EXCAVATIONS on the site of Queanbeyan’s planned Civic and Cultural Precinct have uncovered a well potentially dating as far back as the 1800s, opening up new questions about the heritage status of the location.
The brick-lined well was uncovered beneath the site of a demolished block of flats on Rutledge Street that was recently bulldozed to create access to a carpark for the $74 million precinct.
Early assessment by the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) has revealed the well is over nine metres deep and is in “excellent condition”.
The approximate age of the well is still currently being assessed, with speculations it could have been used to service the Meyers Aerated Water & Cordial Factory first built in the 1870s and perhaps even served as a community well before that.
A report on how the well can be protected given its historic significance will be presented at the next meeting of the QPRC’s Heritage Advisory Committee.
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