53-525: 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
106-434: A navigational context, if one were floating on a raft or other vessel in the main stream, this would be the side the tributary enters from as one floats past; alternately, if one were floating down the tributary, the main stream meets it on the opposite bank of the tributary. This information may be used to avoid turbulent water by moving towards the opposite bank before approaching the confluence. An early tributary
159-444: A larger stream ( main stem or "parent" ), river, or a lake . A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean . Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they flow, drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater , leading the water out into an ocean. The Irtysh is a chief tributary of the Ob river and is also the longest tributary river in
212-414: A left tributary which is called Right Fork Steer Creek. These naming conventions are reflective of the circumstances of a particular river's identification and charting: people living along the banks of a river, with a name known to them, may then float down the river in exploration, and each tributary joining it as they pass by appears as a new river, to be given its own name, perhaps one already known to
265-528: A length of 185 metres. Beginning with a stone oviform sewer of 810mm by 1220mm, constructed in c.1878, the shape changes to a semi-elliptic stone arch of 3000mm and varying between 1100 and 1400mm. Major modification include the following: Tank Stream tours are run by the Sydney Living Museums and Sydney Water . These are usually in April and November. The tickets are limited and allocated by ballot. There
318-499: A modern concrete pipe (750mm diameter), the section approaching the GPO is part of the historic oviform sewer (810 by 1220mm) and lastly a stainless steel box-profile pipe (1070 by 750mm). The section between Martin and Angel Places returns to the 1866 brick open drains enclosed in 1876. This form continues between Angel Place and Hunter Street for 95 metres before being interrupted by a 36-metre section of modern cement lined pipe laid in 1962 and
371-507: 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
424-548: A period of two centuries. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article contains material from Tank Stream , entry number 636 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence , accessed on 13 October 2018. Tributary A tributary , or an affluent , is a stream or river that flows into
477-540: A result of the severity of this displacement the Tank Stream has become symbolic of the European settlers immediate appropriation of essential resources and Aboriginal dispossession. The Tank Stream influenced, and has been influenced by, Governor Phillip and subsequent early governors of the Australian colony. The course of the stream determined Phillip's siting of the first camp and this early administrative decision influenced
530-461: 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
583-487: A steel section laid in 1958 and 1978 (both are 1350mm). From Hunter to Bond Street the Stream is a semi-circular stone arch with a shallow V-shaped floor for 35 metres (1500 by 3000mm). The 1790 cut tanks were originally located in this area, but are not thought to have survived. For the following 86 metres, below Australia Square, the original sewer has been replaced with concrete box-profile pipe (1220 by 1830mm), inserted during
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#1732845074443636-490: 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 65 hectares (161 acres), 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. The history of Tank Stream incorporates aboriginal use of
689-410: A third stream entering between two others is designated the middle fork; or the streams are distinguished by the relative height of one to the other, as one stream descending over a cataract into another becomes the upper fork, and the one it descends into, the lower ; or by relative volume: the smaller stream designated the little fork, the larger either retaining its name unmodified, or receives
742-507: Is a tributary that joins the main stem river closer to its source than its mouth, that is, before the river's midpoint ; a late tributary joins the main stem further downstream, closer to its mouth than to its source, that is, after the midpoint. In the United States, where tributaries sometimes have the same name as the river into which they feed, they are called forks . These are typically designated by compass direction. For example,
795-467: 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 . As at 31 May 2006, The Tank Stream is significant because it
848-626: 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. The Tank Stream itself has retained an identity through
901-625: The American River in California receives flow from its North, Middle, and South forks. The Chicago River 's North Branch has the East, West, and Middle Fork; the South Branch has its South Fork, and used to have a West Fork as well (now filled in). Forks are sometimes designated as right or left. Here, the handedness is from the point of view of an observer facing upstream. For instance, Steer Creek has
954-576: The Sydney central business district , in the eastern suburbs of Sydney in the state of New South Wales , Australia. Centennial Park is home to a number of wild animals including birds, rabbits, and foxes. It is also home to a number of equestrian schools and other domestic animal endeavours such as the Centennial Park Rabbit Retreat, a boarding facility for rabbits in the Centennial Park and Paddington area. The western fringe of
1007-457: The Tank Stream has the potential to contain deposits that can contain information about pre-human and pre-urban environments in Sydney, Aboriginal occupation and early non-indigenous occupation of Sydney. The fabric enclosing the watercourse demonstrates one of the most comprehensive collections of hydrological technology in Australia. The sections of the former Tank Stream south of King Street which survive have potential for retaining evidence of
1060-442: 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
