294 N^W SOUTH WALES. 



Ample facilities exist in Sydney for docking large vessels and 

 repairing tlie ships of war on the station. At Cockatoo, one of the 

 islands in the harbour, is situated the Government docking establish- 

 ment and works. It consists of two large graving docks, one of which, 

 , he Sutherland Dock, completed a few years ago at a cost of nearly 

 £280,000, is one of the largest single docks in the world, and is capable 

 of receiving vessels drawing o'2 feet of water. 



At Wollongong and Kiama harbours have been constructed for the 

 convenience of the shipping engaged in the southern coal trade, and 

 Government wharfs are to be found at all the chief centres of popula- 

 tion along the rivers of the Colony and at all ports with a trade of any 

 importance. 



The works which have been referred to in the preceding paragraphs, 

 although of vital interest to the Colony as a whole, perhaps more par- 

 ticularly concern the residents in the country districts. Amongst the 

 most important of the public works of the Colony, however, so far as 

 magnitude of cost is concerned, and as affecting the health and com- 

 fort of a large number of the inhabitants, are those which have been 

 constructed for the Water Supply and Sewerage of the City of Sydney. 

 To take first the water supply. The works now in operation are 

 quite of recent construction. For many years the supply was in the 

 hands of the City Corporation, and was obtained from the sandy 

 swamps lying between the city and Botany. This, however, proving" 

 quite inadequate to the demands of the increasing population, the 

 matter was taken in hand by the Government, and after careful 

 consideration of various projects, a scheme was adopted known as 

 the " Nepean scheme.'" The source of supply is the Upper Nepean, 

 Cordeaux, and the Cataract Rivers, which rise in the mountain country 

 running parallel to the coast; the catchment area being 354 square 

 miles entirely in sandstone country. The water is intercepted at a 

 height of 037 feet above sea-level, and flows through a series of con- 

 duits which are partly tunnel, partly open canal, and in places wrought- 

 iron aqueducts, to the Prospect Reservoir. This reservoir has a capacity 

 of nearly 11,000 million gallons, and when full covers an area of close 

 upon 2 square miles. The water after leaving this reservoir, is con- 

 ducted by an open canal 4f miles in length, to the j)ipe head basin, 

 and thence by wrought-iron pipes, 6 feet in diameter, to the Potts 

 Hill Reservoir which has a capacity of 100 million gallons. From 

 thence the water is conveyed by pipes to the various reservoirs for dis- 

 tribution. The supply to some of the higher portions of Sydney and 

 suburbs requires to be pumped, but the greater part of the supply is 

 by gravitation. The works were completed about the end of 1887, 

 and have been in every way successful. The water is of first class 

 quality, and the supply is sufficient to meet the requirements of a very 

 much larger population than is at present dependent upon it. The 

 works are administered by a Board formed for the purpose in 1888, 

 composed of four members elected by the ratepayers, and three nomi- 

 nated by the Government, which has an intimate concern in the 

 matter as the capital invested represents part of the public debt 

 of the Colony. The Board's operations have given every satisfac- 

 tion ; the service is a splendid one, and the cost to the ratepayers 

 comparatively low; in fact in this matter Sydney stands out in 



