Boothtown Aqueduct, Heritage water bridge in Greystanes, Australia.
Boothtown Aqueduct is a water conveyance structure in Greystanes that spans 225 meters across a valley using 22 brick arches, each with spans exceeding 10 meters. These arches are supported by reinforced concrete legs that form the framework of the entire structure.
Built as part of the Upper Nepean Scheme and opened in 1888, the aqueduct carried water from Prospect Reservoir to Potts Hill Reservoir. In 1892 its parapet walls collapsed into the creek and were rebuilt with a concrete lining and tie rods. Bypassed in 1907 by a reinforced concrete syphon on the southern side, it was saved from 1990s demolition by local objections.
The aqueduct is named after John Booth, and its brick arches carry sandstone springers, with dentilation, pilasters at each arch and string courses of round cast bricks in the brickwork. The rendered brick towers have cement-furnished castellation and lancet-arched doorways. A pedestrian and cycleway now runs along the top of the structure across Boothtown Gully.
The aqueduct lies on Macquarie Road in Greystanes, with a second approach from Gipps Road to the west; Transit Systems bus stops stand on both roads. A pedestrian and cycle path runs along the top of the structure across Boothtown Gully and continues west toward Prospect Reservoir, linking to tracks through the western suburbs.
The aqueduct was named after John Booth, and its 22 brick arches each have a 10.16 m span with a 9.1 m clear span. Because the arches align differently with each change of aspect, the structure reads like an architectural puzzle that grows and shrinks along its length.
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