1113-554: The Tanks Tream and its enclosing stormwater drain contains rare surviving evidence of the eighteenth and nineteenth century water supply and sewerage construction in the one linear site. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. The Tank Stream is representative of a significant collection of water and wastewater heritage assets from
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#17328450744431166-467: 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 1790 Tanks were cut into
1219-403: The bedrock of the stream (hence the name), the number of tanks is believed to be three or four, and are thought to have held 20,000 litres and been 5m deep. As early as 1791 Governor Phillip enclosed Tank Stream with a fence in an attempt to prevent stock muddying the water; and later, trenches were cut alongside the stream in an attempt to catch runoff before it could enter the stream. Yet due to
1272-459: 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. The form of the open channels was generally a convict period shallow V profile which assisted in improving
1325-555: The construction of the Square in 1962. The Australia Square Tower basement houses the access to Tank Stream for public tours and as an inspection point for Sydney Water. The boxed concrete section (1220 by 1830mm) continues from Bond Street to Abercrombie Lane, a distance of 60 metres. Tank Stream between Abercrombie Lane and Bridge Street, a length of 40 metres, is of c.1860 semi-circular stone arch (1500 by 3000mm). From Bridge Street Tank Stream diverts to run under Pitt Street to Circular Quay,
1378-416: The designation big . Tributaries are sometimes listed starting with those nearest to the source of the river and ending with those nearest to the mouth of the river . The Strahler stream order examines the arrangement of tributaries in a hierarchy of first, second, third and higher orders, with the first-order tributary being typically the least in size. For example, a second-order tributary would be
1431-465: The earliest periods of its human use, although this is likely to have been severely compromised by development. The swampy source of the stream may provide evidence of past environmental conditions. Tank Stream was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. The Tank Stream
1484-508: 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
1537-491: The flow of the stream; in the late 1850s work commenced in covering the Bridge Street- Hunter Street section of Tank Stream. This was necessary to reduce smells. The form of the channel was a mixture of stone and brick in the lower half, with a sandstone arch roof. Later sections were also roofed, generally with an arch to oviform. Prior to 1888 Tank Stream also carried salt water, stored in council reservoirs for
1590-459: The fragility of the European presence in Australia. The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history. The original watercourse and catchment would have provided a resource for exploitation by the Gadigal people who occupied the southern shore of Sydney Harbour at contact and their ancestors. As
1643-442: The fragility of the European presence in Australia. The surviving fabric documents mid-nineteenth century sanitation design and construction, and subsequent changes in methods and also the theory of urban wastewater management. This evidence is preserved in the drain enclosing the Tank Stream, in physical evidence of change, and may also be present archaeologically in buried parts of the Tank Stream line. The archaeological evidence of
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1696-454: The functional changes from being a fresh water supply, through subsequent use as combined sewer and stormwater drain to its current function as a stormwater drain. It is an important survivor of the first period of organised and integrated water management in an Australian city. The stone-cut water tanks, which may survive archaeologically, are important symbols of the reliance upon water in the colony, both in absolute terms and as an indication of
1749-454: The functional changes from being a fresh water supply, through subsequent use as combined sewer and stormwater drain to its current function as a stormwater drain. It is an important survivor of the first period of organised and integrated water management in an Australian city. The stone-cut water tanks, which may survive archaeologically, are important symbols of the reliance upon water in the colony, both in absolute terms and as an indication of
1802-449: The growth of heritage consciousness since the 1970s. The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The sections of the former Tank Stream south of King Street which survive have potential for retaining evidence of the earliest periods of its human use. This includes early construction, brickmaking and waterproofing techniques. The swampy source of
1855-481: The increasing population; number of buildings around the stream and the loss of trees as land was cleared, runoff increased, which included human and animal wastes and domestic products. In 1795 orders were made to prevent the grazing of stock or cutting of trees within a 15m distance of the stream. These measures were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1792 a stone arch bridge over Tank Stream was constructed, replacing existing wooden structures. Its foundations may survive within
1908-530: 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
1961-403: The main stream. Distributaries are most often found in river deltas . Right tributary , or right-bank tributary , and left tributary , or left-bank tributary , describe the orientation of the tributary relative to the flow of the main stem river. These terms are defined from the perspective of looking downstream, that is, facing the direction the water current of the main stem is going. In
2014-484: The mid-nineteenth century onwards. From the operational perspective the Tank Stream competently serves as a stormwater drain, from the historical and social perspective, the Tank Stream serves to represent the system and Sydney Water as a whole, as its most high profile, historic and valued heritage item. The fabric of the Tank Stream and of the enclosing stormwater drain is representative of a range of technologies associated with water reticulation, sewerage and drainage for
