May 2018 Project Martha – Historical & Archaeological Background 48 Figure 32. The Old Town Reservoir It is possible that the old Waihi town reservoir was within the project area, somewhere on the southern side of the Martha pit rim, dating to c.1898. A timeline on the Ohinemuri Journal webpage notes that before 1905 there was ‘A small reservoir on Martha Hill, possibly fed from Mangatoetoe Stream (pipes still follow the Bulltown tramway).’181 It is also shown in Figure 48 (below). Further research undertaken located an 1894 article in the Thames Star that reports: ‘The Waihi Miner states:- The long looked-for water supply may now be regarded as an accomplished fact. The result of an inspection of the work shows that the reservoir and excavation for the main pipe are practically completed, and that any delay in getting the water at once into Waihi is the want of pipes, which are on their way from America. The reservoir is a covered-in concrete cistern 62 feet long by 20 feet wide, and 5ft 9in. deep, and will contain about 50,000 gallons. The filter cistern is 20 feet by 20 feet, and connects with the reservoir. The work has been carried out in a most satisfactory manner by Mr J. Keane’.182 181 see: http://www.ohinemuri.org.nz/research/waihi-municipal-water-supply-dams/1911-03-time-line-andmap 182 Thames Star, 2 December 1898, p.4
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjE2NDg3