It offers a brief but interesting account of the state of Majorca's water system and use of the stand pipe, as well as observations on many other aspects of the town, as recorded by the Health Officer at the time.
Dr. P. H. Cunningham submitted this report for the year 1914, as follows:
The population of the borough is estimated at 675, which is spread over an area of 5005 acres.
The industries in which the population is engaged are agricultural, pastoral, mining, including cyaniding, and wood cutting.
The vital statistics show a birth rate of 10,and a death rate of (1) under five years, one; (2) over five years, four. This give a death rate of 7.4 per thousand of the population. No deaths are returned as due to accident or violence.
The water supply is derived from a reservoir in the vicinity of the town, two stand pipes being erected in the streets, from which the inhabitants get their supply.
The water, though somewhat discolored, is of a fairly good quality. The drainage of the town is satisfactory.
There is one cemetery in the borough, and its sanitary condition is satisfactory. Accommodation for the sick is provided at the public hospitals in the neighboring municipalities. No private hospitals exist in the borough. The street scavenging is satisfactorily carried out by the council's officers.
The sanitary service is of the single-pan system, and is attended to weekly. The scattered nature of the dwellings and the small population do not lend themselves to modern improvements in this respect at present.
The schools are in a good sanitary condition. The general sanitary condition of the borough is satisfactory.
The Town Clerk was instructed to forward the report to the Health Department.
(Source: trove.nla.gov.au)
A memorial trough sits before the stand pipe, donated by Annis and George Bills. Keen supporters of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and later the RSPCA, the Bills were regular contributors to animal welfare charities
(source: State Library NSW).
The troughs were financed by a trust fund established through the
will of George Bills. A total of around 700 troughs were distributed by the trust in Australia and 50 in several other countries
(source: Wikipedia).
BBQ
Majorca
