THE WATER SUPPLY OF SYDNEY. LXXXVII. 
who desired might inspect it; it could however be seen at 
the Conversazione of the Historical Society in the same 
room ina few days time. ‘There was a proposal in the very 
early days to dam the tank stream at about Bridge-street, 
with the view of getting power for working a water wheel, 
but the futility of the idea with such a small watershed, 
was probably soon seen through. Mr. Keele makes no 
reference to the great number of public and private pumps 
from wells which supplemented the tank stream supply in 
early days, but many references to them appear in the 
records of those times which present startling contrasts to 
present day conditions. 
On the 9th August, 1825, a committee of the Council— 
in a report with regard to the Carter’s Barracks (the build- 
ings lately removed to make way for the Central Station) 
—said, ‘‘The boys should be separated from the carters, 
and instructed in the trades of carpenters, wheelwrights, 
tanners, block makers, and pump borers,’’ thus showing 
that the use of pumps was so very common at the time as 
to constitute work for a trade to make them from the 
native trees. In the Gazette of 7th January, 1810, there | 
is an account of £36 paid to Jas. Bowler for a pump in the 
gaol yard, while others stood in the streets, one at the 
corner of George and Barrack Street was objected to as so 
hard to work that animal power was desired to work it. 
There was a fine spring which supplied water to the public 
at the rear of the present Hducation Office, then the 
Colonial Secretary’s, over which Isaac Peyton erected a 
beautiful little fountain in 1812, designed by Governor 
Macquarie’s architect Mr. Greenway. This is perpetuated 
in the name of Spring Street. One of the vandalistic acts 
of Sydney’s custodians was the destruction of this structure 
when the space was needed, instead of carefully taking it 
down and re-erecting it in one of the parks. (An illustra- 
