The construction of the proposed Blue Creek Dam was a controvesial issue in the early 1930's with just 32% of residents wanting the dam built, but that may have been because the proposal included a £6,000 loan – which would be the equivalent of about $600,000 today. A heck of a lot of money to repay through rates when most of the residents in Wauchope probably just went to the river to get their water. Regardless of the public's majority opinion, council proceeded with the construction of the dam and in 1939 at a total cost of £23,000, the project was completed.
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Blue Creek Dam is a concrete arch dam with a height of 19m (63’4”), a crest link of 54m (180’) and had a capacity of around 14.1 million gallons or 78,800 cubic feet (62ML). The dam supplied the township of Wauchope via an 8" (200mm) diameter asbestos cement pipeline, but it was short lived as the original design of the dam failed to accurately project the growth of Wauchope and by the early 1940's it was apparent that an auxiliary pumping station (river inlet) would be required to allow water to be extracted from the Hastings River at Koree Island, during high demand periods. The pumping station option was actually debated in the 1930's by council, but rejected as being too expensive – that pumping station is what to this day supplies water to Wauchope and Port Macquarie!
BTW – The name Blue Creek was given because the water was exceptionally clear and – well blue in appearance!
The cache is an SPC fruit container and farly easy to access.