After our friendly coffee stop our next planned visit for the day was to visit the Surpentine Dam about an hours drive to the north of Mandurah i.e. towards Perth. The intention was to have a picturesque walk in the area and to enjoy lunch at the Bistro Restaurant overlooking the dam (See photo). We had already had to escape a sharp rain shower whilst taking coffee by taking refuge in the café but the weather proved to be windy and cold when we arrived at the Dam, so we decided to take lunch early. Lesley & Bob had checked to see if the Bistro would be open – remember it was early Spring in Australia and early in the tourist season. There appeared to be no one around and no one in the Restaurant but as usual we were cheerily greeted and made to feel very welcome even offering to make smashed Avocado on Sourdough toast for Lesley from the Breakfast Menu' Neither was it long before other customers arrived.
We chose to sit in the main restaurant rather than eat alfresco on the extensive balcony overlooking the dam. The alfresco dining came with a rather damp and windy outlook and a health warning to look out for marauding Kookaburras looking to steal some easy food! In fact, there was only one who sat in the tree opposite the balcony for a good 30 minutes but maraud he did not!
So a little more about the Serpentine Dam. The drive over the 55m high dam was spectacular but my first surprise was that there was no water in the Spillway and secondly how low the water level was in the main reservoir. Then, as you will see from my research, you have remember that Australia has the reputation of being one of the hottest and driest landmasses in the world!
This link to Wikipedia shows that the Serpentine Dam stands at the head of a huge lake and is a vast storage and water resource for the City of Perth. It also shows a photo of the Dam at 27% capacity , much the same as the day we visited. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_Dam_(Western_Australia)
Briefly there have been water supply shortage problems in Perth since the Swan River Colony was declared on 2nd May 1829. Only the wealthy at the time had rainwater tanks on their house roofs. Several swamps and lakes and a few freshwater springs were also used as water sources. With these limited resources, water shortages occurred and the existing water sources became polluted over time. This caused the rapid spread of diseases such as typhoid and diphtheria, especially among less fortunate people.
Perth civil engineers Henry John Saunders and James Barratt came up with a comprehensive plan for the city's first water supply scheme in May 1887. Many dams have been built since that scheme's establishment eventually resulting in the construction of the Serpentine Dam between 1960–1961. Today, the dam supplies water for over two million people in Perth, Mandurah, and other Western Australian regions.
After a refreshing lunch we made our way back towards Perth for a visit to one of Lesley & Bob's three daughters, Kim and her family for a delightful evening meal.
