Walk on water - City of Sydney

historical
walking
tours
walk
on water
Preservation
guide
to
sydney’s
the
glebe
Historical Walking Tour
water
features
Historical Walking Tour
Front Cover Image:
Photograph: Archaeology of Bathing, City of Sydney Archives
walk on
water
rom spectacular fountains
in parks and plazas to the
drains and sewers hidden
underground.
The centre of Sydney is full of water
features. Some you are meant to
ignore, some are there to be noticed
and enjoyed.
This brochure explores the theme of water
in the City.
Sydney’s
history
is all around us.
Our walking tours will lead you
on a journey of discovery from
early Aboriginal life through to
contemporary Sydney.
Wuganmagulya (Farm Cove) within the Royal Botanic
Gardens (Photograph: City of Sydney Archives)
Clover Moore MP
Lord Mayor of Sydney
Historical Walking Tours — Walk on Water / 01.
Tar–ra
H
26
HIC
LO
W
ER
L
RD
ON
KS
ST
IC
SP
FO
RT
WINDMILL ST
red
—
water
engineering
& sewerage
Sydney Cove
Warrane
ARGYLE ST
MB
ERL
AND
ST
Observatory
Hill
NS
CARRINGTON
ST
ST
YOUNG ST
PHILLIP
E ST
Woolloomooloo Bay
15
ASH ST
HUNTER
ST NEOT AVE
12
MCDO
NALD
H ST
ST
Belmore Park
ED
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AV
E
T
IA ST
VICTOR
TUSC
ULUM
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STREE
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AV
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Taylor
Square
CROWN
Central Station
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Train
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Monorail
Historical Walking Tours — Walk on Water / 02.
JOSEPHSON ST
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RT
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AV
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BOUR
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VALE
N
PO
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TIM
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PARK
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Capitol
Square
ROCK
WALL
C
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CROW
ST
BELL
MAS
ST
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QUA
ST
MA
ST
ST
CAMP
T
L ST
M ST
LEY S
IS ST
H
01
HAY S
EDRA
WILLIA
STAN
FRANC
Museum
ETH ST
DIXON ST
DR
G
LIN
Paddy’s
Markets
03
NITHSDAL
BURN
04
SMITH ST
ST
GOUL
25
02
World
Square
GEO
RGE
ST
PIER
IER ST
LE P
LI T T
R
DA
ST
CATH
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ELIZAB
ST
HARBO
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n
POOL
CENTRAL ST
07
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ROCK
WALL
LN
WY
WILLIA
BATHURST ST
ALBION PL
COLLEGE
PITT ST
KENT ST
Town Hall
LIVER
06
PARK ST
WILMOT ST
NN
28
COMMONWEALTH
ST
SUSSEX ST
DRUITT ST
Darling
Harbour
A
RY
Hyde Park
Galleries
Victoria
RD
MCEL
BOUR
09
08
on
PALMER ST
20 St James
City
Centre
Cockle Bay
05
N ST
MARKET ST
W P E R W HARF
KE ST
T
AR
CO
The Domain
ERS S
Darling
Park
RD
O NSLO
IDGE
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LE
L
GA
LIS AV
FORB
ELIZABET
Martin Place
24
LN
CHAL
BR
OW
AGH ST
11
AY ST
10
MACLE
MARTIN PL
CASTLERE
23
PITT ST
GEORGE ST
YORK ST
13
KING ST
NT BR
—
baths
& pools
14
27
PYRM
O
purple
ST
ST
BARRACK ST
KENT ST
ST
E
SUSSEX ST
NT
D
YL
W
CLARENCE ST
YORK LN
ERSKINE ST
LOFTUS ST
NE
O
Wynyard
29
PHILLIP LA
N
O
’C
ST
N
blue
—
drinking
places
MACQUARI
CURTIN PL
L
EL
BE
ST
GE
PITT ST
NG
—
public
conveniences
Royal
Botanic
Gardens
21
ST
yellow
16
BL
IG
H
GE
ST
ING
TO
HA
RR
OR
PL
MARGARET ST
Farm Cove
Wahganmuggalee
22
30 18
RI
SP
Circular Quay
BY
BOND ST
BUTOR
—
ornamental
fountains
T
CU
KENT ST
ALFRED ST
I
RE
HICKSON RD
19
DALLEY ST
BRIDGE ST
GROSVENOR ST
WESTERN DISTRI
green
17
FLIND
WN
O
KS
KEY
LEGEND
Bennelong Point
Dubbagullee
RD
N
TO
REN
walk on water
guide to sydney’s water features
Historical Walking Tour
01
Golden
Water Mouth
03
Made from a dead Yellow Box tree, 23ct gold leaf and
terracotta tile, the Golden Water Mouth statue stands
10.7m high. It is sited at the entrance of the “village” of
Chinatown and marks the place where, in a traditional
Chinese village, a wooden pagoda would be built to
protect the rivers and ensure wealth to the village. This
artwork incorporates Shui Kou elements of wood, water,
earth and gold together with native Australian species. It
evokes memories of the Chinese arrival in Australia— the
”New Gold Mountain”.
