Ross Creek
Monday, 9 April 2001

I gain a great passion to discover its peaceful atmosphere in nature.
As I enter along the track through beautiful bushes
That remind me of my childhood.
This is room for those to hop on flat rocks,
As water flows and quiets over the splendid rocks.
I endeavor to reach over the steps that lead up the bank to another.
Of course, I point out to indicate up to the main reservoir.
This is one of great places to relax,
and go for a run surrounding the reservoir.
Like a meeting point to explore a well-known guarding tower
with a jetty attaching to the shore.
As well as there is apparently a man made reservoir,
and possibly New Zealand's first dam still there.
To occur fresh air flowing Dunedin's water supply
nor pollution flowing over the beautiful area.
As I wandered on a walk, sometimes I saw the ducks laying
on the pond at the focal point of the reservoir.
As well as beautiful waterfall and there is a magnificant view
of the guarding tower from the bridge
between the two ponds as well as house behind.
Finally, I went for a walk past there nearby
the water tanks as I left along the road in the
bush and my own way back home through Maori Hill.
I wish I would offer my return surrounding in the
area of Glenleith, Leith Valley, Maori Hill and Wakari
where I reached all that way back on the route there.

One Perspective view of the jetty of Ross Creek Reservoir
Environmental Photography
June 2000

Brief Information - Ross Creek

This attractively detailed Victorian industrial structure stands in the idyllic surroundings of Ross Creek water reserve. Completed in 1867, the tower has an overall height of 22.8 metres. It was designed by Ralph Donkin, engineer to the Dunedin Water Works Company. The alternating light and dark blocks of stone are the local Port Chalmers breccia and Leith Valley andesite. This type of manual value tower was once common on public reservoirs, but most have now been superseded by other systems and demolished.

Completed in 1867 rhis is the oldest large dam still in use in New Zealand, being five years older than the Lower Karori Dam, Wellington. These two dams and Eweburn Dam near Ranfurly are the only 19th-century dams still in New Zealand. The Ross Creek Dam is a puddled clay dam, 121.6 metres long and 22.8 metres high. The stone channels are Leith Valley andesite. The dam was designed by Ralph Donkin, engineer to the Water Works Company of Dunedin.

History of Ross Creek

Ross, Archibald Hilson
Inscribed verso: Presumably the homestead of Ross - after which Ross Creek Reservoir are named.

ROSS, ARCHIBALD HILSON (1821-1900) was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, educated there and went into business. He lived for some years at Sunderland, where he was a member of the town council and a guardian of the poor. In 1859 he emigrated to Otago, was for a time chief draughtsman in the survey office and then entered into business as an optician. He was chiarman of the Wakari school committee and road board, a member of the first Roslyn borough council, and mayor in 1879. At the same time he had been a member of the Dunedin City Council and he was elected mayor in 1880. He was a member also of the benevoent trustees and the harbour board (of which he was chairman for five years). Ross twice contested the Roslyn parliamentary seat against Driver. In 1887 he was elected (defeating Carlton and Hutchison). Being defected by Dawson at the election of 1890, he did not seek re-election. Ross was an enthusiastic astronomer and was actively interested in observing the transits of Venus in 1874 and 1882. He contributed several papers to the proceedings of the Otago Institute, of which he was a member. On retiring from business he resided in Hawkes Bay where he died on 9 December 1900.

Dunedin's Ross Creek Reservoir Sept 1894

Another photo of Dunedin's Ross Creek Reservoir

Dunedin's Ross Creek Reservoir during draught May 1930