Berembed Weir and Site

Item details


Name of item:	Berembed Weir and Site
Other name/s:	Berembed Diversion Weir; Berembed Weir; Berembed Dam; Berembed wicket weir
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Utilities - Water
Category:	Weir
Location:	Lat: -34.8729449180 Long: 146.8357160040
Primary address:	Murrumbidgee River, Narrandera, NSW 2700
Parish:	Brewarrena
County:	Mitchell
Local govt. area:	Narrandera
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Narrandera

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	1		DP	750854
LOT	1		DP	970794

Boundary:

The curtilage is divided by the Murrumbidgee River into two areas. The northwestern portion, in the City of Wagga Wagga Local Government Area (LGA), is the entirety of Lot 1 DP 750854. It includes the weir, access road and picnic area. The smaller part of the curtilage southeast of the river is within the Narrandera Shire Council LGA and comprises bushland with a sandy beach. The boundary matches that of Lot 1 DP 970794. The waters of the Murrumbidgee River are not included in the curtilage. A channelised portion of Bundidgerry Creek bisects the northwestern portion of the site on a north-south axis and is included in the curtilage.

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Murrumbidgee River	Narrandera	Narrandera	Brewarrena	Mitchell	Primary Address
Murrumbidgee River	Grong Grong	Wagga Wagga			Alternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Water NSW	State Government

Statement of significance:


	Berembed Weir and Site has significance at the State level for its historic and technical values. Constructed between 1907 and 1911, the weir and its setting provide evidence of the early development of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, the first large scale irrigation area constructed in Australia. The item contributes to our understanding of the water supply and management practices employed by the government at the turn of the 20th century to drought-proof and provide a reliable source of water to irrigate agricultural land in the southwest of the State. As a major piece of irrigation infrastructure, Berembed Weir was linked to State policies for denser settlement of the region on small farms. Berembed Weir is of technical significance as an excellent example of an early 20th century diversion weir demonstrating a high level of hydraulic engineering achievement. The design represents an experimental adaptation of the collapsible Chanoine timber wicket and lifting gear system for Australian conditions, facilitating precise diversion of amounts of water into irrigation channels required by the irrigation scheme, primarily during the summer months. The weir, as an element of the broader irrigation scheme including the Burrinjuck Dam and canal system, represents the development of sophisticated water management technologies in NSW. The weir continues to play an important role in the management and supply of water in NSW today.
	Date significance updated: 23 Mar 26
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	E.M de Burgh
Builder/Maker:	Department of Public Works
Construction years:	1909-1910
Physical description:	Berembed Weir and Site is a precinct consisting of two parcels of land on either side of the Murrumbidgee River, and includes a weir, steel fishway, weir house, weir pump shed and a picnic area with associated structures. Berembed Weir and Site is located on the Murrumbidgee River approximately 18 km southeast of the town of Grong Grong and accessed via an unnamed road off Old Narrandera Road. The weir lies between the major towns of Narrandera and Wagga Wagga in the Murrumbidgee catchment area. The curtilage is divided by the Murrumbidgee River into two areas. The site includes grassed picnic areas and is surrounded by expansive farmland. A channelised portion of Bundidgerry Creek bisects the northwestern portion of the site on a north-south axis. The weir is a combination of both an overshot and undershot weir with bottom release gates and a fixed crest structure. The edge or surface over which the water flows in a weir is called the crest. The fixed crest is composed of mass concrete, 50.3 metres wide. The crest is dowelled to a concrete base founded on a solid granite bar across the river. The weir measures 82.3m between abutments and is divided into a sluiceway 12.19m wide, a lock chamber 12.19m wide, and a concrete weir 50.29m wide. The sluiceway and lock chamber are both controlled at their upstream ends by single iron-framed sluice gates of the 'Stoney' pattern manufactured by Ransome & Rapier of Ipswich, England. The total lift of the gates is 10.67m. The original lock-gates at the downstream end of the lock chamber have been removed. The off-take regulator has 10 gates. The two 'Stoney' roller gates are electronically operated by chain hoists driven by an electric geared motor working on a counterweight system. The counterweight system is likely to be original with electric motors dating to the 1950s. Although the original lock gates at the downstream end of lock chamber have since been removed, the drainage valves and timber mooring posts are still present. A name plate is fixed to the steel crest structure commemorating the opening of Berembed Weir in 1910 by the NSW Minister for Public Works Charles Alfred Lee (recorded on the plate as C.A. Lee). The original 55 weir gates (also called wickets) were constructed of tallowwood and iron and were each in 3 leaves. The gates were removed in 1976/77 and replaced by the existing fixed concrete mass gravity section, which extends across the southern two-thirds of the river. A steel fishway is located downstream of the fixed crest and was installed between the late 1970s and early 1980s. The site contains a number of other structures. The weir pump shed is a timber and corrugated iron structure which is an integral element to the weir. Other structures from later dates of construction include a staff cottage, storage shed, toilets and picnic tables which do not contribute to the State significance of the item. The site also contains a shelter with interpretive signage which currently houses an original timber wicket from the dam. It is separately listed as an item of moveable heritage on the SHE (Wooden Wicket - Berembed Weir Site SHR 00968). The southwest portion of the site is characterised by dense naturally occurring bushland bisected by several access tracks and some exotic species of palms. The site also contains rare native flora and fauna (Department of Land and Water Conservation (now Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water) S170 Register).
	Date condition updated:19 Feb 26
Modifications and dates:	1950s - the weir gates were electrified. 1976-1977 - the weir was refurbished and the wooden wickets were replaced with fixed concrete which extends across the southern two-thirds of the river's width. 1977 - the Berembed Picnic Grounds was officially opened by Lin Gordon, Minister for Water Resources. 1980s - a steel fishway was installed located downstream of the fixed crest 2012 - a house within the curtilage was destroyed by


