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Water

Subject
Geology and geography of the Georges River
Servicing Sydney's thirst
Water
Cooks River Alliance
Lord's Mill
Marsden's mill
Singleton's Water Mill
Sydenham drainage pit and pumping station No.001
Woronora Mill
Plan shewing a swamp in the Parish of Petersham applied for by two Veterens and encroached on by Doctor Wardell c1830
Birdseye view across the lake, Eastwood c1912
Bridge over the tank stream at Sydney Cove 1794-1796
Chinese Gardens 24 May 2014
Chipping Norton Lakes 2015
Detail showing the Botany Reservoir from the 'Plan of the Botany and Lachlan Watersheds' 1875
Lake Parramatta closeup 2009
Lake Parramatta reserve 2009
Liverpool Weir 2014
Making the new sewer in Pitt Street 1857
Map showing First Branch or Macdonald River, with land holdings 1831
Mosman Bay 1907
Mr Marsden's Mill N.S.Wales 1820
Parsley Bay c1845
Parsley Bay c1890s
Plan of storm water drainage scheme, Marrickville 1892
Thundering surf, Mahon Pool, Maroubra 1 April 2013
Wests Creek 1843

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Water

Geology and geography of the Georges River

There are three main geological layers in the Georges River catchment that can be seen along the river's route through south western Sydney. 

Servicing Sydney's thirst

Increasing population and industry saw the Cooks River transformed from a pristine natural watercourse into a highly modified and polluted river

Water

Finding and securing enough water for Sydney's needs has been a challenge since the arrival of the Europeans in 1788, and over two centuries water supply has prompted some of the largest engineering schemes undertaken in Sydney.

Cooks River Alliance

Organisation formed by eight councils to address the complex challenges of managing the Cooks River.

full record »

Lord's Mill

Mill which used the fulling process of pounding the loosely woven cloth to knit the fibres and shrink them to produce a tight textural whole. The mill also scoured the fabric to soften and clean it using water from the nearby Mill Pond. The mill was closed when the government resumed the land for the pumping station.

full record »

Marsden's mill

full record »

Watermill built around 1810 on Darling Mills and Toongabbie Creeks by Samuel Marsden near the site of the present Cumberland hospital weir. It remained in use until about 1838. An earlier millrace on the same property was associated with the earlier Government Water Mill.

Singleton's Water Mill

full record »

Water driven wheel mill built by brothers Ben and James Singleton on the Hawkesbury in the 1820s.

Sydenham drainage pit and pumping station No.001

Also known as the Sydenham Stormwater Basin, this open air sandstone and brick lined pit was built in as the 1930s as part of the NSW State Government's Department of Public Works relief work program to prevent the surrounding area from flooding. It is sunk into the ground below sea level and is approximately 9 metres deep, 170 x 125 metres in area, and has a water capacity of 100 mega litres. The Pumping Station is a reinforced concrete building perched on concrete fins 12 metres high above one corner of the pit.

full record »

Woronora Mill

Flour mill built on the Woronora River which avoided the duty paid by all Sydney based mills. Using the undershot principle the river water hit the wheel the wheel at it's base causing it to spin.

full record »

Plan shewing a swamp in the Parish of Petersham applied for by two Veterens and encroached on by Doctor Wardell c1830

full record »
Contributed By
State Archives & Records New South Wales
[NRS-13886-1-[X751]-Volume 1 Surveyor General sketch book folio, 47]

Birdseye view across the lake, Eastwood c1912

full record »
By
Broadhurst Post Card Publishers
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a105261 / PXA 635/259]
(Mitchell Library)

Bridge over the tank stream at Sydney Cove 1794-1796

full record »
By
Thomas Watling
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[V1/1794+/1 (Detail)]
(Detail of 'View of Sydney Cove 1794-96')

Chinese Gardens 24 May 2014

full record »
By
Wyncliffe
Contributed By
Wyncliffe
Flickr
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/wyncliffe/14076729710]
(CC0 1.0)

Chipping Norton Lakes 2015

full record »
By
Phil Mulhearn
Contributed By
Phil Mulhearn

Detail showing the Botany Reservoir from the 'Plan of the Botany and Lachlan Watersheds' 1875

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[NSL ZM3 811.18ghhd/1875/1 (detail)]
(Mitchell Map Collection)

Lake Parramatta closeup 2009

full record »
Image courtesy of
Airview
[0905-1726-31]

Lake Parramatta reserve 2009

full record »
Image courtesy of
Airview
[0905-1726-34]

Liverpool Weir 2014

full record »
By
Phil Mulhearn
Contributed By
Phil Mulhearn

Making the new sewer in Pitt Street 1857

full record »
By
Walter G Mason
Contributed By
National Library of Australia
[nla.pic-an8021132]

Map showing First Branch or Macdonald River, with land holdings 1831

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[D Ca 83/20]
(William Dixson manuscript collection)

Mosman Bay 1907

full record »
By
Arthur Streeton
Contributed By
National Gallery of Victoria
[A39-1980]

Mr Marsden's Mill N.S.Wales 1820

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[PX*D 41, 1]
(Mitchell LIbrary)

Parsley Bay c1845

full record »
By
George Edwards Peacock
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[DG 34]
(Dixson Galleries)

Parsley Bay c1890s

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[SPF/1036]
(Mitchell Library)

Plan of storm water drainage scheme, Marrickville 1892

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[SP/M9/132, 129]
(The Building and Engineering Journal 1892)

Thundering surf, Mahon Pool, Maroubra 1 April 2013

full record »
By
Steve Dorman
Contributed By
Flickr
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/60060337@N02/8613142418]
(CC BY-NC 2.0)

Wests Creek 1843

full record »
By
William Henry Wells
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a3998001 / Z/M2 811.17/1843/2]
(Detail of Map of the City of Sydney c1843 by WH Wells)

Natural Environment

Floods

Lakes

Rivers and Catchments

Sea-levels

Tsunamis