Cistern

Stone or brick cisterns for water storage - commonly mistaken for wells and also commonly attributed to Chinese people.

Cistern, Harrow

Image Courtesy of: CAHS

Many stone or brick cisterns – which are for water storage and not wells at all – are often attributed to Chinese make. Three times while tracing the Robe walk – at Robe, Harrow, and Dunkeld – were “wells” said to have been built by Chinese, all were cisterns (personal observations by Michael Williams, 2022). This is an attribution seemingly on the basis that these once common pre-galvanised tank structures of very English design are now as unfamiliar as the Chinese goldseekers.

‘Underground tanks were a typical component of nineteenth century rural properties in Victoria, …’ Moloney, David, Rowe, David, Jellie, Pamela, “Former Robinson Water Tank, The Bullock Track”, Shire of Melton Heritage Study, Volume 5, 2006, np.