Current use:	water retention and management to facilitate irrigation
Former use:	Aboriginal land, farming

History

Historical notes:

STATEMENT OF COUNTRY
Berembed Weir and Site is located on the Murrumbidgee River on Wiradjuri Country (AIATSIS, 2016), and associated with the Narrungdera clan (NSW Government, 2026). Berembed derives from a Wiradjuri word meaning 'heap of rocks' (City of Wagga Wagga 2021). The Wiradjuri are known as the people of the three rivers including the Murrumbidjeri/Murrumbidgee, Kalari/Lachlan and Wambooll/Macquarie. Wiradjuri use of the riverine environment includes the traditional construction of fish traps to both catch and manage fish stocks (Extent Heritage 2025). Despite the impacts of colonisation, including the 1840 Narrandera massacre (Gapps 2025), Wiradjuri people remain one of the largest Aboriginal communities in NSW and maintain strong continuing connection to Country.

PRE-CONTACT
There is evidence that Wiradjuri people constructed the first weirs across the Murrumbidgee. Fish weirs were typically constructed in creeks and across the mouths of swamps and reed beds, constructed from saplings and similar material. This technology also provided a way to manage fish stocks for months after the annual floods had passed and water was low. Fish traps are known on side branches of Bundidgerry and Old Man Creeks near the current location of Berembed Weir (Extent Heritage 2024).

MURRUMBIDGEE IRRIGATION AREA
Settlement along the Murrumbidgee River began in the 1820s, but efforts to establish farms on the floodplains were thwarted by cycles of drought and flood. Irrigation efforts in NSW were small in scale and privately funded, with no coordination across individual sites. The understanding of hydrology in NSW was not sophisticated at this time, with very little government led evidence gathering or research (Engineers Australia, Heritage Committee of Sydney Division 1999).

In 1884, in the midst of a period of intense drought across the eastern seaboard of Australia, the NSW Royal Commission - Conservation of Water was called. The Royal Commission investigated the potential for large scale irrigation in areas with large river systems, including investigation of the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Snowy Rivers. The Snowy River was considered as a means of supplementing the flow of the inland rivers. It was a source of water supply to the rapidly growing metropolitan area of Sydney, a means for developing hydro-electric power and a source of increasing agricultural production in the rich Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys. Although many of the recommendations of the Royal Commission were initially not implemented, the extensive data collected was used as the basis for later irrigation planning. Following another major drought between 1895 and 1902, the NSW government increased its focus on options to improve water conservation and create large scale and coordinated areas of irrigation in arid areas of the state.

The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area commenced in 1903 with the construction of canals west of Narrandera and construction of Burrinjuck Dam in 1906. These constructions preceded work on the Murray irrigation system, making it the first large scale irrigation area in Australia. The Barren Jack Dam and Murrumbidgee Canals Construction Act 1906 was passed to authorise building of the new dams, weirs and canals, and also to create the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust to administer and collect revenue for the scheme. This was one of the first major public works projects in NSW after federation and was embraced as a reflection of Australia's image as a land of opportunity and equality. Low rainfall had made large farming blocks a necessity, whereas irrigation would allow for closer settlement on smaller parcels of land (State Library of NSW 2013, Murray Darling Basin Authority 2025, Extent Heritage 2024).

