88 TJw Water Supply of Sydney. 



the construction of these tanks, but it must be at least as early as 

 1802, for a " General Order" was issued on the 14th October of 

 that year, and republished in the Sydney Gazette of 18th 

 December, 1803, of which the following is an extract : — " If any 

 person whatever is detected in throwing any filth into the stream 

 of fresh water, cleaning fish, washing, erecting pig-styes near it, 

 or taking water up but at ^he Tanks, on conviction before a 

 magistrate their houses will be taken down, and forfeit £5 for 

 each offence to the Orphan Fund." It is further enjoined that 

 the fences along the stream should be kept in good repair — that 

 no person might have access to it but at the Tanks. Allusion is 

 made to this fencing in the Gazette of 16th October, 1803 : — " The 

 enclosure of the Tank, undertaken by Government, will, when 

 completed, considerably improve the town in its appearance, and 

 render universal benefit in the preservation of its excellent stream. 

 Every appearance of rubbish has been removed from its sides, 

 and the crystal current flows into the basin with its native 

 purity." 



In the " Government and General Orders" of date loth 

 September, 1810, I find the following : — " It having been repre- 

 sented to his Excellency the Governor, as a very serious grievance, 

 that the Stream of Water which flows through the town of 

 Sydney, and the Tanks which have been constructed thereon (at 

 considerable expense), for the purpose of procuring an adequate 

 supply of pure and good water for the necessary accommodation 

 and benefit of the inhabitants at large, are frequently polluted, 

 and rendered totally unfit for those valuable purposes (which 

 become the more important by the scarcity oi wholesome water 

 with, which the town is supplied) ; and it thence becoming an 

 object of the first consideration to the health and comfort of all 

 persons residing within the town of Sydney, that said stream and 

 Tanks should be strictly preserved and guarded against all abuses 

 whatever, his Excellency deems it necessary to issue the follow- 

 ing Orders : — 



" 1. That no necessaries, slaughter-houses, tanneries, dyeing- 

 houses, breweries, or distilleries, shall be in future erected on or 

 near to the said stream, tanks, or springs flowing thereto 

 and further that all . [such nuisances] already erected 



or established thereon, shall be immediately pulled down, or 

 otherwise suppressed, under pain of the owners or possessors 

 being proceeded against, and prosecuted under the Nuisance Act. 



" 2. That no person shall presume to throw any dirt, rubbish, 

 ashes, dirty water, or filth of any kind into the tanks, or streams 

 supplying them, or into any of the springs or streamlets flowing 

 to and past the said tanks. 



" 3. That no linen, clothes, or any other article, shall be washed 

 in the said tanks, stream, springs, or streamlets. 



