Centennial Park Reservoir, Underground water reservoir in Centennial Park, Australia
Centennial Park Reservoir is a covered water storage facility buried beneath the ground in Sydney's eastern suburbs, constructed with brick walls and a curved arch ceiling. The structure sits under layers of earth and turf that form part of the park above.
It was built between 1896 and 1898 by the NSW Public Works Department and ranks among Australia's largest covered water storage works from that era. The structure was created to supply water to Sydney's rapidly expanding eastern suburbs during the late 1800s.
The reservoir became part of the water system that shaped how Sydney's eastern side developed after European settlement. It sits on land that the Gadi people had cared for and lived on for countless generations before.
You can view the reservoir site from ground level in Centennial Park, where an iron fence marks its boundary. The location is easy to reach on foot and the park offers walking paths throughout the grounds for exploring the wider area.
A cast-iron fence manufactured by Darlington Iron Works circles the reservoir site and creates the main visible marker of where this structure lies. Few visitors notice this distinctive boundary, which is one of the few clues that a massive water tank sits hidden beneath the grass.
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