The first phase of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area was on the northern side of the river. Here the government divided land into small irrigation blocks, and migrants and returned servicemen were encouraged to take up farming land. New towns of Leeton and Griffith were created, and the poet Henry Lawson was appointed by the Premier as the publicity officer for the new irrigation communities in 1916-1917 (Narrandera Shire, 2023).

The state government funded investment in town and industrial infrastructure, but farmers struggled to find successful crops for their small blocks. There had been experiments in the 1880s and 1890s to show what might be grown on an irrigated farm, and efforts had concentrated on various fruits. Yanco Experiment Farm was established in 1909 to test the suitability of crops. They started experimenting with rice in 1915, initially using Japanese varieties provided by Victorian farmer Isaburo Takasuka. A Royal Commission into the operation of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in 1916 recommended larger farm sizes (although still not nearly as large as the pre-irrigation pastoral lots) (Liston 2019, O'Gorman, 2013).

NSW Department of Agriculture representatives travelled to California and in 1920 recommended Californian varieties of rice. The plantings of medium grain Caloro rice in 1922-24 was so successful that the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission encouraged farmers to grow rice and reducing the price of water. By 1933-1934 rice was grown on 20,500 acres producing 40,290 tons. The success of rice was particularly important because it could be grown on the shallower clay soils and mixed with other crops (Liston 2019, O'Gorman, 2013).

The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area quickly became highly productive, helping to meet the demands of a growing population as well as contributing to economic growth in NSW during the early 20th century. It is now one of the most diverse and productive regions in Australia, covering an area of 378,911 hectares of which up to 190,000 hectares is irrigated. The area is home to over 50,000 people and irrigation supports many ancillary businesses such as wineries, juicing factories and processing plants. Works continue to replace and automate aging water delivery infrastructure (State Library of NSW 2013, Murrumbidgee Irrigation 2025).

The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme was designed from the outset to integrate with the future development of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, which commenced construction in 1949. Today, water from the Snowy scheme flows through Berembed Weir via Burrinjuck Dam (Murrumbidgee Irrigation 2025).

BEREMBED WEIR
Berembed Weir is one of a number of weirs built throughout the early to mid-20th century along the Murrumbidgee River to service the region. It was one of the first elements constructed under the Barren Jack and Murrumbidgee Canals Construction Act 1906 and remains as one of the earliest key components in the development of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Developed in conjunction with Burrinjuck Dam, the construction of Berembed Weir between 1907 and 1911 was a major public works initiative championed by the NSW Government for the control and flow of water from the Murrumbidgee River to irrigate agricultural land. Berembed Weir forms part of a group of historic water assets associated with this early development of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (Extent Heritage 2024).

The weir was designed to divert water from the Murrumbidgee River into the newly built Main Canal via an offtake regulator. The weir was designed and its construction supervised by the Rivers, Water Supply and Drainage Branch of the Department of Public Works, including notable engineers Ernest Macartney de Burgh and Chief Engineer Leslie Augustus Burnton (known as L.A.B.) Wade. The timber and iron gates or wickets and the lifting gear were constructed at the Government Fitzroy Dock, which was located at Cockatoo Island in Sydney. Moveable wicket dams were first invented by Jacques Chanoine of the French Corps of Engineers in 1852. The wicket system provided a higher degree of control over water levels compared to other weir designs because operators were able to open or close any number of wickets at one time. This allowed for precise control of water and flow diversion that it sent to the irrigation canals. The precision of the design was ideal for conserving water in a dry climate while providing enough irrigation to the new farming areas of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and the Berembed Weir was a precise and keystone part of the network. The use of Australian native tallowwood was also innovative as it could survive for long periods underwater without deteriorating and was resistant to pests and decay (Extent Heritage 2024).

Berembed is likely to be a Wiradjuri word meaning 'a heap of rocks'. It was where the low hills near the river stood well above the flood levels and a solid granite bar extended under the riverbed and banks, making it an ideal location for a weir. It was also seen as a suitable experiment before attempting to control the Murray River. Unlike the Murray, the Murrumbidgee River was located within NSW state boundaries, so there was not the issue of cross border rivalries and issues to contend with (NGH Environmental 2013).

Over the course of its construction, an average of 500 men worked day and night shifts, six days a week. Labour was structured by the day labour principle, which defines the starting and ending hours for a worker's 'day', an early adoption of this practice in NSW public works. Workers employed on the project lived in temporary accommodation (tents, bag huts and bark roofed slab houses) on the sand hill (Extent Heritage 2024).

