Mundaring Weir is one of the world's greatest engineering projects. Completed in 1903, the Weir was the start of the water pipeline, designed by C Y O'Connor, that pumped water 700 kilometres to the Kalgoorlie goldfields. This is a popular day trip destination and there is plenty to fill your day. Mundaring Weir is located in natural bushland in the Perth Hills and there are a number of bushwalking trails you can enjoy before settling down for a picnic and exploring the heritage and scenic beauty of the Mundaring Weir precinct.
We started our day with a hike from the Perth Hills Discovery Centre to Ball Creek Hut, an easy 5.3km out and back trail along the Bibbulmun Track, before completing the 1.2km Weir View Loop Walk which offers stunning views across C.Y. O'Connor Lake.
We parked on the Mundaring side at the C.Y. O'Connor Hub which has lovely shady picnic areas, gas barbecues and toilets as well as a quirky nature playground and interpretive signage about the history of C.Y. O'Connor and the pipeline. You will also find the Rose Garden here.
Steps lead from the C.Y. O'Connor hub to his statue and then down to the O'Connor Lake Lookout.
From here you can take more stairs down to No 1 Pump Station reading the information panels as you go.
No 1 Pump Station and it's very tall chimney are open every weekend between 12 and 4pm. Current entry fees are $8 per adult, $5 per child (5-12) or $20 for a family.
The No 1 Pump Station is an impressive building with state of the art technology from over 100 years ago including three of the original boilers, the Green's economiser and one of the original steam engines. For the adults there are some very informative panels describing the machinery, engineering feats and history of the pipeline along with the sad story of C.Y. O'Connor who took his own life a day before the water flowed believing that his project was a disaster!
For the kids there is a diorama showing how the pipes traverse the countryside from Mundaring to Kalgoorlie. There is also an interactive model which the kids can pump to move the water up and down the system.
Cross the foot bridge back over the "river" and you will find more parking, barbecues and information. Head back up the tiered steps to the dam wall.
Complete your loop walk by crossing the dam wall enjoying the view of Lake C.Y. O'Connor on your right and the Helena River Valley to your left. It is a short walk and on the other side you can admire the elegant circular Valve Tower, featuring a domed sheet copper roof.
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It doesn't matter where you park you can explore the loop around the dam and the pump station from any starting point.
If you want to make a day of it you could:
Head to Mundaring Weir Hotel just up the road (walk or drive) for a beverage or a meal. The Mundaring Weir Hotel is a historically significant building with loads of character and a great open area for the kids to play. Often there is also live entertainment.
Mundaring itself is a town full of history and has a great Nature Playground at the Mundaring Community Sculpture Park. There is a short sculpture trail alongside the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail as it passes through the park. This park also has signage detailing the walks and trails in the area. You might also like to explore the Mundaring Heritage and Art Trail and try Cafe Mojo for a quirky place for a cuppa or a meal.
You can walk, cycle or drive many other trails (or parts of them as some go for hundreds of kilometres!) around Mundaring - the Dell to South Ledge Track, Perth Hills Discovery Centre to Golden View Lookout, Railway Reserves Heritage Trail, Portogabra Track, Golden Pipeline Trail, Bibbulmun Track, Kep Track and the Munda Biddi Trail.
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In the spirit of reconciliation Out and About- Family Nature Connection acknowledges the traditional owners of the Wadjak boodjar (Perth land) and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
As always when hiking in the bush please help to reduce the spread of Phytophthora Dieback by sticking to the tracks and paths, staying out of quarantined areas and, if possible, clean your shoes before and after hiking.