11 November 2023

Professor Khan’s historic walking tour of Sydney

Join Professor Stuart Khan FTSE for a historic 10 km walking tour of Sydney.

Join Stuart Khan for a historic 10 km walking tour of Sydney. The tour begins at Centennial Park Robertson Road Gates (off Lang Road). From there, you will explore Centennial Park, then follow Oxford Street to Hyde Park. You’ll walk through Hyde Park to Macquarie Street, Bridge Street and finish in the historic Rocks area.

On the way, you’ll learn about Sydney’s first three engineered water supplies, the Tank Stream, the Lachlan Swamps/Busby’s Bore Scheme and the Botany Swamps Scheme. Other notable water-related sites include historic public drinking water fountains and a public water pump (1868) manufactured by P.N. Russell Engineering, Woollahra Reservoir (1880), Centennial Park No.1 Reservoir (1899), Centennial Park No.2 Reservoir (1925), Paddington Reservoir (1864), Crown Street Reservoir (1859) and pumping station (1879), Sydney’s grandest old sewer vent (1857), and a convict-built stormwater drainage system (1840s). Other historical sites include notable statues, buildings, Macquarie Obelisk, an anchor and cannon from the First Fleet flagship, and more.