Representatives of local community groups and former Apexians joined Wingham Advancement Group members and special guests, including Stephen Bromhead, Member for Myall Lakes, for the event.

WAG’s Allen Valentine, who had been instrumental in re-invigorating the site with the new waterfall, and landscaped surrounds, was delighted with the turnout.

After a welcome by Mayor David West and a talk by Brian Tickle, one of the Apex members who worked on the original project in 1972, Allen spoke of the provenance of the WAG project.

What follows is the speech Allen gave on the night, reproduced with kind permission:

In 2013 WAG discussed the rebuilding of this site and commenced a dialogue with APEXians from Wingham. 

Bill Polkinghorne advised that members were somewhat embarrassed at the forlorn state of the APEX waterfall over the past 35 years or so, and the sooner it was rebuilt the better. 

Later that year a discussion with Mr Ron Posselt from then Greater Taree City Council resulted in an agreement for the rebuild of the waterfall to a re-imagined design and a commitment to support the project with water and electricity and other miscellaneous items including safety items and security fencing. 

And for that commitment WAG is most appreciative – and particularly to Wayne Hull and his Parks team. 

From that time WAG evaluated a number of options for the rebuild and sought support for the project but without much success it has to be said. 

In 2015 it was decided to go it alone and use WAG funds from the sale of the Wingham Take Me There DVD, and other donations, to initiate the project. 

The re-imagined waterfall would be constructed using flowforms to represent the lively energised water of streams and waterfalls flowing into the Manning River and the river itself as it flows over rapids on its journey from the escarpment to Wingham. 

And so some 4 years from conception to part completion, you see before you the finished Phase 1 reconstruction – the result of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of volunteer work. 

The original flowform design is a mathematical algorithm by British researcher John Wilkes in 1970 – who was inspired by early German researchers such as the ‘Water Wizard’ Viktor Schauberger, and others such as Theodore Schwenk. 

It reproduces the interaction of water as it flows over and around rocks and into pools.

In nature, and here, the water has a rhythm and pulse that induces vortexes that energise the water and incorporates added oxygen into the liquid.

In doing so it activates the natural microorganisms in the water and causes it to be cleaned and purged of ‘bad’ organisms. 

The bold blue of the ‘steps’ represents the Manning River, and the ‘Miroma’ flowforms – an Australian design - the rocky outcrops in the river rapids. 

These flowforms are made of reconstituted marble for a longer life as water erodes concrete relatively quickly. 

The figure of eight ‘leminiscate’ of water, created in the flowforms, mimics the natural flow of water in rapids and pools – a phenomenon often unnoticed by us when looking at streams in the bush. 

The curve of the steps has a threefold purpose in that it emulates the design of the flowform and, from the original brick wall of the pumphouse it sweeps around towards the pergola entrance to welcome visitors and attract their vision to the cascading water. 

Furthermore, the curve welcomes the early morning sun in the winter and reflects the rays in the morning as the flowforms descend to a northerly direction. 

In addition, the rhythmic sound of the pulsing water is a most relaxing tonic to the observer and listener too!

Later you will be able to listen to the rhythm of the water and see the patterns and path of the rhythm.

The plumbing design incorporates a sustainable closed loop system so the water circulates via an underground tank before being pumped back up to the flowforms.

To save power and reduce the possibility of accidents the water only flows in daylight.

While contemplating the landscaping element of the project it was clear that in the environment of Central Park we could not recreate the micro climate of a waterfall to enable the sustained and long term growth of local escarpment flora.

As one of our aims was to highlight how essential and precious water is for Australians, the obvious alternative was to incorporate hardy, useful and colourful plants that are not “weeds’, need little water and that would thrive in the harsh environment of Central Park on a rockpile and gravel bed.

The solution was a variety of herbs that have colour, texture, flowers and aroma that enhance the ambience of the waterfall, rocks and gravel and, with a little imagination, could almost be in their natural environment.

But is it art, history, heritage, a representation of nature or a mathematical construction?

We like to think it is a combination of all five.

As I have indicated, the flowforms are designed from a mathematical algorithm based on the flow of water in nature.

Their emergence from the rock formation is art and history – APEX obtained the rocks from the Lansdowne area to represent the escarpment.

WAG’s reconstruction re-imagines the waterfall as a symbol of all the waterfalls in the Manning Catchment.

The previous waterfall had a gentle flow which was perhaps a metaphor for the simpler and more measured pace of life and progress in the past two hundred years or more.

This waterfall with its design and the vigorous flow and energy of the water, invites us to think of our valley emerging from the past into the 21st century.

Simultaneously, as we contemplate the sparkle of this water in the sunlight, it might remind us of the necessity of water for life and what a scarce resource it is in this continent.

On a more gloomy note we may recall the parlous state of water as a threatened resource in many areas.

However, as optimists, we in WAG hope that people who view the waterfall will appreciate the visually soothing rhythm and pulse of the water but, more importantly, recognise the value of water in all its forms to our lives – for life and nature including, plants, insects, animals, crops, outdoor pursuits and ambience.

As temporary inhabitants of this planet we should all do what we can to protect water, whether above or below ground, to ensure it remains pure and available to us and our descendants to enjoy, while at the same time, not squandering this wonderful and essential gift from nature.​