Anzac Pool
of Reflection
The Anzac Memorial on Hyde Park South was built to
commemorate the men and women who served in World
War I. But, by the time it was opened in 1934, the land fit
for heroes was no longer providing the rewards and jobs
hoped for, and the country was in a profound economic
depression. When the Council was given money to
create work for the unemployed, one of the tasks was to
build a large pool in front of the memorial.
(Photograph: City of Sydney Archives)
(Photograph: Jamie Williams Photography)
02
Obelisk
The obelisk on Elizabeth Street is one of the earliest
monuments recording the good works of a Sydney
mayor. It was built in 1857 and unveiled by the Mayor,
George Thornton. The monument is actually a sewer
vent, which provoked many jokes and led to it being
nicknamed “Thornton’s Scent Bottle”.
(Photograph: City of Sydney Archives)
04
05
Frazer
Fountains
The importance of public access to drinking water has
declined over the years. In the 19th century, many
houses were built without water connections and John
Frazer’s gift of two drinking fountains to the people of
Sydney was a generous and welcome gesture. The
two imposing Frazer drinking fountains were built in
the 1880s. They were designed by the City Architect,
Thomas Sapsford, and carved in Pyrmont sandstone by
Lawrence Beveridge. The basins for the fountains were
made of granite.
(Photograph: City of Sydney Archives)
Historical Walking Tours — Walk on Water / 03.
walk on water
guide to sydney’s water features
Historical Walking Tour
06
Sandringham
Gardens
08
The Yurong
Water Garden
This sculpture by Anita Glesta in the Yurong Water
Garden is an environmental artwork inspired by the
Yurong Creek that once ran from the edge of Cook
and Phillip Park through the mangrove swamps down
into Woolloomooloo Bay. Roughly hewn boulders of
sandstone and original pavers and rocks from the
former Cook and Phillip Park have been arranged to
form a course for the creek which flows down three
terraces of gardens retracing the path of the original.
The use of sandstone reflects the cultural and natural
heritage of the surrounding area.
The Sandringham Garden and Memorial Gates
commemorate King George V and VI. They were built on
the site of the old bandstand in Hyde Park and dedicated
in 1954. The gardens include bronze memorial gates
incorporating the crests and heraldic motifs of each king,
a memorial tablet with inscription and dedication, and a
memorial fountain with mosaic inlay.
(Photograph: City of Sydney Archives)
07
(Photograph:
Brett Boardman / Spackman Mossop Michaels)
Cook +
Phillip Park
The many uses of water at Cook and Phillip Park are
testament to Sydney’s diverse range and love of
water— from the harbour to the Yurong, from bathing
to competition, and from playing to meditation. The
swimming pools in the complex, used for both children’s
games and sporting events, the Yurong Water Garden
and the pools of reflection on College Street, which act
as major structural elements to balance the weight of
the roof of the pools below, all create the water world of
Cook and Phillip Park.
(Photograph: City of Sydney)
09
Archibald
Fountain,
Hyde Park North
This distinctive Art Deco showpiece is the legacy of a
private citizen, J F Archibald, and is quintessentially
Sydney. The fountain was built in Hyde Park North in
1932 to commemorate the association between Australia
and France in World War I. The work of French sculptor
Francois Sicard, it depicts a bronze Apollo surrounded
by other mythical figures.
(Photograph: Jamie Williams Photography)
Historical Walking Tours — Walk on Water / 04.
walk on water
guide to sydney’s water features
Historical Walking Tour
10
Passage
12
This installation in Martin Place called Passage was
created by Anne Graham in 2001 for the Sydney Sculpture
Walk. The walls of early Georgian houses are traced with
inlaid black granite and stainless steel grilles. The three
bronze bowl fountains represent washrooms at the rear of
the houses.
Robert Brough
Memorial
Fountain
Dedicated to the memory of Robert Brough (1857–1906),
a popular Sydney actor, this magnificent Victorian
fountain is tucked away in the northern courtyard
of Sydney Hospital. The distinctly Australian design
comprises a group of brolgas surmounted by black
swans displaying their crimson beaks. The fountain was
imported from the Colebrookdale Factory in England and
was installed near the Nightingale Wing in 1907.
(Photograph: City of Sydney Archives)
11
Il Porcellino
“The Little Pig” was a gift to the City of Sydney from the
Marchesa Fiaschi Torrigiani as a memorial to Thomas
Fiaschi and Piero Fiaschi, her brother and father
respectively, who were eminent doctors at Sydney
Hospital. Sydney’s Il Porcellino is an exact replica of
the bronze monument known as Porcellino, a 1547
sculpture of a wild boar by Pietro Battiste Tacca which
stands in the straw market in the heart of Florence. It
is believed to bring good luck if passersby rub its nose
and drop coins into the base pool, and is placed here
to help raise funds for the hospital.