The Berembed Weir, like most weirs constructed at this time, had provision for a lock to enable steamships to pass through. This reflected the role of riverboats in aiding settlement in the interior prior to the construction of the railway networks and the road network. In the early years following the completion of the weir, some steamers were used to transport wool and wheat. By the late 1920s, railways had replaced the riverboats in this region of NSW (Extent Heritage 2024).

CHANGES TO THE WEIR AND SITE
The weir gates were electrified during the mid-1950s. In 1976-1977, the Weir was refurbished and the wooden wickets were replaced with fixed concrete which extends across the southern two-thirds of the river's width.

In 1977, the Berembed Picnic Grounds was officially opened by the Hon. Alan Robert Lindsay (known as Lin) Gordon MLA, Minister for Water Resource (Austral Archaeology 2008). From the 1990s, issues of salinity, biodiversity and other factors have influenced management of the waters of the Murrumbidgee River, and the control of the water from the weirs is balanced against environmental concerns (Extent Heritage 2024).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Irrigation measures-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Irrigation technology and structures-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Fruit growing-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Developing local, regional and national economies-National Theme 3
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	20th Century infrastructure-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Utilities-Activities associated with the provision of services, especially on a communal basis	Providing irrigation-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - facilitating agriculture-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with L.A.B. Wade, NSW Public Works Dept's Drainage Branch's Principal Chief Engineer-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with the Hon. A.R.L. Gordon MLA, Minister for Water Resources-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Berembed Weir and Site is of State historic significance as it provides evidence of the early development of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, which is one the most important public works projects undertaken in NSW. The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area was the first large scale irrigation area established in Australia and allowed farms to be more productive, meeting the demands of a growing population and economy. Constructed between 1907 and 1911, the weir was part of an engineering program on a scale with few precedents in Australia at the time. The weir and its setting contribute to our understanding of the water supply and management practices employed by the government at the turn of the century to ‘drought-proof’ and provide a reliable source of water to irrigate agricultural land. Berembed Weir and Site also holds State significance for its role in regional economic growth and migrant settlement in NSW. The large scale irrigation project of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area enabled the development of the Riverina region in southwestern NSW in a move away from the pastoralism of the 19th century to more intensive agriculture on smaller holdings. Low rainfall made large farming blocks a necessity, whereas irrigation would allow for closer settlement on smaller parcels of land. The towns of Griffith and Leeton were developed in response to the success of the Murrumbidgee irrigation scheme. The construction of the weirs and canals helped drive the economic development of NSW, by providing reliable water for growing food. The Riverina became the major food producing region in NSW. NSW Government policy in the early 20th century sought to democratise farm ownership and encourage regional settlement. The concept of irrigation was promoted by the government as increasing equality and opportunity. The engineering of the weir which included tallowwood wickets manufactured at Fitzroy Dock on Cockatoo Island also represents the growth of successful heavy industry in NSW in the early 20th century. The site also incorporates a lock designed to facilitate the passage of steamers and other vessels, representing an era when steamboats were a primary form of transportation on the Murrumbidgee River.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Berembed Weir is of State technical significance as an excellent example of an early 20th century diversion weir demonstrating a high level of hydraulic engineering achievement. Berembed Weir was one of the first key components in the series of water regulation structures on the Murrumbidgee River built to support the new irrigation scheme. As an element of the broader irrigation scheme including the Burrinjuck Dam and canal system, the weir represents the development of sophisticated water management technologies in NSW. The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme demonstrated the remarkable foresight and planning undertaken by the NSW Public Works engineers, as it was designed to consider the potential development of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme (which occurred in the 1950s). Berembed Weir also represents an experimental use of the collapsible Chanoine timber wicket system. Unlike other weir technology of the time, the wickets allowed operators to regulate the weir’s height dynamically by tipping or raising, facilitating precise diversion of amounts of water into irrigation channels required by the irrigation scheme, primarily during the summer months. The tallowwood wickets or gates were designed to survive for extended periods of time submerged in water and the use of Australian tallowwood was an improvement on the original design. The offtake regulator is also of State technical significance for its design allowing a high degree of control over the amount of water diverted into the irrigation canal system. The technical and engineering expertise involved in the design and construction of the weir has meant that it continues to successfully operate as a diversion weir supporting the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme into the 21st century.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00957	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Land & Water Conservation Section 170 Register	1995	85194	Heritage Group: State Projects		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Austral Archaeology	2008	Berembed weir canal bridge no. 1 : statement of heritage impact and exemption notification

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5012039
File number:	H00/00366; S95/00332 [S170]

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

All information and pictures on this page are the copyright of Heritage NSW or respective copyright owners.