Watergate Multi-Cache
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Size: 
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A chance to explore the Rivendell Estate and visit the Dutch Water Tower and Gate.
Unlike the infamous Washing D.C. "Watergate" scandal that bought down President Nixon, the title of this cache refers to a "Dutch Watertower and Watergate" that served as the main entrance to Rivendell for people arriving by steamer from Sydney. Since it's completion in 1893, it has been a prominent feature on the bank of the Parramatta River, just downstream from the Ryde railway bridge.
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| Thomas Walker |
An important nineteenth century merchant and philanthropist, Thomas Walker migrated to Australia from Scotland in 1822 and began acquiring land in the Concord area. By the late 1860s his estate of 124 hectares occupied a large portion of the present Municipality of Concord.
In 1860 he married Jane Hart, their daughter Eadith Campbell Walker (photo opposite) being born a year later. Thomas bought his sister Joanna from Scotland to help raise his daughter. It was Joanna's suggestion that they adopt Anne Masefield as a companion for Eadith. The two girls grew up as sisters. Joanna later married John Sulman, a prominent Sydney architect.
Thomas Walker passed away in 1886, aged 82. In a codicil to his will, he expressed a wish that money be set aside for the building of a convalescent hospital on twelve acres of the estate at Rocky point.
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| Rivendell |
A competition to design the hospital attracted thirty-three entries with John Kirkpatric's design being chosen as the winner. This decision was however overturned, with the firm of Sulman and Power being commissioned to design the hospital.
Construction began in 1891 and with the original grant quickly spent, Eadith and Joanna Walker and Anne Masefield contributed extra funds to allow the hospital to be built. The brick and sandstone building feature elaborate carvings, marble fireplaces and fine masonry. It was officially opened on September 21st 1893.
A year later, the John Sulman designed the Joanna Walker Memorial Children's Convalescent Hospital which was later opened in a separate building.
The name Rivendell is taken from the novel "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien and was chosen because, as described in the novel, Rivendell is a place to rest and recuperate - a sanctuary for those on difficult journeys.
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| The Hospital |
The hospital was exclusively used for convalescing patients who were referred from St. Vincents, Royal Prince Alfred and Sydney Hospitals. Patients typically stayed for up to four weeks.
All running costs were funded by interest accruing from part of Thomas walker's endowment. A perpetual trustee company administered the hospital for 86 years until, in 1979 dwindling funds and the concept of a free convalescent hospital were no longer feasible.
The hospital was transferred to the NSW Health Department and now houses the Rivendell Child Adolescent and Family Unit a center for the care and treatment of emotionally disturbed patients. The residential unit is housed in the west wing with the NSW Department of Education and Training running the Rivendell School For Specific Purposes in the east wing.
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| The Watergate |
The Concord Heritage Society hold periodic "open days" at Rivendell with the opportunity to tour the mansion. |
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Use this map to explore Rivendell. |
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| The Cache
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This cache is a re-creation of what is possibly the world's first geocache. A prominent Sydney Chinese businessman Mr Charlie Ahso Che (pictured opposite) was recuperating at Rivendell during late October 1927 when he had the idea to hide a piece of paper in a medicine bottle, secrete it in a hidden location and get other patients to find it using his old brass-cased compass. After selecting a suitable hiding place, he took two bearings from the Rivendell buildings, drew a diagram giving the clues and took much pleasure in watching his fellow patients search for the hidden treasure.
He was discharged on the morning of November 7th 1927, took the steamer to Circular Quay and waited for the ferry Greycliffe to take him home late that afternoon. In Sydney's worst maritime disaster, he unfortunately lost his life on that ill-fated ferry trip along with other Sydney notables such as the Merry Widow. Should Mr. C. A. CHE have lived to tell of his new-found hobby (and was |
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able to place some more caches), he may well have been remembered as the world's first geocacher.
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| The original hide was a recreation of Charlie's cache. A medicine bottle was used as the cache container and hidden in the side of the stone steps the posted coordinates take you to. Repeated problems with the cache container disappearing has forced this to now be a multi-cache.
Add the number of doors directly below the chimney of the Dutch Watergate to the number of wooden pillars on the first floor balcony. You'll need this number to find the cache container.
Walk Westward along the Foreshore Trail for about 190 steps to the cache location.
Take care of possible spiders in the trees near the cache site.
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The Foreshore Trail
Rivendell is part of the Yaralla Estate and lies on the Foreshore Trail that stretches from The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Concord and follows the water around to Birkenhead Point at Drumoyne.
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Check-out some of our other nearby caches:
Kokoda
Grey Grotto
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Uvqqra va gur zvqqyr bs n ?-gehaxrq gerr evtug ba gur fvqr bs gur jnyxjnl.