(Photograph: Sally Couacaud / City of Sydney)
13
P&O Building
Fountain
An early example of public art commissioned by the
private sector, The P&O Building Fountain by Tom Bass
was installed in 1963. Oz Magazine in February 1964
published a satirical photograph that showed three men
of varying heights apparently voiding their bladders in the
fountain. Since then the work has been commonly referred
to as “The Urinal”. The photograph was the subject of
a legal battle during which the editors of Oz Magazine
were accused of promoting “public pissing”. The artwork
continues today to provoke attention because of this
history and because of its distinctive structure.
(Photograph: Jamie Williams Photography)
(Photograph: City of Sydney Archives)
Historical Walking Tours — Walk on Water / 05.
walk on water
guide to sydney’s water features
Historical Walking Tour
14
Archaeology
of Bathing
16
This artwork by Robyn Bracken traces elements of
former baths at Woolloomooloo. A floating jetty and
marine piles mark tidal change, while the stair cage and
portal frame reflect on the enclosed spaces associated
with early bathing machines. It forms part of the Sydney
Sculpture Walk.
WUGANMAGULYA
(Farm Cove)
Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens cover the area which
the original clans of Sydney called Wahganmuggalee,
later renamed Farm Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. It
was once the hunting and ceremonial ground for the Eora
people. Here too the British made their first attempts to
grow crops. Brenda Croft’s art installation Wuganmagulya
(Farm Cove) is set into the foreshore walk around the
cove. It pays homage to the Eora and other clans who
travelled great distances to attend ceremonies here.
The figures depict Sydney rock carvings.
(Photograph: Brett Boardman / City of Sydney)
15
Lewis Wolfe
Levy Fountain
(Photograph: Jamie Williams Photography)
17
An Art Nouveau bronze statue of a young girl standing
amid reeds, a heron and frogs beckons people to drink at
the red granite drinking fountain near the Woolloomooloo
Gate in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. The fountain,
erected in 1889, was a gift from the Levy family in
memory of Lewis Wofle Levy (1815–85), politician and
business man. The statue, by C B Birch (1832–93), is an
important example of aestheticism in Sydney.
1788
Shoreline
Circular Quay encroaches over the natural shoreline of
Sydney Cove. At East Circular Quay, the 1788 shoreline
is indicated in the granite paving by cast bronze discs.
The first constructed shoreline, reclaimed to form Circular
Quay, is mapped by a continuous band of white granite.
(Photograph: Brett Boardman / City of Sydney)
(Photograph: City of Sydney Archives)
Historical Walking Tours — Walk on Water / 06.
walk on water
guide to sydney’s water features
Historical Walking Tour
18
Cast Iron
Canopy
In 1870, Sydney was graced
with eight elaborate cast-iron
canopied drinking fountains
imported all the way from
Glasgow. Only a few survive
today, such as this one
in Macquarie Place. The
fountain canopy carries the
City’s coat of arms (adopted
in 1857), an instructive Bible
inscription, and the less
charitable demand: Keep The
Pavement Dry! The actual
drinking fountain is missing.
19
20
25 Water
Engineering
Busby’s Bore was Sydney’s first reliable water source
and is commemorated in a fountain in Hyde Park
North (20) . Tangible reminders of 19th century water
engineering include exposed drains at the Museum
of Sydney (21) , the Conservatorium of Music ( 2 2 ) , the
General Post Office building (23) and the old Supreme
Court (24) . The Pumping Station (25) at Darling Harbour
(now re-used as a café) was built for the Sydney and
Suburban Hydraulic Power Company and from 1891
to 1975 supplied water under pressure to power
machinery in the city.
(Photograph: City of Sydney)
Tank Stream
Sculpture
The settlement of Sydney was centred on a stream of
fresh water that emptied into Sydney Cove. This Stephen
Walker sculpture was donated to the City by John Fairfax
and Sons Ltd in 1981 and is located in Herald Square
at Circular Quay. The cascading fountain with bronze
animals is an invitation to children to explore, and its
dedication “to all the children who have played around
the Tank Stream” evokes a sense of this place stretching
back into its pre-urban landscape.
Busby’s Bore Fountain
(City of Sydney Archives)
26
30 Old-Style
Toilets
Loos, lavatories, toilets, urinals. Call them what you will,
we all need them. The City Council has been involved
in providing ”public conveniences” since the 1880s. An
example of a 19th century cast iron urinal can be found
in The Rocks (26) . In the early 20th century a range of
substantial men’s lavatories was built. Reminders of
these can be found in Hyde Park (27) – (28) , Wynyard Park
(29) , and Macquarie Place (30) .
(Photograph: City of Sydney)
Men’s convenience, Macquarie Place
(City of Sydney Archives)
Historical Walking Tours — Walk on Water / 07.
historical
walking
tours
Discover more of historic Sydney with the other
walking tour brochures in this series.
More information can be found at the City’s website:
www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history
or call the City of Sydney on 9265 9333
We welcome your feedback:
history@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
This story is one of many layers
www.dictionaryofsydney.org
Think before you bin this guide.
After reading, pass it on to
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useful or recycle it.
This brochure was prepared by the
History Program at the City of Sydney.
3rd edition, November 2011.
HWT 13