Bankstown Reservoir

Can you imagine a water tower as a work of art? Here at the Bankstown Reservoir, that’s exactly what you’ll find. Bankstown Reservoir isn’t just a vital piece of infrastructure. It’s a local landmark, a heritage-listed beauty, and a testament to innovative engineering. Completed in 1920, the Bankstown Reservoir stands proudly on reinforced concrete piers, a pioneering design for its time. It was, in fact, the largest elevated reinforced concrete reservoir in Australia upon completion. Its decorative features, hand-plastered with intricate detail, set it apart from purely functional reservoirs. The reservoir’s Romanesque revival and Federation Free Classical styles add to its unique charm. Bankstown Reservoir serves a large area of South-Western Sydney, supplying drinking water to households as far west as Villawood and Condell Park, as far east as Croydon, and reaching north to Auburn and North Strathfield. This elegant structure holds 4.4 million liters of water, reaching a depth of 8.7 meters. And if you could climb to its rooftop, 86 meters above sea level, you’d be treated to panoramic views of the Sydney skyline and the Greater Western Sydney area. The reservoir sits at the corner of Hume Highway and Stacey Street, bordering Greenacre. But the main entrance is tucked away on Beresford Avenue, a dead-end street off Hume Highway. The land upon which Bankstown Reservoir stands has a darker history. In 1826, it served as a hanging site for bushrangers. Imagine the scene as Patrick Sullivan and James Moran, members of Sullivan’s gang, met their fate here after causing chaos in the Bathurst district. The reservoir’s history intertwines with Bankstown’s early European settlement, the transport routes, the bushrangers who roamed Liverpool Road, and the establishment of law and order in the area. Today, the Bankstown Reservoir stands as a symbol of both progress and history. It serves as a reminder of the city’s growth and its sometimes turbulent past.