The Tank Stream is a heritage-listed former fresh water tributary of Sydney Cove and now tunnel and watercourse located in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The Tank Stream was the fresh water supply for the fledgling colony of New South Wales in the late 18th century. Today it is little more than a storm water drain. It originated from a swamp to the west of present-day Hyde Park and at high tide entered Sydney Cove at what is now the intersection of Bridge and Pitt Streets in the Sydney central business district. The catchment was , corresponding roughly the size of the Sydney central business district. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

History

thumb|left|Circular Quay and mouth of the Tank Stream, Sydney Cove, [[Frederick Garling Jr., 1839]]

thumb|left|Tank Stream, Sydney, 1842, John Skinner Prout

thumb|Tank Stream on a November 2008 tour

The history of the Tank Stream incorporates aboriginal use of the land; the history of European settlement; the natural forming stream as a water supply; and its later use for waste disposal and as a part of the stormwater system. The Gadigal (or Cadigal) people were the Aboriginal group most commonly accepted to have lived around the Sydney Cove area prior to European arrival. The catchment area around Tank Stream provided "a range of environments- marine, estuarine, rock platform, creek, open forest, wetland" all located within a short distance and able to provide a range of food and material. Excavations around Tank Stream have uncovered Aboriginal flake stone artifacts made from water-worn pebbles. The stream is thought to have given the Aboriginal people fresh water, fish and other resources.

Although it was unable to consistently provide water in dry weather, the stream also played a role in dividing the settlement, with the eastern side being held for government and administrative functions and convicts living on the western side. The area was chosen by the commander of the First Fleet, Captain Arthur Phillip, R.N., in 1788 as the location for the New South Wales colony for similar reasons. The colony had originally been planned for Botany Bay, on the recommendation of Sir Joseph Banks who had visited the area with Captain James Cook 17 years earlier, but when no fresh water was found there, Phillip sought a better site, and found it in the previously unvisited Port Jackson. Sydney Cove was chosen for settlement as it "was at the head of the cove, near the run of fresh water which stole silently along through a very thick wood". On 26 January 1788 the new colony was inaugurated. In 1792 a stone arch bridge over Tank Stream was constructed, replacing existing wooden structures. Its foundations may survive within the streambed under modern Bridge Street. Tank Stream was the main source of fresh water until the completion of Busby's Bore in 1837. Other dams were later added within the catchment area of Lachlan Swamps; now located within Centennial Park. Yet by 1826 Tank Stream had become an unofficial sewer, it became an official sewer in 1857. This (and other) sewers discharged directly into the harbour; a situation that created discontent as social attitudes changed. One of these was at the present intersection of Pitt and Spring Streets and the other two in Bond Street on the opposite side of the stream. Starting in 1860, the Tank Stream was progressively covered and is now a storm water channel which is controlled by Sydney Water. In 2007 there were calls from some to see it run above ground again to create a central feature in the city.

Over the past century, Tank Stream has remained a part of the stormwater channel within the Sydney system. Changes to the channel have been largely restricted to replacing sections with modern pipe. This has destroyed a number of sections of the channel and is largely tied to post-World War II redevelopment where little regard was paid to the historic value of the Tank Stream. Redevelopment of the GPO site allowed further investigation of Tank Stream and has provided information on the building development of Tank Stream over time. Brick drains, possibly dated pre 1820, were found. A further search revealed soil from the original Tank Stream bed.

