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Artifical Rock Projects Projects: Keiths favourite fake rock job….Newcastle  NSW Australia.. 2002

This is the largest domestic fake waterfall and artificial rock retaining job that I have personally built. I look back in amazement now when I see this rock and faux water project and think it was myself and my nephew who hand constructed the whole rock waterfeature.

artificial rock waterfall
The actual artificial rock structures that make up the water fall and its surrounding rockponds took approximately a month to create. The rise from ground level to where the water enters the top reinforced concrete pond is seven metres or around 24 feet. The actual surface area that we landscaped and retained is approx 150 sq metres. This also includes an artificial rock staircase not seen in the images shown here but you can see it on the video imaging to your left

The handmade rock waterfeature work to date has fooled of all people a geologist who was none to pleased when he had the realization that all the synthetic rockwork was hand crafted and dare I say..artificial, mock,,faux and definitely fake. This garden opens to the public over one weekend a year and up to one thousand people can come through over the two days. The fake waterfall is part of the front yard yet people are astonished that a creek and a waterfall although artificial just happens to be on this site as some years back all the area was a coal mine and why isn’t it recorded for environmental heritage protection?   Um ,well that’s because it isn’t real rocks! Recently I received what must be my most complimentary email yet…It said “To be frank, the images of fake rock features and artificial boulders look to real to be true.” I apologized to this gentleman and said I will try to tone it down.

This was a difficult project because the slope on which all this work was to be placed on is made up of shale which constantly erodes when exposed to air. The solution was to cover the slope in a plastic mesh Fasten it down and spray over with an approx 75mm or 3inches thick of  shotcrete with fibremesh mixed in to the concrete before it was pumped and sprayed. This first image is after the concreting was done and shows a 90mm or 3.8 inch poly pipe installed to carry the water up from the external pump which is housed under a handmade hollow artificial boulder to the top pond which by eye is a natural pond but is a artificial water pool. The concrete slab for the two bottom ponds will be built on and the first bits and outlines of the future fake rock waterfall are starting to reveal themselves.
building artificial rock waterfall
By concreting in piles of rubble and coating them with the surface rock making surface mix a causeway and supporting large solid artificial boulders begin to “grow” out of the concrete slope. At the bottom of the image you will see a brick pond wall which will be rendered and also some slabs of sandstone which have been fixed to the top of the wall as they will become readymade overhangs coated in my artificial yet very realistic rock finishes for where the water spills over into the first of the lower ponds.
artificial pool
This image was done as part of a magazine shoot in 2004 approx eighteen months after our completion of waterfeature work.The ponds were not completed when I finished the rockmaking work so this photo was the first time I saw the whole thing operating and the power of thewater cascading. A month later I saw it live for the first time which was a really really personally satisfying experience.
fake rock waterfall
This image was shot from the topside of the waterfall area and shows a part of the artificial rock retaining boulders to one side of the actual waterfall cascade. The style I use is to create each artificial boulder as individual pieces linking them to typify the sought of bush areas that I have grown up around over the years here in Australia
waterfall close up

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