Tank Stream, Heritage water stream in Sydney, Australia
Tank Stream is a waterway that flows beneath Sydney's central business district, running underground from Hyde Park to Sydney Cove. The water travels through a network of tunnels carved into the rock beneath the modern city above.
The waterway became the first freshwater source that European settlers relied on when they arrived in 1788. In 1790, carved stone tanks were added to bedrock to store water as the colonial population grew.
The stream held deep meaning for the Gadigal people, who depended on it for food and water in their daily life. This waterway shaped how they understood and moved through the land they inhabited.
Visitors can join guided tours to explore the underground system, organized through Sydney Living Museums and Sydney Water. Access points are limited to specific locations that reveal how water moves beneath the busy streets above.
The stone tanks that gave the stream its name were hand-carved into rock and served as vital water storage. These tanks show how early settlers managed to survive using simple engineering in a new land.
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