Things to do

Find Sydney’s best kept water secrets

The DIY way to discover our city’s watery past.

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Now the days are getting longer, it’s time to get out and about to explore our city. As we head into the warmer months, we’ve got water on our minds. Dive in (pun intended!) to some of our city’s best water-related attractions.

The Tank Stream

Did you know that the original fresh drinking water supply for the early colony of Sydney came from the Tank Stream? Within three decades of European settlement, the water became polluted and undrinkable.

Tank Stream Fountain
Tank Stream Fountain

The Steven Walker sculpture is a dedication to all the children who played around the Tank Stream over time.

Farm Cove

Farm Cove within today’s Royal Botanic Gardens is thought to have been a ceremonial ground for the Gadigal people of Sydney. The area later became the first farm under Governor Arthur Phillip.

Brenda Croft’s art installation 'Wuganmagulya (Farm Cove)'
Brenda Croft’s art installation 'Wuganmagulya (Farm Cove)'

Brenda Croft’s art installation Wuganmagulya (Farm Cove) is set into the foreshore walk around the cove. It pays homage to the Eora and other clans who travelled great distances to attend ceremonies here.

Frazer Fountains

In the 19th century, many houses were built without water connections, and so merchant John Frazer’s gift of two drinking fountains to the people of Sydney was a generous and welcome gesture.

Frazer Fountain at Hyde Park
Frazer Fountain at Hyde Park

The two imposing Frazer drinking fountains were built in the 1880s. They were designed by City Architect Thomas Sapsford and carved in Pyrmont sandstone by Lawrence Beveridge.

Cook + Phillip Park

Enjoy the water above and below the ground. The pools of reflection on College Street act as major structural elements to balance the weight of the roof of the swimming pool complex below.

Cook + Phillip Park
Cook + Phillip Park

Head inside to the aquatic centre and marvel and the engineering and the large scale artworks by Wendy Sharpe on the walls depicting Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman.

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Published 25 September 2018