2067-418: The operation, e.g. terracotta drains. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The Tank Stream is of State significance for its recognition in the community with the placement of Sydney in its current location, as evidenced by the popularity of tours. Community value of the Stream has increased with
2120-553: The original Tank Stream bed. The surviving fabric of the Tank Stream is extant from King Street in the south at a point between Pitt and George Streets to Circular Quay in the north. The Stream has been blocked at a point just south of King Street and for 13 metres north of this point represents the 1866 open sewer, which was covered in 1876. The dimensions are 810mm broad by 1220mm high. Between King Street and Martin Place (163 metres) there are three phases of construction, beginning with
2173-556: The park were to be cleared in the 1970s for a sports complex but the project was called off after the NSW Builders Labourers Federation placed a green ban in response to a request from park users. Centennial Park has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: At the 2021 census , 2,225 people were living in Centennial Park. In the 2016 census, there were 2,376 people in Centennial Park. 57.0% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth
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2226-464: The people who live upon its banks. Conversely, explorers approaching a new land from the sea encounter its rivers at their mouths, where they name them on their charts, then, following a river upstream, encounter each tributary as a forking of the stream to the right and to the left, which then appear on their charts as such; or the streams are seen to diverge by the cardinal direction (north, south, east, or west) in which they proceed upstream, sometimes
2279-459: The purpose of street cleaning and dust suppression. Salt water was used to minimise the use of fresh water supplies. During a drought in 1790 three storage tanks were constructed in the sandstone beside the Tank Stream and it is from these that the stream gets its name. 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
2332-446: The result of two or more first-order tributaries combining to form the second-order tributary. Another method is to list tributaries from mouth to source, in the form of a tree structure , stored as a tree data structure . Centennial Park, New South Wales Centennial Park is a suburb split between the local government area of the City of Sydney and the City of Randwick , located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east from
2385-518: The same name in that suburb. Centennial Park started out as a reserve to protect the central ponds and swamps which formed early Sydney's water supply. When it was superseded by the Nepean water supply system in the 1880s it was decided to create a large park, which opened as Centennial Park in 1888. Part of the funding was to come from selling off residential lots adjacent to the park, but this did not occur until 1904 when 101 acres (41 ha) of land along
2438-489: The stream may provide evidence of past environmental conditions and potentially of Aboriginal occupation prior to European arrival. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. Tank Stream is of State significance as the only water source available to the First Fleet arrival in their settlement of Sydney. Tank Stream is the only surviving evidence of this early period of water resource development. The fabric of
2491-427: The stream. The Tank Stream could not meet the needs of the growing colony and, despite efforts by successive Governors, it became increasingly polluted by runoff from the settlement. It was finally abandoned in 1826, though it had been little more than an open sewer for the preceding decade. Sydney's next supply of water was Busby's Bore , in 1830. In 1850 the swamp feeding the Tank Stream was drained. Starting in 1860,
2544-436: The streambed under modern Bridge Street . The Tank Stream rose in marshy ground roughly bounded by what is now Elizabeth , Market , Pitt and Park Streets. It filtered through the soil between Pitt and George Streets before forming a definite channel near King Street and flowing to Sydney Cove. Tank Stream was the main source of fresh water until the completion of Busby's Bore in 1837. Other dams were later added within
2597-416: The subsequent urban form of Sydney. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The Tank Stream features fine quality stonemasonry and brickwork from the nineteenth century, houman scale and an intriguing form showing layers of different phases of construction. This includes modifications introduced to improve
2650-519: The suburb is used for residential purposes and is within the City of Sydney. It features quality houses on large blocks as well as large multi-unit buildings. The bulk of the suburb consists of the Centennial Parklands (from which the suburb takes its name) and is within the City of Randwick. The parklands extend further partly into the suburb of Queens Park , adjacent to (but separate from) the park of
2703-538: The western border was subdivided. To ensure high standards of residential development, strict requirements were imposed. No wooden buildings or terrace homes were allowed; brick or stone were mandated, with tile or slate roofs. Between 1905 and 1925, a wide range of substantial, quality homes were built, featuring a mixture of Federation , Arts and Crafts , Victorian and Old English styles. The streets created were Martin Road, Robertson Road, Lang Road and Cook Road. Sections of
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#17328450744432756-433: The world with a length of 4,248 km (2,640 mi). The Madeira River is the largest tributary river by volume in the world with an average discharge of 31,200 m /s (1.1 million cu ft/s). A confluence , where two or more bodies of water meet, usually refers to the joining of tributaries. The opposite to a tributary is a distributary , a river or stream that branches off from and flows away from
2809-440: 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. The Tank Stream itself has retained an identity through
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