The Water Supply of Sydney. 93 



bucket is the price now asked — a heavy tax upon poor people." 

 I have been assured by a gentleman who lived in the northern 

 part of Sydney at that time that he had to pay as much as six- 

 pence a bucket. The increasing deficiency of water led the 

 authorities to look about for some fresh source, and the dam 

 at Cook's River was begun about that time with the view of 

 increasing the supply. Speaking of the disposal of some 

 prisoners, the Herald of 13th May, 1839, says, — "The men are 

 to serve the probationary period at Cook's River stockade, where 

 they will be employed at the dam which is to supply Sydney with 

 water " This dam when constructed was not found to exclude 

 the salt water, and no farther steps were taken in that direction. 

 The great drought of '3S-39 was succeeded by nine years of 

 abundant rain and frequent loods. During this wet period the 

 tunnel seems to have kept Sydney pretty well supplied — at least 

 I find no records of scarcity, nor of schemes for increasing the 

 supply — but in the year 1849 there occurred a drought of con- 

 siderable severity, and the water question again started into 

 prominence. In that year the rainfall, as measured at South 

 Head, was only 21^ inches (the average being about 50 inches), 

 while the population of Sydney had increased to about 40,000, or 

 double what it was when the Lachlan swamp was first tapped. I 

 find that in April, 1849, the Water Committee of the City 

 Council directed the City Surveyor (Mr. F. Clarke), to examine 

 the swamp and tunnel with the view of improving the supply. 

 The surveyor sent in his report in December, recommending that 

 a dam should be carried across the lower part of the swamp, so 

 as to form a lake of 40 or 50 acres, with an average depth of 

 four feet, and to construct a reservoir of masonry near the east 

 end of the tunnel 25 feet higher than the lake, and capable of 

 holding 10 million gallons ; this reservoir to be filled by pumping 

 from the lake. A commencement of the proposed dam was 

 made, but it was soon abandoned, and the remaining part of the 

 recommendation was neglected. The next movement was the 

 appointment, in January, 1850, of a special committee of the 

 City Council " to inquire into and report on the best means of 

 procuring a permanent supply of water to the city of Sydney." 

 This committee did not close their labours till February. 1852, 

 when they sent in a long and carefully-compiled report, the result 

 evidently of a laborious investigation of the whole question. 

 This report gives the population of Sydney at nearly 50,000 (the 

 census of 1851 gave about 45,000, and there was a large accession 

 about that time in consequence of the discovery of gold) ; the 

 number of houses 8482, of which only 2300 were supplied with 

 water ; the assessed annual valne of city property, £232,678 ; 

 and the gross water revenue, £3493. In discussing the mode of 

 improving the water supply temporarily, the report condemns 



