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Humphrey pump
The Humphrey pump was patented by HA (Herbert Alfred) Humphrey, a gas engineer and chemist, in 1906. An explosion of inflammable gas and air hitting the surface of the water propels the pump. As a result, the Humphrey pump has been likened to a water cannon. This kind of pump was used at the Cobdogla irrigation settlement on the River Murray. Today, the world’s only working Humphrey pump is at the Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum. It can be seen in action four times a year and is known as ‘Big Thumper’ as the ground shakes with its action. Big Thumper can deposit 1.25 million gallons of water in irrigation channels per hour.
Further reading
McLauchlan, James Ivey. The Humphrey pump and the installation of two sixty-six inch units at Cobdogla, River Murray, Transactions of the Institution, vol. XII.
Paddles, pumps, steam: notes for a field day excursion to South Australia's Riverland, 27-28 March, 1999, Adelaide: Institution of Engineers Australia, South Australian Division, [1999].
Smith, Denis. The Humphrey pump and its inventor, Excerpt Transactions of the Newcomen Society vol. XLIII, 1970-71.
Links
Steam and Engine of Australia: The Humphrey pump
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| TITLE | Pump, Cobdogla |
| DESCRIPTION | A Beardmore Humphrey pump, at this time the only one in Australia, there were no pistons or working parts. |
| DATE | ca.1943 |
| Image record | |
Copies of this image may be made for private research/study. You may order a high quality photographic copy. Any other use requires permission from the State Library of South Australia. |
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