THE PARKS OF SYDNEY. 35 



fountains in various ways. In consequence, special arrange- 

 ments have to be made to guard against wilful injury. 

 Fragile fountains should have no place in a public park open 

 day and night ; this is to be regretted, because slenderness 

 of construction is sometimes inseparable from an artistic 

 object such as a fountain. 



Some years ago the attention of the Board of Health 

 was directed to the drinking fountains of Sydney and the 

 Board stated : — 



'• It has been pointed out that large dogs and other animals drink from 

 those which are so arranged that water remains in the cisterns under the 

 drinking taps ; and, as children and others drink from these instead of 

 from the taps, and hydatid and other diseases are likely to be in this way 

 propagated, the Board is very strongly of opinion — 



1st. That wherever there are cisterns they should have a runaway 



at the bottom, so that no water can collect ; and — 

 2nd. That cisterns for dogs should not be allowed in fountains placed 

 near Public Schools, as it is found that young children drink 

 out of them." 



An adequate water supply is also necessary for the 

 watering of roads, the flushing of gutters, the watering 

 of plants (even large trees have to be watered during 

 droughts), and various miscellaneous park services. 



4. Public baths and boat-sheds. The matter of baths 

 for the public is one of special importance to us in a semi- 

 tropical climate. In the case of those parks at a distance 

 from the water the matter of the erection of public baths, 

 such as are seen in every large town in Europe, is a matter 

 for consideration. In most cases, however, there is no 

 special advantage in having baths in a park, while the 

 objection to the erection of a building in a park when pro- 

 vision can be as well and even better made for it in a 

 public thoroughfare, is one deserving of very serious con- 

 sideration. But many Sydney parks have water-frontages 

 to Port Jackson, and it seems desirable that, wherever 

 possible, facilities should be given for utilizing a portion of 