  • 1788-1826: Clearing of vegetation within the vicinity of stream, construction of dwellings, grazing and watering of animals.
  • 1790: Cutting of tanks for water storage
  • 1790: Chiselling of stone and inset of additional slabs into base of stream to improve flow in a shallow V profile.
  • 1791: Enclosure within a fence against livestock and trespass.
  • 1792: First bridge crossing.
  • 1810: Cut-off drains alongside of Tank Stream channel to reduce inflow of polluted stormwater
  • 1826: Tank Stream disallowed for drinking by Governor Brisbane. Governor Darling arranged for seven wells to be dug in the city. Governor Darling employed people to repair existing sewers.
  • 1832: Construction of sewers seriously discussed.
  • 1833: Water from partly built Busby's Bore used to pipe water to ships.
  • 1842: City Council incorporated.
  • c.1850: Semi Circular Quay was formed which necessitated the extension of the Tank Stream for the area north of Bridge St.
  • 1855: Brickworks at Newtown was purchased, along with vitreous clay pipes and Roman Cement.
  • 1857: Work completed on first part of the Bennelong Sewer to discharge sewage as far out as possible into the harbour. This would service the more elevated areas, whereas the Tank Stream in Hunter St and King St as a bolted cast iron oviform aqueduct. This sewer (and possibly stormwater) network had the effect of draining the swamp area that had previously supplied some water to the Tank Stream, making the Tank stream more polluted by being less "cleansed".
  • The section of the Tank Stream from the Sydney Cove to the Interception Chamber in Pitt St was completed, approx. 200m. The section at the mouth (approx. 5m has been strengthened with concrete in the two filleted corners. The next 10 m is sandstone arch. The next 15m section has the original stone floor overlaid with concrete, date unknown. The remaining section up to the Interception Champer (approx. 170m) is sandstone arch.
  • 1858: Independent outfalls also completed at Woolloomooloo, Hay Street and Black Wattle Bay. Over the next 20 years, approx 10 other minor outlets were also opened.
  • 1860: The sandstone arch between Bridge St and Hunter St was constructed. This was done to reduce odours from the previously open sewer/stormwater that up until that time had been more of a slops line.
  • 1866: Section from south of Hunter St to Martin Place was formed as an open stone channel. In late 1870s was converted by roofing with an arch to oviform, whereas more southerly section was oviform invert with a flat roof, where it passes under Challis House... (Other parts were replaced in 2001 as part of the Angel Place project).
  • Two sections were laid as oviform through the future GPO.
  • To the south, two sections were laid as brick oviform and with some amendments in 1878.
  • 1878: The brick oviform section from the Interception Chamber to Bridge St was constructed by contract for the City council. This was built to replace the open section that ran through private property. At the southern end there is a transition section (reducer), which leads to the sandstone arch, which is in Tank Stream Way (formerly Hamilton St.).
  • 1879: The section from Bridge St to Hunter St, with its sandstone arch roof in place has its floor slabs lifted and re-instated with mortar foundations to water proof the floor for its use as a sewer. In addition a terra cotta "scouring channel" was cut into the centre of the floor
  • The section immediately upstream of Hunter St was built as oviform. This included a terra cotta flow channel.
  • The next section upstream was also constructed. It was a bottom only oviform, and part of it was built underneath an existing stone arch bridge.
  • 1880: Brick oviform was constructed for the full width of King St and terminating.
  • 1898: SPS [Sewerage Pumping Station] 16 constructed. the section immediately downstream of the interception chamber, has an interception pipe leading to SPS 16 form the tidal weir.
  • 1940: Section just upstream of Martin Place was replaced with concrete pipe under the GPO in 1940. This replaced 1866 brick oviform.
  • 1951: Stormwater drainages charges were introduced for parts of the City of Sydney from 16 November 1951.
  • 1958: Replacement, at the rear of 105-107 Pitt St.
  • 1962: Replacement, at rear of Commercial Union House [south end of Pitt St.]
  • 1965: Replacement within Australia Square. Construction of Tank Stream visitor access space.
  • 1975: Replacement within basement of New Zealand Insurance Building [North of Bond St.]
  • 2001: Replacement in Former GPO site.
  • 2002: Replacement within Angel Place project. These are usually in April and November. The tickets are limited and allocated by ballot. There is an information centre behind locked gates at the beginning of the tour. One can also trace the previous stream course following art work, street names, and pub names.

The Tank Stream has been commemorated in a sculpture by Stephen Walker, created in 1981. The sculpture, known as the Tank Stream Fountain, is located at Circular Quay.

Heritage listing

As at 31 May 2006, The Tank Stream is significant because it was the reason the First Fleet settlement was established in Sydney Cove, and therefore influenced the future shape of Sydney over two centuries. It is linked in the public mind with the period of first European settlement and retains value as an iconic representation of that period and is interpreted as a metaphor of the period of contact and early urban settlement in Australia.