Ashfield Reservoir, Water reservoir in Holden Street, Ashbury, Australia
Ashfield Reservoir is an elevated steel water tank in Holden Street, Ashbury, supported by a steel girder frame and concrete columns with arches around its base. The cylindrical design allows water to flow by gravity to higher areas in Inner West Sydney through connected systems.
The tank was built in 1912 as one of four similar structures commissioned by the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage during Sydney's industrial expansion. This series of reservoirs marked an important phase in modernizing the city's water infrastructure systems.
The reservoir reflects how Sydney organized its water supply in the early 1900s and shows the role such facilities played in serving a rapidly growing city. The structure and its setting document the importance of water infrastructure to people living in these areas at that time.
The tank is located in an elevated area of Ashbury and is easily visible from the street, making it accessible for those interested in viewing the structure and its engineering. The surrounding area provides good sightlines to examine the construction and the broader Inner West Sydney landscape.
The grounds feature rare surviving skid huts that offer insight into working conditions at water facilities during the industrial era. These small structures reveal how workers sought shelter during shifts and managed the daily demands of this specialized labor.
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