hill is named because of a long tradition of baking in the area. After all, a stop at the Pie Shop is a tradition.  But, no, it’s named for Paddy Baker who was a ganger on the railway. Naming cuttings after their foremen, for example, Brown’s or Kelly’s was a common practice amongst construction gangs on the Eastern Railway.

Boost in numbers

The Bakers Hill and Wundowie areas benefited from the Soldier Settlement scheme implemented after the First World War.  But Wundowie got its biggest boost after the Second World War when it was chosen as the site for WA’s first iron and steel industry.