CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS. 111. 
Brisbane. After examining several localities near Sydney, he 
ultimately reported in 1826 in favour of the Lachlan Swamp, 
lying to the south-eastward of Sydney, in the hollow between 
Paddington and Randwick. Mr. Busby’s plan was adopted, and 
the work of driving a tunnel from Hyde Park to the swamp was 
commenced in September 1627. From the unmanageable and 
unskilful character of the labourers employed, (convicts) and from 
unforeseen difficulties in the strata that had to be gone through, 
the undertaking was much more tedious and difficult than had 
been anticipated, and it was not until June 1837, that it was 
brought to a successful termination. The tunnel however, began 
to supply Sydney with water as early as 1830, by virtue of drain- 
age from the surrounding rocks. The whole length of the tunnel 
is 12,000 feet, upwards of 24 miles, with an average width of four 
feet, and height of 5 feet. Twenty-eight vertical shafts were 
sunk from the surface, varying in depth from 20 to 80 feet; the 
whole mass of excavation amounted to 255,930 cubic feet, fully 
nine-tenths being through solid rock ; and the total cost was 
£24,000. The catchment basin of the Lachlan Swamp is about 
two square miles ; but probably only about half that area actually 
drains into the tunnel, and as no provision was made for retaining 
storm waters at the swamp, a great proportion of the rainfall ran 
down to Botany Bay. The tunnel remains in good order to the 
present day, (1868), and is used to supply the lower parts of 
Woolloomooloo, and a portion of the city along Darling Harbour, 
between Bathurst Street and Erskine Street. The termination 
in Hyde Park is about 104 feet above high water mark. The 
daily delivery varies much with the state of the weather, but it 
may be taken at somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 gallons, 
which at the time the tunnel was opened, was a fair supply for 
the population of 20,000 persons that then existed in Sydney. 
This quantity represents less than one-fifth of the annual rainfall 
on the area draining into the tunnel. An important feature of 
the original scheme was to have a reservoir excavated in Hyde 
Park, capable of holding 15 million gallons, but this unfortunately 
was never carried out.” 
