DEEP DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF ADELAIDE. 549 



Section J. 



ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING. 



President of the Section., Mr. W. C. Kernot, M.A.'C.B., Professor 

 of Engineering in the University of Melbourne. 



Wednesday, August 29. 

 The following paper was read : — 



1.— THE DEEP DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF ADELAIDE- 

 ITS RESULTS AND MISTAKES. 



Bj the Hon. Allan Campbell, M.D., M.L.O. (s.a.), Adelaide- 



The position of Adelaide is unusually advantageous for economical 

 drainage. It stands upon a sort of flat mound sloping towards 

 the four directions of the compass. No difliculties exist in sinking 

 to any depth. Prior to 1883, when a large portion of the drainage 

 system was brought into operation, the city was in a very insani- 

 tary condition. It is no secret that it had acquired the unenviable 

 notoriety of having the highest mortality rate of any city in 

 Australia. The following is the official death-rate per 1000 of 

 the population in 1881 : — Adelaide, 2.3.55; Hobart, 23.18 ; Mel- 

 bourne, 19.32; Sydney, 19.12; and Brisbane, 18.82. 



Adelaide has an ample and excellent supply of water for domestic 

 and other purposes. This, although a great and inestimable boon 

 in itself, increased the perils of bad or no drainage. This was felt 

 for several years, when in 1876, the able report of Mr. W. Clark, 

 Civil Engineer, was adopted by the City Council. For several 

 reasons, but mainly because the water supply was in the hands of 

 the Government, the carrying out of the scheme was placed in 

 their hands. The " Sewers Bill" received the assent of Parliament 

 in 1878. Under an experienced hydraulic engineer the works 

 progressed rapidly till 1883, when nearly one-third of the houses 

 in the city were connected. Since then tlie whole city and .several 

 important suburbs are included in the completed drainage area. 



